Almost every home on the south side of Park Road, from Ward’s Lane to Alderslea, has a secret.
It’s a private entrance from the backyard into Innisfil Beach Park.
Some of the accesses date back to the early days of the park, when it was operated as a private campground – before it became Innisfil’s “jewel in the crown” of waterfront parkland.
Others are recent additions - from gates in new chainlink fences to a large, almost ceremonial gateway in the yard of a recently-built homes.
Some of the entrances seem to be barely used, with only a faint trail through the park’s forest and brush.
Others have carved definite pathways, some lined with stone or blocks, to make access easier.
And several paths through the stand of red pines are marked by plantings of periwinkle or lily-of-the-valley.
"People can install gates on their property," said Mary Nordstrom, Manager of Land Use Planning with the Town of Innisfil. "People can enter the park on foot from those gates, if no fencing has been provided on the park side."
There's not a specific policy regarding gates, but "it's extremely common in municipal parks all over this province," said Nordstrom.
That said, she noted, "People are not allowed to enter the park from those gates via ATV or snowmobile."
Current regulations prohibit ATVs and snowmobiles in the park. As Nordstrom explains, "ATVs ruin the grass, and pound the soils, which must be repaired at cost to the town."
At present, there are no plans to make changes or block the secret pathways into the park, but she noted that as improvements are made, through the Innisfil Beach Park Master Plan - such as naturalization of some areas of the forest - "there may be fencing or other method(s) of discouraging ATV entry as needed."
