Every summer of my life for the past 36 years has been spent, at one point or another, at Presqu'ile Park in Brighton.
I was born in July of ’68 and that very summer my parents hauled all 9 pounds 10 ounces of me off to my first camping experience. Some of the happiest days of my childhood were spent swimming, biking, singing around campfires and making friends at my favourite Provincial Park.
While I smile at the thought of all those good times, I can’t help but be depressed as I walk through the park in present day and see how time and the “power’s that be” have allowed this one time jewel of Northumberland County to slip into it’s present state.
Gone are the days when the children would be gathered up in the morning by park staff to congregate at the circus tent by the amphitheatre to make crafts and play games. I suppose that would just cost too much today.
I hark back to hot summer days spent lying on the beautiful beach where you had to wear shoes or risk burning your feet on the blistering sand. Standing on the waters edge you could see people its entire length enjoying the pristine surroundings. Not so much anymore. Why don’t they clean and drag it every day like they used to? How come beach four no longer exists? You’d need a weedeater to clear away the bush and an umbrella to shield yourself from the onslaught of seagulls. Do you remember when you could actually drive your cars on the beach?
If hunger struck and you were lacking any sustenance you could make your way to the snack bar at beach two. I can only imagine it was dismantled to make way for more tall grass. I also recall the white lifeguard stands spread along the beach. Now you just roll the dice and hope you don’t drown or get an infection from the e-coli bacteria.
Take a trip to other Provincial Parks and see just how much money has been spent on repairing roads. They don’t just bring in some dirt or try to patch and re-patch holes constantly with a little asphalt. The road leading in and out of the Park gives your shocks a real workout. And don’t even think of taking your eyes off the roads in the campground. Perhaps all those potholes are there to keep people from speeding around the campers…but some how I doubt that’s it at all.
I can summon up days in my youth when my camping friends and I would manage to persuade our parents to give us 5 bucks to go to the Park Store and have a burger, fries and a milkshake. Sure the store is still there but if you want to eat, you better bring your own meat and BBQ. Can you believe that restaurant owners in Brighton complained that they were losing business? What a joke! I never wanted a hot dog so bad that I’d be willing to drive or ride my bike into town.
Two words that have really infuriated me regarding Presqu’ile over the last ten years or so would be “Natural Park”. That’s how those in charge and the “birders” choose to classify this setting. I’m sorry but there’s a difference between a natural park and a rundown park. I recall playing baseball in the field near the park store as a teenager. If you did that today, you’d need your rubber boots and a bathing suit. I can also recollect playing baseball at the park ball diamond. Do you know where that was? If you said right next to the Beach 2 entrance you are correct. Next time you drive by there, see if you can place where it might have been. The forest is filled with fallen and rotting trees. What would be the harm to clean up some of that?
I could go on but I’ll leave my remaining thoughts until another time.
Presqu'ile will always hold a special place in my heart and memories. I'm just thankful that I have my memories to call upon when the current state of affairs anger or sadden me.
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