By Cecilia Nasmith
As the province allows certain openings and proper precautions are put into place, the Town of Cobourg is starting to get busier, council agreed this week.
But not all restrictions have been lifted – such as the beaches, Councillor Emily Chorley pointed out.
“I would like to reiterate Victoria Park beach is only open if you would like to go for a walk. You cannot sunbathe, you cannot picnic and you cannot build a sandcastle at this time. Keep moving through the area, and not socializing.
“So tell your friends and family now is not the time to visit our beach.”
While many parks are now open, she continued, the Cobourg Conservation Area – under the jurisdiction of the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority – is not. The Cobourg Dog Park is also closed for now.
Marina staff are working hard to prepare for an opening in late May or early June, Chorley said, and the boat launch should open soon.
Northumberland County announced the reopening of Northumberland Forest as of May 15, and the Ganaraska Forest will follow suit May 22 - “118 km. of trails to enjoy, and the trilliums are in bloom,” Chorley commented.
Councillor Aaron Burchat gave some perspective from the bylaw-enforcement angle of what kinds of situations are arising to provoke some level of response from Cobourg Police Service, its special constables and auxiliary, and municipal bylaw-enforcement officers.
The list includes flying kites on the beach, metal-detecting on the beach, sitting on the benches, and picnics and bonfires on the beach. But the one that is really increasing as the weather improves is dogs on the beach. There will be a zero-tolerance policy on this, going forward.
Apart from the beach, issues they have seen include congregating in parking lots, sitting in vehicles and assembling in groups outside the vehicles.
Councillor Adam Bureau said the Downtown Business Improvement Area has local partners supplying face shields and hand sanitizers, and he extended best wishes to all the town's businesses as they prepare to reopen when they feel comfortable doing so.
“I know we are going through trying times, and I know we will get through this at some point,” Bureau said.
