loving long point, ontarioby brett |
Austin Parkway public beach access, Long Point, Ont.
The August issue of STYLE AT HOME will be hitting newsstands this weekend (yay!), and the theme of the issue is “Simple Summer” – gorgeous summer getaways and easy, breezy outdoor living.
Last weekend, I had the chance to ditch the sweltering urban heat island (I’m so not a fan of Toronto in the summer!) and escaped to my own slice of heaven – Long Point.
Long Point is a 40-kilometre sandspit that juts from southwestern Ontario into the warm waters of Lake Erie, and has been my summer getaway since I was a kid. Wide, sandy beaches, lined with whispering poplars that glint like silver in the summer sun, and an unpretentious atmosphere among the cottagers who have a real passion for the place… Regional Road 59 takes you down the fascinating Causeway, flanked on either side by marshes teeming with turtles and birds (over 300 species fly through Long Point through the year), and terminates at the Provincial Park – the fourth oldest park in the province.
One of my fave activities on the Point, of course, is to go dream cottage shopping. I’ve always loved this buttery-yellow beachfront property, which sold two summers ago for a prince’s ransom (I’d heard $750,000, but that’s local gossip talking).
Why do I love it? It’s a combination of knockout location, with a modest, charming design that doesn’t take away from the splendour of the landscape (Long Point is recognized as a United Nations World Biosphere).
The most famous property on the Point, however, has got to be the Old Cut Lighthouse.
Built in 1879, the three-storey fort-style beacon with a fascinating history is now a private residence, lovingly restored. The renovation actually won a number of awards, including “Most Outstanding Historical Renovation in Ontario”. Isn’t the fence awesome?!
I’ve always wanted to see inside, and a little websleuthing brought up these tasty snaps. You can also see the shabby state the lighthouse was in towards the end of the 1990s… The transformation is nothing short of stunning!
Tags: before & after, before and after, historical renovation, historical restoration, lighthouse before and after, long point, long point beach, long point lighthouse, long point old cut, long point provincial park, long point tourism, norfolk county, old cut lighthouse, ontario parks long point, restoration project, sandspit
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Ooooh Brett.. you’ve just shown me my new summer getaway! Love it
I agree with Lauren - love it! And you’re right Brett, the fence design is awesome; it frames the lighthouse perfectly. What a work of art! And to think someone resides in it. Well, I’ll just say, they’ve ’seen the light’ to this location’s charm… Lausen
Long Point is beautiful and very magical.
It offers the rest, relaxation and beauty we all need.
The homes are cute and very “sea-side” and the sand is warm and smooth between the toes.
It is a very magical place…
Now I’ve got a place to daydream about when I’m stuck in a subway train with no A/C this summer! Beautiful photos!
I couldn’t agree more. I moved to Port Rowan/Long Point 4 years ago from “the city” because I discovered the beach & other great attributes of the area. And now, in fact, I am the Tourism Promotions Coordinator - promoting to everyone else how great this area is and how much there is to offer. (fishing, boating, beaches, cottaging, birding, a NEW ZIP LINE, great local foods, wineries, shopping, theatre, hiking, cycling, motorcycling…you name it.) If you want any information at all about where to visit or stay, please contact me or visit our website. We’d love to see you here. http://www.norfolktourism.ca
1-800-699-9038
Beautiful photos, that first image is totally charming!
i love the sleuth! i was in long point this past weekend and totally enjoyed the sandy beach, the warm campfire and the mystical aura of the point - now if only something could be done about the outdated book selection at the cottage - this is the third year i’ve spent a weekend with Atwood’s “Blind Assasin” - thanks for the great post - taking me back to the point
Ooh - so many Long Point fans! I’m so glad it’s not as well-kept a secret as I thought!
Thanks for all your comments.
I’m from Florida, a state known for famous beaches. However, none of them can compare to Long Point’s natural beauty on a stormy afternoon as witnessed on June 25 from Rob & Mary’s shoreline home!
As Sue Williams stated:
The morning was absolutely beautiful. Then late afternoon the lightening started. What a site to behold as we all stayed under the deck overlooking the lake.
Glad to share it with our Florida family. Now you see why we love it here.
Oh, I missed that thunderstorm by two days… I LOVE Long Point thunderstorms!
Long Point is best in the fall. A lot quieter, but just as beautiful.
[...] blogged about my passion for Ontario’s scenic Long Point region before, so it should come as no surprise that I immediately fell for Mississauga artist Joseph [...]
HELP SAVE LONG POINT FROM OVER COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT!!
There appears to be a larger trend that, more and more, often small cottage communities are being taken over by commercial developers leaving residents with little to no options.
As cottagers of Long Point, Lake Erie, Ontario, we never thought we would ever find ourselves appealing a request for a planning and zoning amendment to build a 24 unit, 3 storey condominium building, which went before local municipal council on November 10 2009 and was unfortunately approved even though Norfolk County Economic and Planning Development Department recommended, in a 20 page report, complete REFUSAL of the application due to many significant issues such as height, project scale and servicing.
Long Point has been a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1986. A planning and zoning application was filed in June 2009, and only the residents in close proximity were notified. The rest of Long Point’s residents were informed via a ‘not in plain sight’ posted sign. Being only few residents were aware of the application and notification, this resulted in minimal opportunity of healthy discussions at both public meetings held on September 22, 2009 and on November 10, 2009 (also many cottagers had left for the season only to return in spring 2010). Those who were aware of the proposal quickly tried to spread the word to the majority who were unaware of this pending request. 300+ letters were written, petitions signed, support from the local Long Point Ratepayers Association, all in opposition, either were presented or spoke during the public meeting yet the application was approved after a 3-3 tie breaking vote casted by the Mayor. We have since (December 15 2009) submitted an appeal to the OMB and have created an association called CALP (Condo Appeal Long Point) to assist in collecting donations to pay for legal council retained as well as to bring awareness and gain support.
We are not opposed to responsible and sustainable economic and human development, but it must also be responsible socio-culturally and ecologically sustainable stewardship development that, in our view, fulfills the commitments under the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation and is a right fit for Long Point.
From the current information we have, this does not seem to be the case for this application. Based on the media coverage and news articles reviewed on-line, it appears that this proposal has very little in keeping with the Biosphere philosophy and the historical Long Point culture.
No where in the zoning application do you see any reference to the commitments of a Biosphere Reserve. While this may be a planning term with certain connotations, additionally, we are concerned with the word resort that is used throughout the Notice. From the scale of the development, this application appears to be all about entrepreneurialism and the start of building a LARGE resort business, both of which are out of keeping with the current Long Point culture and existing physical structures.
The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve designation is a rare and exceptional honour that we think the local municipality should want to uphold, protect and preserve. As residents, this is a designation that we cherish and wish to maintain.
Because of our long time residency and our understanding of the environmental sensitivity of the very specialized ecosystems on Long Point, we are deeply concerned about the potential negative impact that the current application request and the associated additional human presence may have on Long Point’s easily eroded sand dunes, its native Carolinian flora and fauna, the bird and butterfly migration, the turtle and amphibian lifecycles, and the delicately balanced land, air and water quality.
More significant than these short and long term environmental impacts is the dangerous precedent that this application represents for future development decisions and exemptions, and the changed character of Long Point.
Please visit CALP’s website at:
http://www.kwic.com/calp/
for more information, links to County Planning Reports (noted above), pictures, site drawings and background information.
Donations are needed to cover legal costs for the appeal.
Sincerely,
Claudia Unterstab
CALP President
presidentcalp@bell.net