Dear Editor:
I have waited some time before responding to “John’s column” in the early April Press regarding access to Cabot Head. Not only is it a difficult subject, with various positions, but the state of the road after yet another winter and spring run off is now evident.
I decided I do want to present a different perspective rather than the idea of only biking/hiking access.
Certainly that idea is much better than NO access, however it leaves those who are elderly, handicapped in some manner, or have young children unable to experience this spectacular piece of nature or the history of this site. Can we not find a way to accommodate these persons in some manner? Open access by vehicle, as in the past, would not be an option… this stretched the patience of Dyers Bay residents and cottagers…that is understandable. It wasn’t safe either.
However, remember what JFK stated about visiting the moon “not because it is easy, but because it is hard”.
It’s not the moon… it’s a few fairly short pieces of road, built by Lindsay Township employing local individual truckers (my Dad being one) in the 60’s, that needs some repair and engineering. It needs some scheduling and education, and a willingness to work together.
Are there issues? Yes, I am aware. But it’s likely listening and working together will be the biggest hurdle.
Friends of Cabot Head worked diligently previously to present a world class site. The government spent hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to remove toxic materials and restore the light. An awesome museum telling the history of our marine and lumbering heritage rounded it out. Some damage has happened since there is no longer their presence at the light.
Families such as Hopkins and McFarlanes have personal history. Kim Hopkins’ memoir “Stories of a boyhood at Cabot Head Lightstation” is well worth reading. If my family had a car, we got to go on Sunday night drives. It was either around Johnson’s Harbour/Dorcas Bay where an ice cream cone at “Teens” store on Dorcas was a huge treat; or over to Dyers Bay, stopping at the flume, then on to Cabot Head, visiting friends who had a cottage at Wingfield Basin (now the Bird Observatory). A shipwreck peeking out of the basin speaks to the dangerous waters.
The 8km “road” between the bottom edge of the escarpment and Georgian Bay up to the light is nothing short of spectacular… the lightstation tells a story of the determined people who decided this peninsula was where they would build their life.
Jenna McGuire, a local and respected ecologist, has an excellent piece, including a map on her Facebook page (that explains this far better than I can) and I quote “we need to continue to care for ecosystems and heritage features, and that can only happen with access. Where will our youth fall in love with the world if we continue to close it off or decrease accessibility”. She explains this must be done with good education and thoughtful visitor use management.
I concur.
Smokey Golden
