Rumours of change

A couple of years ago we learned via the newspaper that an individual had applied to put a dock in the cove.   The provincial government, part of the Department of Environment and Lands, issues permits for such docks.  There have been other wharves in the past in the cove.  In fact, long ago there was a ferry to take passengers across to the south side of Holyrood Harbour.  More recently, a neighbour had a dock just north of here for his small boat.  It was a simple design, with cribbing attached to the shore.  It must be admitted that the dock was not a great success and was destroyed by a winter's storm.

We and others who frequent the public beach were concerned that the new dock not impend our access to the beach or have other detrimental effects on the shoreline.  We requested from the department but were not given details of the wharf location or its proposed design.  We anticipated that the new wharf would be no more intrusive than the old one as we understood it was to be used by one small boat.

You may understand by now that we love this beach.  We have become its unofficial guardians.  We see that it remains free of trash.   We enjoy sharing it with the kids and young families who are regular visitors.  There is an ongoing transition:  first your parents wheel you down in the stroller, then you hold Mom's hand as you make your way down, as a pre-teen you come with your buddies, next it's a place for couples in the late evening, finally you push a stroller with your own offspring (some of which we've been told were conceived on the beach).

Seabirds visit daily and some years there will be a nesting pair of gulls in the area.  Eagle landings are always exciting.