'The beach is vital': Whiteshell businesses hampered after province fences off beach
Businesses near Crescent Beach, a popular destination in the Whiteshell, are worried a closure by the province will hurt vital tourism.
The hot weather will have many flocking to Manitoba beaches this weekend, but on West Hawk Lake, no one will be visiting Crescent Beach. The province fenced off the beach on Tuesday after flooding damaged the adjacent sea wall.
Amy Syrota, who has a seasonal spot a few minutes away, visited the closed beach on Saturday.
"I've been coming here for years. My whole life, actually, since I was little. So seeing this is actually devastating and it just sucks," she said.
Businesses along Crescent Beach say the province didn't consult them before closing the area.
"I've talked to five of the six businesses on the harbour front, including the marina, and no one was notified about the beach being closed," said Shaun Harbottle, the owner of Crescent Beach Cottages.
"Made for a hard weekend since all of us had placed our order expecting a 36-degree weekend, you're going to be busy."
Harbottle said he met with provincial officials a few days before the fencing went up and wasn't notified that the entire beach was closing.
"There was no talk of closing the entire beach. There was talk about maybe half of the beach being closed and some of the parking where the beach wall is damaged," he said.
In a statement to CTV News on Thursday, the province said it is working on fixing the sea wall.
"The province engaged an engineer to assess sea wall damages and required repairs to make it safe and again allow public access to the beach – this assessment and reporting on required repairs and address is ongoing," read part of the statement.
The province said it would update the Whiteshell Cottagers' Association, residents, business operators and the South Whiteshell Chamber of Commerce as further information becomes available.
As for area businesses and residents, they say they haven't seen any updates or progress being made.
"The beach is vital," said Harbottle. "You get two months of nice weather in Manitoba, right? I don't think anyone wants to come in December and sit on the beach."
Harbottle noted Father’s Day and Canada Day are major moneymakers for area businesses, something that could be hampered by the beach closure.
"I always come to this beach, and I bring my friends and my family come here. It won't probably be happening this year," said Syrota.
CTV News has reached out to the province and the Whiteshell Cottagers' Association.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.