A lodge owner and local cottagers in the vicinity of Espanola Bay are raising concerns about a possible expansion of docks, trail and parking lot adjacent to the swimming area.
Portage Resort owner Cathy Lepine says the installation of a dock on one side of the beach area is a dangerous location because boats have to cross where swimmers are.
Cottager Suzanne Landstrom adds she fought the installation of the dock over the last couple of years, but because it is Crown Land and the boat owners had followed all the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forests regulations, construction of the dock was allowed.
Both women say the boat owners are now looking at building additional dockage and installing a trail and a parking lot in the same vicinity, which has raised their concerns since many people swim, canoe, paddle, and use the open water for activities.
The only option left open for the women, and their fellow cottagers is to apply to Baldwin Township, which manages the beach under the Ministry regulations, to ask that buoy lines be installed in the beach area.
The two plan to continue their fight to have nothing more added to the area in question.
