Keswick Clarendon Beach Closure

[Eain]

Have your attention? Okay good. I have this letter loaded to be sent to Mayor Quirk who shut down Glenwoods a number of years ago. I will be taking pictures to support the file as a clear health and safety risk for the town. If you have an issue talk to someone else, if you want to know the guidelines ask someone else, I will be kiting and enjoying myself. There are other solutions, figure them out and DO them.
So, not that I am disrespectful but I have no reason to chat about stuff in here, so save your comments for the people you are going to work with to solve this problem that is not mine...you have put public safety at risk and I am obligated to act.

Here is the letter

To: Mayor M Quirk, Councillors and Residents of Georgina

Re: Health and safety concerns at Clarendon park in regards to kitesurfing

Hello Mayor Quirk

To clarify from the beginning, windsurfers have never, nor will they ever be a risk to anyone at Clarendon park and any decisions made should have no bearing on their continued presence in the park. And I am a kitesurfer.

You may remember me from discussions when you were councillor and had to close the Glenwoods park to kitesurfing due to complaints and safety concerns from concerned community members and children. We local kiters were sorry to see it happen but understood your decision, the community lost control of itself. At that time the resident kitesurfer community attempted to form an association. At the meetings we developed a set of ‘guidelines’ to be self monitored by the kiting community within Ways Bay Park. These included, water launch and landing only - no landing kites in the park, no lines across the walk path (trip hazard), no beginners - intermediate or better, Park and inflate kites at the back (no lines), roll lines up or launch, Put your kite between the tree and water - run lines and go, no kites parked near the tree (makes people drag there kites over the path); respect for residents, swimmers, beach and park visitors, and parking laws. we kite on the bad weather days which reduces co use with fair weather users - a good thing. For the most part self monitoring has been working and most kiters are expert level and follow the rules.

However, there are a number of people who continue to break the guidelines. I have had numerous interactions with people who refuse to follow our communities guidelines and am I tired of ruining my day at the beach having to police this, and getting into conflict to protect other park visitors. My approach is unrelenting giving my experience with due diligence in health and safety matters, as well as the potential to have to deal with critical injuries.

Recently an experienced kitesurfer aware of the guidelines landed his kite in the park within 7 metres of a man carrying a child, a second child with her mother and a disabled women in an electric wheelchair, there were children in the playground 9 metres downwind where a kite problem would go. 2 days previous another kiter tried to land in the park with 2 children in the same playground. Launching and landing are the most dangerous times for this sport and have been known to kill people. Any mishap here could severely injure an innocent bystander. This happens with too much regularity by other kitesurfers as well, as do lines crossing the path and kites not positioned properly. It is clearly only a matter of time before someone is hurt, and the resident kiters discuss this frequently.

P.s - Im not sure what the answer is but I will send this letter to the mayor that shut down Glenwoods without blinking an eye. When they see a problem they shut it down. I have access to tons of beaches here and can set up personal agreements for 15 beaches with my friends here no problem. If I see OTHER people policing I won’t hit send, if I have to police this I am sending this to the Mayor for help, and that could happen within weeks. Everyone is now fully aware that this job will be sent to Mayor Quirk…
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If you would like more background please speak with Gabby, and as we move through the next few weeks I will post names when i get them of people that refuse to join the crowd of great kiters and windsurfers that frankly do a magnificent job of getting along with the system

The community needs to step it up and ensure I do not have reason to send this letter in the next few days, because this needs policing, the Mayor WILL do that. Thank you for reading

[Eain]

Thanks everyone for reading up, I will leave you to the conversation to figure out some other solution quickly...

[Kees]

Dude, I don’t know about your local situation at Clarendon beach but you are sounding like a wining child because no one is listening to him. Now you want your mayor to close the spot and spoil it for the majority of your fellow kiters because of a few people that don’t follow your rules? You must be popular with your local crew. Don’t get me wrong, I am 100% for safety on the beach, I kite mostly at Florida’s no1 busiest state park and trust me, it’s busy in the summer. If we see someone being unsafe we talk to them, no big deal. Take a chill pill and enjoy your sport!

[Kamikuza]

"And I am a kitesurfer." I'm sure the mayor is aware of the rivalry and will be moved by your partisanship

[dkazhdan]

I am sure I will be speaking for everyone in Toronto's kiting community here.

Could you please update your letter to Mayor M Quirk with the following:

"
We would also humbly ask you to impose a parking fee of 250$ per hour, restrict access to the beach on the weekends and totally ban the Jews and goofy riders from entering the beach at all times.
Failure to comply with this policy may be punished with 1 year of solitary confinement in a restricted facility.
"

Needless to say, none of this applies to yourself and your friends that have access to 15 other beaches.

[Camerons]

It’s disappointing to see people mocking someone who is trying to help keep a beach safe. Rather than mock Ian why not support him and deal with the real issue. The real issue is that the kiting community has been ineffective at policing itself. We have lost one beach due to entitled behavior. We will lose the next beach the same way. Unless we as a community take action.

Do you think that the local resident who felt they or their child was endangered will post a letter to this forum asking that we be safe or they will ask to have the park closed ? No. They will ask to have kiting banned and it will work. Everyone will be banned due to very few entitled people.

My ask is that we help rather than mock.

[windrider1]

Come on lets face it this guy eain is not a kitesufer just a guy that tried this sport never got it and now hates all kitesurfers. no level headed kiter would write a letter like this. Eain u still can become a kitesurfer bud but u gotta loose the hate. Dump the windsurfer gear get a trainer and give it another go.

Have your attention? Okay good. I have this letter loaded to be sent to Mayor Quirk who shut down Glenwoods a number of years ago. I will be taking pictures to support the file as a clear health and safety risk for the town. If you have an issue talk to someone else, if you want to know the guidelines ask someone else, I will be kiting and enjoying myself. There are other solutions, figure them out and DO them.
So, not that I am disrespectful but I have no reason to chat about stuff in here, so save your comments for the people you are going to work with to solve this problem that is not mine...you have put public safety at risk and I am obligated to act.

Here is the letter

To: Mayor M Quirk, Councillors and Residents of Georgina

Re: Health and safety concerns at Clarendon park in regards to kitesurfing

Hello Mayor Quirk

To clarify from the beginning, windsurfers have never, nor will they ever be a risk to anyone at Clarendon park and any decisions made should have no bearing on their continued presence in the park. And I am a kitesurfer.

You may remember me from discussions when you were councillor and had to close the Glenwoods park to kitesurfing due to complaints and safety concerns from concerned community members and children. We local kiters were sorry to see it happen but understood your decision, the community lost control of itself. At that time the resident kitesurfer community attempted to form an association. At the meetings we developed a set of ‘guidelines’ to be self monitored by the kiting community within Ways Bay Park. These included, water launch and landing only - no landing kites in the park, no lines across the walk path (trip hazard), no beginners - intermediate or better, Park and inflate kites at the back (no lines), roll lines up or launch, Put your kite between the tree and water - run lines and go, no kites parked near the tree (makes people drag there kites over the path); respect for residents, swimmers, beach and park visitors, and parking laws. we kite on the bad weather days which reduces co use with fair weather users - a good thing. For the most part self monitoring has been working and most kiters are expert level and follow the rules.

However, there are a number of people who continue to break the guidelines. I have had numerous interactions with people who refuse to follow our communities guidelines and am I tired of ruining my day at the beach having to police this, and getting into conflict to protect other park visitors. My approach is unrelenting giving my experience with due diligence in health and safety matters, as well as the potential to have to deal with critical injuries.

Recently an experienced kitesurfer aware of the guidelines landed his kite in the park within 7 metres of a man carrying a child, a second child with her mother and a disabled women in an electric wheelchair, there were children in the playground 9 metres downwind where a kite problem would go. 2 days previous another kiter tried to land in the park with 2 children in the same playground. Launching and landing are the most dangerous times for this sport and have been known to kill people. Any mishap here could severely injure an innocent bystander. This happens with too much regularity by other kitesurfers as well, as do lines crossing the path and kites not positioned properly. It is clearly only a matter of time before someone is hurt, and the resident kiters discuss this frequently.

P.s - Im not sure what the answer is but I will send this letter to the mayor that shut down Glenwoods without blinking an eye. When they see a problem they shut it down. I have access to tons of beaches here and can set up personal agreements for 15 beaches with my friends here no problem. If I see OTHER people policing I won’t hit send, if I have to police this I am sending this to the Mayor for help, and that could happen within weeks. Everyone is now fully aware that this job will be sent to Mayor Quirk…
_____________________________________________________________________________________

If you would like more background please speak with Gabby, and as we move through the next few weeks I will post names when i get them of people that refuse to join the crowd of great kiters and windsurfers that frankly do a magnificent job of getting along with the system

The community needs to step it up and ensure I do not have reason to send this letter in the next few days, because this needs policing, the Mayor WILL do that. Thank you for reading

[Camerons]

I hear your pain.
I never understand the people who ride at their local spot and don’t respect the rules.

But I rather to suggest you to form a local key club, which is funded by the members.
Each paying member gets a permit.
Someone breaks the permit gets a warning.
Second time take the permit away, and he can’t Kite there anymore. Any attempt, you call the police.

The only way it will work.

I keep my fingers crossed that you will be able to find a way that you still can enjoy your spot.

[dirtybeach]

I hear your pain.
I never understand the people who ride at their local spot and don’t respect the rules.

But I rather to suggest you to form a local key club, which is funded by the members.
Each paying member gets a permit.
Someone breaks the permit gets a warning.
Second time take the permit away, and he can’t Kite there anymore. Any attempt, you call the police.

The only way it will work.

I keep my fingers crossed that you will be able to find a way that you still can enjoy your spot.

I am against adopting any permit system. Along with all the red tape involved, one of the largest issues is with enforcement. This launch is in a municipal park, and I’ll bet that the town will not want the risk of implementing permit access, but they also will not want to allocate any resources to administration and enforcement. It would be easier for the local government to close access, like they did in the other nearby launch.

Before you pass judgement on the op, I suggest that you should be very familiar with kiting this area. There’s more to this story than I’m willing to write at this time.

My suggestion is to continue with self policing, and recruit more kiters to help with that.

Looks like we have many days of wind coming starting tomorrow. This year we are nearing record high water levels in the Great Lakes. It is going to be a challenging year to maintain access at some of our popular spots.

[Toby]

Sure it’s better with self policing.
But as OP stated, doesn’t work!

So, something else needs to be done to keep access.

Or buy a wing surfer.