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Here's the dirt: Excess sand delays opening of Jackson Park boat launch

‘We don’t have an excavator with an arm that long’ to scoop out winter sand deposits, says Tiny public works director
Balm Beach
Balm Beach in Tiny Township.

The water in Tiny is great to swim in, but boaters wanting to get their craft into D’Aoust Bay might need to wait until next week according to the municipality.

Questions into the municipality from curious residents prompted public works director Tim Leitch to explain recently why the Jackson Park boat launch, at Marina Road near Concession 8 West, hadn’t been opened as of this weekend.

“This year we did experience more sand than anticipated,” Leitch explained during the special meeting of council. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t very much shore ice – as everybody remembers – through the winter, which ends up depositing a lot of sand down in those areas.”

Leitch informed council and the public that approvals for in-water operations had been OK'd, but it was a matter of finding someone to dig the sand out.

“We don’t have a piece of equipment – an excavator – with an arm that long, that can reach out and extract the sand to open up the ramp,” Leitch noted, adding the process would likely happen after the first weekend of June.

“We’ll get the ramp open and make sure it’s safe for operation.”

Later on Thursday, Leitch told MidlandToday, "We have approvals and equipment lined up to clear the sand from the ramp and launch area (and) anticipate it will be open by the end of next week."

As stated in the frequently asked questions of the Tiny Township web page for public beaches, timing to open municipal ramps varies on weather with a target of the May 24 long weekend, and closures on the Thanksgiving weekend in October.

Archives of council meetings are available to view on Tiny Township’s YouTube channel.


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Derek Howard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

About the Author: Derek Howard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Derek Howard covers Midland and Penetanguishene area civic issues under the Local Journalism Initiative, which is funded by the Government of Canada.
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