The Town of Innisfil wants potential visitors to know a trip to Innisfil Beach Park is not essential, and you will be turned away at the gate if you are not a resident.
The town’s boat launch is open to residents only. And while the town’s parks and road ends are open, the beaches and many amenities are not. Residents can have a picnic with people in their household, but not on the beach.
With the first heat wave of the year, some people found out these rules the hard way.
“We had our fair share of visitors coming from out of town. We had to ask them to carry on,” said Jason Inwood, the town's director of operations. “Our residents’ health and safety continues to be our top priority.”
Despite stopping out-of-town vehicles at the gate, residents are reporting that visitors are parking elsewhere in town and walking into the park.
Alcona Home Hardware experienced that, prompting a message online that vehicles using its parking lot for any reason other than shopping at the store will be towed away at the owner’s expense.
Barrie Vickers, chief building official for the town, said that shouldn’t be happening.
“The provincial order is such that non-essential travel is not to take place,” he said.
He said town staff are not checking people walking into the park.
“If you walk in, as far as we’re concerned you came from somewhere close by,” he said.
For some, a residents-only Innisfil Beach Park has been a dream.
“That’s an unintended consequence of COVID,” Vickers said.
But the increased restrictions have required more staff and resources, while the absence of visitors means the park is not making any revenue from parking.
In 2019, the park made $332,433 in parking revenue.
“We are closely monitoring the financial implications of this pandemic.” said Inwood, noting each department head reports to council regularly on the impacts.
At some point, when it is safe to do so, visitors in vehicles will be allowed back in.
“It’s not resident-only for good,” he said.
Shane MacDonald, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Barrie Advance
