In this phase of the project, Brown’s Bay Beach and Picnic Area will get a new bayfront building with food service and accessible, gender-neutral washrooms and changerooms. The project also includes a new perched beach area, thanks to major reconstruction work along the seawall, and a new and improved septic system.
Since the previous update, the underground sewage disposal system has been completed, including the final grading and reseeding of the new septic bed area. The new subsurface sewage disposal system ensures that sewage waste at the site is managed in accordance with the Ontario Water Resources Act and in an environmentally responsible way.
With all the work completed on the seawall and perched beach, the site cleared and the bulk of the underground work complete, the focus is now squarely on erecting the new building that will elevate the guest experience at Brown’s Bay, with inclusion and accessibility at the forefront.
The construction began with digging for the building’s footings in late November. In December, the company undertaking the building construction, Kehoe Marine Construction, began manufacturing the building’s structural steel at their 20,000 square foot offsite manufacturing facility.
This offsite work has allowed the construction to progress through cold and inclement weather and will allow for faster on-site assembly, also allowing construction to maintain a steady pace.
The pre-fabricated structural steel began to arrive on the construction site in late January. Crews are currently working on the structural assembly, to be immediately followed by the addition of the roof.
The next phase of work will be to build a wooden frame around the steel structure. The frame, covered with insulated tarps, will allow for continued construction, including the masonry work and interior work such as mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, through the winter and into spring, regardless of weather conditions.
The revitalization project, managed by Infrastructure Ontario, is currently on-schedule for Brown’s Bay Beach and Picnic Area to re-open during the 2023 operating season. The exact re-opening date will be determined in the spring once construction progress through the winter months can be assessed. When complete, the newly restored park will be an asset the community can be proud of and a bigger draw to bring people – and tourism dollars – into the area.