CONDEMN CANAL BEACH

Letter to the Editor
May 27, 2008

With summer 2008 fast approaching, I am writing, once again, to express my disgust with the deplorable conditions at Canal Beach, near St. George.
The concerns are serious enough that, rather than being promoted as a local tourist attraction with a beautiful sandy beach, the Town of St. George needs to seriously look at declaring the beach “CONDEMNED.”
Just yesterday, we were sailing by the beach in our boat and noticed a group of teenagers congregating at the end of the beach with a bonfire lit in the sand, no doubt starting the first kick off for this year’s grad party rituals.
Over the past two summers, I have slowly been picking up broken glass and garbage from Canal Beach, on the few occasions I went there. And to say the amount of broken glass is unbelievable, would be an understatement. It is positively disgusting. If parents were educated at all about the amount of broken glass on the beach, they would never want to take their children there. Every year, there are countless people who do get cuts from the broken glass, but no one ever seems to complain about it, or they decide they just won’t go there anymore.
For the past 30 years, I’ve watched party goers destroy the beach by driving on it with cars, jeeps or ATVs. I’ve seen the aftermath of the teenage drinking fests which end with beer bottles broken and smashed everywhere. Youth vandalize the buildings and destroy the small amount of property that’s there. Careless smokers butt their cigarettes in the sand. Mothers leave their babies’ dirty diapers on the beach. Sunbathers leave behind food, chip bags, beach towels, clothing, etc. Adults and children alike, throw their litter and garbage everywhere. It’s not much of a place to suggest tourists, or even locals, should visit.
It’s no wonder we can’t have anything nice in this area, as no one ever has, or ever will, take pride in their community, or our simple little area attractions. People in this day and age should know better than to toss their garbage everywhere and teenagers should know better than to smash beer bottles. I just returned from a drive through Virginia and North Carolina, and was in awe that there wasn’t a speck of litter on the roads anywhere. Every property was immaculate and well kept. Obviously, those people are further advanced than the people of Charlotte County, but at least it shows how much pride they have in their land, their communities, and their state. It was so wonderful to see such beautiful countryside and, as a traveler, I felt welcomed in driving through these states. But I also felt shame and embarrassment as I thought about what these same people would think if they were to come to visit New Brunswick, or even Canal Beach. The only welcome signs we put out are the littered Tim Horton cups in the roadside ditches, and broken beer bottles at our beaches.
I also think it’s absolutely appalling that the Town of St. George, are allowing this beach to be so neglected and uncared for, while at the same time, trying to advertise it as a “tourist attraction.” Surely, with all the concerns about environmental issues or recreational opportunities for citizens, there must be government funding somewhere to at least hire a beach supervisor for just three months of the year to keep the beach safe for everyone, devoid of all litter, garbage and glass, and free of party goers and beach wreckers.
With its natural beauty, Canal Beach has the potential to be a star attraction for our area, but since we can‘t even care for it properly, maybe it would be simpler to just close the beach and not let anyone use it at all. Obviously, we’re not deserving of it anyway.

Sari Justason
Pennfield