MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2019

18 Sauble Beach has always been synonymous with playing in the water. It’s not uncommon to see teens tossing the frisbee in waist-deep waves of Lake Huron, or kids splashing around as their parents look on. But a whole new type of water activity is being proposed for the world’s second-longest freshwater beach. The Waves Waterpark, a floating obstacle course, is set to appear in front of the legendary Crowd Inn this summer. With similar waterparks now in Barrie and Orillia, the momentum is building in Ontario for these kid-friendly play-structures. Tourists will find this new attraction not far from the Ascent Aerial Park, erected in 2017, making Sauble an even more adventure-based hotspot. Measuring an estimated 26 by 62 metres, theWaterpark (if all approvals are granted) will sit between the second and third sandbars, where the water is between four to six feet deep. Coupled with the $600,000 Sauble Town Square project, which will re-imagine the washroom and parking lot area adjacent to the Aerial Park, Sauble is set to embrace its role as one of the signature must-visit southern Ontario summer destinations. It’s already seeing 150,000 visitors on long weekends, and it’s looking to sustainably increase that number with these new attractions. While it will be a welcome addition for the experience-seeking tourists that funnel in from June to September, it also raises a few questions. For example, how much tourism is too much for one small area? It may seem like a silly question, but just ask the residents of the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula who have seen a massive increase in summer activity that challenges the infrastructure they have in place at the Grotto and Tobermory. Sauble, too, may not have the infrastructure to accommodate much of an increase beyond 150,000 on a weekend. Another inevitable question: how does one profit off the publicly-owned water of Lake Huron? Well, it takes visits to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Transport Canada and Department of Fisheries and Oceans to apply for permission to occupy the waters and run the business. The council of South Bruce Peninsula has lent its support in lead-up to these steps, but some environmental concerns remain: the chemicals from maintaining and cleaning the massive plastic Waterpark structure will ultimately end up in the Lake. This question doesn’t have an easy answer and will no doubt have many water-watchers hesitant to see the Waterpark erected. Furthermore, South Bruce Peninsula and Saugeen First Nation are in the midst of a land claim dispute that could see the Saugeen boundary move from the main street where the iconic “Welcome to Sauble” sign sits, to 6th Street North beyond The Crowd Inn and where the proposed Waterpark is to be anchored.The boundary dispute is currently in the courts with no clear resolution date, but its outcome could affect the future of the Waterpark. But one certainty is that user safety is being taken seriously by Waves Waterpark owners Ryan Gardhouse and Mike Robinson, who also own the Ascent Aerial Park. Life jackets will be provided and three lifeguards will be on duty during the CHANGING TIDES UPFRONT at SAUBLE BEACH