By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Residents of Hatley Township will no longer have free access to North Hatley’s municipal beach this summer, following the end of a long-standing recreational agreement between the two municipalities. The move, formalized by Hatley Township council in October 2024, has sparked concern among residents as the summer season begins.
According to a statement from the municipality posted to Facebook, “the municipality has recently ceased to offer free access to the municipal beach to residents of Hatley Township.” Those wishing to visit North Hatley’s beach must now pay the full non-resident fee.
Mayor Vincent Fontaine confirmed in an interview that the Township decided not to renew the agreement because “there wasn’t really any sharing” between the two municipalities in terms of services. “We didn’t have activities there and they were still charging us,” Fontaine explained. He also pointed out that the beach in question is not a public beach, but “a private beach,” and that “under the laws of the country, we have to pay.”
Fontaine emphasized that while Hatley Township residents will now be required to pay non-resident rates, the Township is working on a plan to reimburse the difference. “What we’re going to do is pass a resolution next week,” he said. “Residents will pay the surcharge, and we will reimburse them for the difference between the resident and non-resident fee.” He gave the example that if the regular price for residents is $25 and the non-resident fee is $50, Hatley Township would reimburse the $25 difference.
Hatley Township Councillor Pat Clowery, speaking with The Record at an unrelated event, echoed this, saying that the plan is to either fully or partially reimburse residents. He encouraged them to keep their receipts, as the program will be applied retroactively once the resolution is passed. Retroactive reimbursement was also nominally confirmed by Mayor Fontaine.
