The Park Nobody Wanted

Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park opened in 1996. Now, 25 years later, it has become an important anchor to the quality of life in the community. It is a place to gather as a family, to meet friends, purchase an ice cream and take an evening stroll. It is where we celebrate Canada Day, our local arts community and enjoy an evening concert. It is now part of the fabric which defines Bronte.

It would be a fair estimation that well over one-half the people who live in Bronte today, were not here when the Park was officially opened.

Given the critical importance of this park to the physical and social identity of Bronte, one may ask, what was there before the park and marina and how and why was it planned and built and by whom?

Interestingly, this Park would not exist but for a much debated and contentious political decision to modernize the old form of County Government. In 1974, after years of political debate, the County of Halton, which had existed as a level of government for over 100 years, was transformed into the Regional Municipality of Halton. This updated the old County form of government and brought roads, water, sewer, health, social services, police and EMS under a single roof. The Region also assumed responsibility for the high level, structural and growth planning of Halton. For the first time, decisions on growth were co-ordinated between municipalities, in the context of the Greater Golden Horseshoe, but also taking into account financial and infrastructure needs.

Lead by the former Director of Planning for the Town of Oakville, Ed Cumming; a small band of young planners was hired to form the new Halton Region Planning Department.

The very first challenge this small group faced took the form of a simple question.

What will or should Halton look like 25 or 50 years into the future?

The foundation of all planning is public consultation and engagement. Much of planning is under understanding how the future will change, people will live, the economy will develop and the growth pressures for the next 25 years and longer.

As this group of young women and men travelled around Halton Region hosting public meetings, it was clear most residents were busy with their families and lives. It was hard for them to look out 25 years and describe the kind of community they envisaged. What they did articulate were the important or essential things.

These included housing, transportation, schools, parks and job opportunities. In many ways, little change from today. Issues such as the environment and social needs still had not surfaced on the list of priorities. At the same time, there were concerns about change and how it would impact their communities. Some of that concern was focused on growth in general, but more so on the change in the character of housing. It must be remembered that the predominate form was single family homes, with apartments for young people or the poor. The concepts of stack townhomes, condominiums of various forms, high rise towers and mix used communities was off in the future.

While many of the Oakville and Burlington residents shared these same values, those of rural Halton, (Acton, Georgetown and Milton) were markedly different. Issues of rural character, economic opportunties, housing for children and viability of farming were well articulated.

Halton in 1974 had a population of 150,000 people and was largely rural. In Oakville, 66,000 people called the Town home. Ford Canada was the biggest employer and the QEW was dotted with manufacturing companies related to the auto industry.

Early planning efforts focused on questions of future growth, how much, what kind and where. To support that growth were questions on transportation and servicing infrastructure. One of the best and most illustrative inputs into planning decisions has always been the lessons of other cities, towns and municipalities. Back in 1974 considerable time was invested looking at Toronto and Mississauga, our neighbour to the west which had begun to grow.

The young planners hired by Halton were one of the first generation of that profession to recognize the importance of the environment. To that end, Halton had been blessed with an abundance of natural features, woodlands, creek and valley systems and land forms such as the Niagara Escarpment. A few of the planners had been born and raised locally within walking distance of Lake Ontario in Oakville and Burlington and others in the rural community, including being born into farm families. The lake, green spaces and farm land were reference points. If these areas were important, the question became, should they be kept, or plowed under like our neighbours to the east?

As work commenced towards a Region wide Official Plan, it needed a framework or foundation.

First was the mapping of viable farmland and policies to protect it from urbanization and fragmentation. Second, was the identification of 37 Environmentally Sensitive Areas. This was done through ecological assessments and scientific study. These areas were extensively mapped and policies devised to ensure they could not be developed. Next was the Lake Ontario shoreline stretching from the Burlington Canal to Oakville Mississauga boundary. Other frameworks included the creation of the first Greenbelt, protection of the Niagara Escarpment and prime agricultural land. Lastly was a future transportation system and sewer and water servicing.

Another fundamental decision made in those early years and continued forward into the 1980s under the Halton Urban Structure Plan, were policies and plans to maintain the individual identity of the 5 urban areas in Halton. Second, put in place an urban buffer or greenbelt so there was not a continuous wall of development all the way to Milton. Third, protect the Niagara Escarpment. Fourth, was to maintain the rural character of the former Townships of Nassagawaya and Esquesing.

The elephant in the room so to speak was growth. The forecasts from that time indicated the Greater Toronto Area would grow by 4million people over the next 25 years. The source of this growth, the baby boom echo (our own children; about 40 percent of all growth), migration; (people moving from elsewhere in Ontario and across Canada) and lastly immigration from around the world.

At the end of the day, the question of growth boils down to a simple foundation that you must plan for only 3 groups of people: the people that are here, the children of the people that are here and the people yet to come.

It must be remembered the Greater Toronto Area is the engine of the Ontario economy and is pivotal to the economic health of Canada. That in of itself is a major attractor of growth. It also has one of the best quality of life in the world.

If you have come to live in Halton and Oakville over the last 40 years; you will have originated from the second two groups, you are a child of someone that was already here or you came from the group of people yet to come. In the simplest terms, you are that growth which was forecasted to occur by the group of young planners in 1974 who where faced with the question of what Halton and Oakville would look like in 2001, 2021 and beyond

One of the biggest planning challenges was the Lake Ontario waterfront.

The planners knew it was important, but there was limited public interest and few champions. Public and political interest was focused around the harbours in Oakville, largely through the Yacht Clubs. Overall, the waterfront was viewed of being "owned" by affluent land owners of large estates, whose ownership extended beyond the shoreline into the lake.

A young resident, Mary Munro worked with a group of like minded people to form the Save the Lakeshore Committee in Burlington. At that time, the Brant Inn had been demolished and new apartment towers were proposed along the shoreline. At the same time, Harry Barrett, Oakville's Mayor, was engaged in a battle to remove the Ruddy Marina that begun operation on the north side of Lakeshore Road along the banks of the Bronte Creek. Barrett also recognized the importance of the harbours and championed their protection and evolution to become more of a people place.

There were other early skermishes over the waterfront, including a proposal to develop an apartment tower on the Bronte Bluffs, to be named either appropriately or inappropriately Wuthering Heights, the development of the former Jelinek Family estate and the southwest corner of Lakeshore and Bronte Road.

Mary Munro went on to become a City/Regional Councillor and then Mayor of Burlington. Another early champion was a Regional Councillor from east Burlington, Pat McLaughlin, who became chairman of Halton's Planning and Public Works Committee.

By 1976, the Halton planners had commenced the preparation of a Halton Waterfront Master Plan. There were a number tasks to create the foundation for a plan. First was to map the shoreline, identify areas of vulnerability to erosion, significant features and existing public ownership. The earliest vision, purpose or goal of this plan was to address public access to the Lakefront. From the Burlington Ship Canal to Winston Churchill Boulevard in East Oakville, the waterfront was eyed for potential development. The challenge was to how to turn that vision of public accessibility to the waterfront into reality given existing land ownership, geography and the threat of development.

Even by the mid 1970s the public interest in the Waterfront was limited at best. One only had to look at Ontario Street in Bronte where the shoreline from Jones Street to East Street, used construction rubble for shoreline protection. In the case of the west side of the Bronte Creek, north of Lakeshore land was rented out for a boat storage operation.

In addition, to the lands in public ownership, the planners identified, at what best can be called threats, where development could further wall off the shoreline from public access. Early signs included proposals to develop the Jelinek Estate in Bronte, the subdivision of the estates stretched out along the length of Lakeshore Road in Oakville, development of lands at the foot of Hampton Heath Road in Burlington and the Brant Inn site in Burlington.

The sum of the threats and opportunities when mapped posed a basic, fundamental question.

Would it be possible over time to secure any additional public access and could these assets be linked together to provide a continuous trail?

In the early 1970s very little of the Halton waterfront was in public ownership, mostly around the harbours in Oakville and Bronte. Elsewhere, there were a few isolated parks, Coronation in Oakville, and a much smaller Spencer Smith in Burlington. Other public "toe holds" included street ends. In Oakville, a significant piece came into public ownership with the donation of the former Gairloch Estate to the Town of Oakville. In the late 1960's Oakville also was able to stop the development of the Bronte Bluffs and secure that land in public ownership, but with no real plan or end game in mind for the area, including for Bronte Beach.

The first comprehensive plan for the Halton Waterfront, stretching from the Burlington/Hamilton Ship Canal to the Oakville/Mississuaga boundary, came into being in 1979. It was incorporated into the first Halton Region Official Plan approved by the Provincial Government in 1980.

This Plan became the blue print for the next 30 years, and provided the legal tools to change the nature of the Halton waterfront to achieve the overarching vision to increase public access. As important, was the ability to draw on the fiscal resources of the whole Region of Halton to finance the plan implementation and bring to the table important Federal and Provincial funding.

There were three key elements to the Waterfront Plan. First was to develop a series of anchors in the form of Regional scale waterfront parks. Three locations were identified. Beachway (Burlington Beach)/Spenser Smith Park Burlington, a new BurlOak Waterfront Park and a new park and outer harbour in Bronte. Second were policies that would enable the acquisition and protection of a 15 meter public access, stretching the entire length of the Halton Waterfront. Third was the development of street end parks and connecting trails. It must be remembered 40 years ago only about 20 percent of the shoreline was accessible, mainly around the harbours.

The concept of these park anchors is very similar to a shopping mall which had large anchor department stores on either end which caused shoppers to circulate between the two destinations. Additionally, the Regional Parks would be able to draw on the larger fiscal resources of Regional Government for detailed planning, acquisition and development.

Accessing these resources, it was possible by the mid 1970s to acquire a significant portion of lands which stretched from BurlOak Drive to Hampton Heath in Burlington. As part of these efforts, a policy was created to approach all Lakefront landowners to secure the right of first purchase. This was critical to create the land base for what is now BurlOak Park, parts of Spencer Smith and Beachway Parks in Burlington. Second was the purchase of the former Brant Inn site. Third were policy and legal decisions to buyout and end leases on cottages on Burlington Beach. This was a long process, was controversial and continued throughout the 1970s, 80s and into the 1990s at which the final goal of complete public access from the foot of Brant Street to the Burlington ship canal.

In Oakville, the Waterfront Plan provided a pivotal tool which is still in use today. A requirement that any development along the shoreline dedicate a 15 meter trail. Today, significant sections have been acquired; but the challenge remains in their linkage to a continuous trail. Today that trail continues to grow and evolve. For example the construction of the Blue Water Condominiums at Lakeshore and BurlOak opened up a section of the waterfront. That new trail plus parkland dedication created access to Great Lakes Blvd, along the lake and a new public beach. Again a legacy of the policy foresight.

The central question related to Bronte Harbour was its role in the larger Ontario shoreline in the whole of the Halton.

It must be remembered the funding for land acquisition (as was the case in with the Burloak Waterfront, Beachway and Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park) came from all four Halton municipalities. That meant residents of Milton and Halton Hills (Acton and Georgetown) had their tax dollars directed to these projects, proportional to those in Oakville and Burlington.

Historically, Bronte was a fishing harbour that transitioned into recreational boating. The piers for the most part played a role as protection for the inner harbour and sport fishing. Public access was limited to a small shale beach on the east side, a diving board on the west pier and Bronte Beach Park, which included a launch ramp for recreational boating. The lack of attention and interest in the shoreline at this time can best be represented by the dumping of construction and road concrete materials along Ontario Street from Jones Street to East Street as a form of crude shoreline protection.

Returning to the one of the early objectives to improve public access to the lake, with the exception of Bronte Beach, there were few opportunities to expand the access to the water and create new public spaces. At the same time there was a strong and growing demand for additional recreational boating capacity.

The early planning for Bronte, coincided with increasing concern and attention to environmental considerations. The Bronte inner harbour would regularly have to be dredged to accommodate the deep keel boats. The Bronte or 12 Mile Creek is one of the largest watersheds in Halton Region and encompassed, extensive areas of active farmland, urban areas, industry, infrastructure and open space.

The Bronte Creek captured all the run off from these sources, including pesticides and heavy metals. Regular dredging released those contaminants and presented significant challenges in terms of an appropriate place to place the material.

During the a major dredging of Bronte Inner Harbour in the early 1980s the material was moved to the QEW frontage of the Bronte Creek Provincial Park to be uses as a visual, noise and public access buffer. Additional material was moved to the Sawhet Golf Course where it was use to create berms on the Bronte Road frontage up to the end of its operation.

The issue of the continual silting of the inner harbour and the environmental challenges posed a fundamental question of whether recreational boating was sustainable in the longer term, at least for the deep keel boats.

In the context of planning for the Halton Waterfront, the idea of a new marina was tied directly to the principle of public access to the lake, need for more recreational space and that it not be subsidized by the public who did not own boats.

Marina options were considered in Bronte, Burloak and Spenser Smith in Burlington. Factors such as wind direction, depth, road access, opportunities for public space and economic benefits were all considered. There was also monitoring of the locations for environmental considerations and the ability to deal with major storms, particularly "easterly" blows.

Out of that work, Bronte was the leading candidate based upon the technical analysis. The report identifying this option was the first sign it would be necessary to navigate the rough political and public waters of acceptance and support.

To be fair there were a vast array of technical, engineering, environmental, planning and design questions that required answers. It was also necessary to engage the public and business community in Bronte.

The first public meeting on the proposed park was held at the Church of the Epiphany. By 7pm the Church was filled to capacity, spilling over outside. Councillor Pat McLaughlin from Burlington was Chair of Halton's Planning and Public Works Committee and took on the difficult role of meeting chair of what became a very confrontational event.

After a presentation of the concept of a marina and park, the floor was opened for questions. People were concerned that the project would kill business in Bronte, there would be massive traffic problems, there would be an impact on the inner harbour and Bronte Yacht Club. Our local Bronte councillors of the day took up the charge in support of the opposition. There were additional questions about storage of boats, the threat of major fires, loss of lake views and issues of non-residents docking boats.

After the formal part of the meeting the public had the opportunity to talk to and question staff who manned various display boards. As a member of that small project project team my role was to provide, park planning and transportation expertise; while others dealt with design, environmental issues and financing.

A group of four gentlemen came up to our display panels panel. Their view was this project would destroy Bronte and create a traffic/parking disaster. The reason this particular encounter has stayed with me all these years was an opening comment to the effect "you people come here from Toronto and are trying to tell us what should happen to Bronte".

We listened intently to the questions trying to select which ones we should respond to first. Our initial response was to first assure no decisions had been made and to explain the process ahead and the extensive public consultation that would unfold. Second, was to explain why Bronte had been selected and some context on the overall plan for the Halton Waterfront. Next we focused on the work to be undertaken on traffic and parking and how that would be used in the development of detailed plan.

What became obvious was they simply did not want to listen, or have factual information, they wanted this "thing stopped and stopped now". The ground on which their opinion stood was we (staff) were outsiders and were not going to be telling them how live and "destroy" their community. I did have an opportunity to respond to their issue of being an "outsider". Having been born and raised in Bronte, worked for Bill Hill and a family history of building, owning and operating Northern Marine (was referred to at the time as Metro Marine).

Coming away from those meetings, there was a massive amount of work to be undertaken. This included development of models of the proposed break walls, so they could be tested at the University of Guelph to ensure they did not impact the mouth and piers of the 12 Mile Creek (silting) and any aquatic habitat.

The project team put together for Bronte consisted of 6 people. It was augmented by an architectural and park planning firm, Diamond and Schmitt. That firm was retain on 2 other projects for Halton Region, one of which focused on one of the other major waterfront parks, Beachway (Burlington Beach) including the feasibility of a Great Lakes Science Centre.

The first public meetings and investigations revealed a scope of issues that were dramatically more complex than those initial objectives. There were environmental concerns, traffic, quality of life, economic and community interests all to be considered. Early on opposition to the Park and Marina began to consolidate around a number of issues.

Opposition, included concerns that this was "their money" being used to subsidize wealthy boaters. Condominium owners mounted a very vocal objection; focused on the impact of the marina on their views to the Lake and that construction would result in noise, dirt and trucks. One of the more binding concerns, was whether the inclusion of the marina, would actually limit public access to the waters edge.

Inner harbour boaters felt the new marina would be competition or that they would be forced to relocate to the new harbour as dredging would no longer be undertaken in the Bronte Creek. The Bronte business community was divided. On one hand was the concern any support would put them at odds with residents who were in opposition.

Others felt this might help revive the Village which had suffered years of decline to the point it was little more than a "gasoline alley".

A fledgling heritage preservation group who had some success (largely through the generosity of Bill Hill) to save an old building which was used as a post office; saw this as an opportunity to turn the focus on Bronte's heritage as a fishing village. They began to advocate for a heritage village with fishing shanties, net drying racks and smoke houses be constructed/located on the proposed parkland.

To begin to deal with this broad array of issues a citizens/stakeholders advisory committee was created to channel input, but also allow for more in-depth discussions to find common ground and solutions to concerns.

In parallel, designs of the land base were prepared and engineering work to figure out how to create the harbour basin.

The most critical component to create the park and harbour was the financing and construction of the outer break walls. After months of design work; a delegation consisting of senior Halton staff, the four Halton Mayors and Regional Chairman met with the then Federal MP for Oakville Otto Jelinek who was Minister of National Revenue. These discussions resulted in a formal request for funding of nearly $2 million from the Government of Canada. With this commitment in hand, work continued to on the list of public concerns and develop the park design and final costing.

To address the traffic and parking issues; detailed traffic studies were conducted. The project team undertook studies of existing marinas, during peak season, by cordoning off access areas to obtain actual counts of the number of trips in an out. From this data the team were able to generate a trip generation rate foreach boat slip could be used to assess the traffic impact arising from the marina.

In parallel, inventories of all the parking spots (public, private and informal in Bronte) were mapped. Lastly, Bronte was cordoned off with traffic counters on a typical busy Summer Weekend to get a base line of traffic, while counts of cars parked in all the parking areas were taken to assess the level of utilization or demand for parking. A random survey of people coming to Bronte taken that same weekend provided a better understanding of the origins and purpose of coming to the Village and the length of stay.

From this analysis it was observed that only about 30-50% of boats would be in use on any given day during a busy weekend. Second, the peak period was between 1-3 pm in Bronte, where as boaters, tended to come early, stay longer and leave later. As a result, the real traffic and parking challenge was from day trippers and shoppers coming to Bronte; as opposed to boaters. We were also able to conclude peak conditions were limited to weekends in the summer and only for a few hours of the day. Most importantly, it was determined the "worst case scenario", where summer weather, high volumes of visitors, boaters and special events coincided to create congestion would be limited to 3 or 4 Sundays per year and only for a few hours (mid afternoon).

Turning to the issue of "subsidizing" affluent boaters a financial plan was prepared. The foundation of that plan, included funding from the Federal Government for the break walls rather than local taxpayers. While this would finance the harbour basin, with out that key infrastructure in place, the public park land could not be put in place. In short there was as much or even more benefit of the investment in the breakwater to the general public as it would be to future boaters. As mentioned the funding for the park land (including studies etc) was from the Region of Halton. Lastly and most important was a proposal to have the private sector build the docks and marina centre. This would be done in the form of a public private partnership. Even within this component; measures were incorporated into the financial plan to further protect the public interests. These include a public promenade along the marina, the inclusion of a public restaurant in the Marina Centre, public washrooms and the prohibition on a private/exclusive yacht or motor launch club. Further, all operating costs of the marina would be borne by the owner operator. A portion of the profits would be returned to the Region each year which would also hold a bond on the Marina Centre in the event it failed. Lastly, the owners would only be given a 20 year land lease.

Turning to the issues of park construction, design, impact on lake views and boat storage there were numerous meetings with the resident groups who had raised these concerns. These were some of the most contentious issues and ones the proved over time impossible to completely resolve.

In addition to the construction of the break walls, the creation of the parkland would take over 2 million cubic yards of clean fill. As a result 100s of trucks would need to access the Lakefront and leave each day.

A plan was developed to present to the residents. It included designated truck routes, as short a construction period as possible, limiting work to 7 am to 7 pm, regular inspection of homes along the routes and roads for damage and remedies and daily site and road cleaning. Telephone hot lines and site contacts were put in place as well as access to regular communication through newsletters.

At the end of the day, these measures were not enough; as the real objections were to the very existence of the park.

In one pivotal meeting, we reminded the residents of the four condominium towers, that those buildings were constructed over a 4 year period and involved the very issues they had with the construction of the park and marina. The community endured, noise, dust, trucks, pile drivers to build foundations and underground garages. The work on the park would last about 2 years and most importantly, it would be open to all the people of Bronte and Oakville, where as ultimately the condominiums were private property.

In terms lake views and boat storage, residents proposed boats be removed from the site each fall and then brought back in the spring. In addition to logistics, costs and impact of trucks; it was deemed not workable. It was pointed out that boats at winter storage (and their seasonal removal and launch) was part of the Bronte landscape and heritage, it was what defined it as a harbour community. On the question of lake views, yes they would change, there would be the storage area, the park and the marina centre, but over time, people would be accepting in that it was creating a public space and access to the waterfront. Again pointing to their own condo towers, they too when built impacted the lake views and character of Bronte, but overtime, they became part of the accepted landscape of the community.

Despite numerous meetings, design changes and additional costs; the team was never able to move this opposition towards acceptance of the park and marina.

Coinciding with the development of the Waterfront Plan and Master Plan for Bronte, was a growing interest in the heritage of Bronte. In part this was driven by proposals for development along Bronte Road, the decision to build the Bronte Village Mall and the sale and eventual tearing down of Centriller School.

A little bit of a back story on the naming of the park. Staff and reports to Halton Council referred to this project as the Bronte Outer Harbour. As the park moved to completion and official opening in 1996, it received a new name "Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park"

A small group of heritage advocates approached Halton staff with the idea, that the park become the home for a re-created fishing village. This would be along the lines of Black Creek in Toronto or Westfield in Hamilton. The Bronte proposal would consists of fishing shanties, drying racks, smoke houses and heritage structures moved to the site from elsewhere in Bronte and Halton.

Staff took the time to consider and look similar examples, their feasibility, cost and whether there was a business case. Most importantly would be the impact on the land base. Turning to the original objectives of the Waterfront Plan to increase public accessibility, a use such as this would utilize a very significant portion of the newly created land base. Second, were engineering issues. Once the land base was created, while there would be compaction of the soil, the site would continue to "settle" with the elevation dropping by as much as 2 feet. Third would be the capital and operating costs. Heritage and museums were the responsibility of local municipalities, not Halton Region. Because the Region was financing this project, there was very little interest in the additional capital and operating costs. Finally, the group of planners recognize at the outset, this park was a permanent addition to the community, the landscape and the shore line. History has shown that parks change and evolve over time. Parks are organic and change with the community itself in terms of needs and values.

Despite protracted discussions, we were never able to accept the ideas put forward by this group. They continued to object to the project as planned and at the very end requested that the park name include Heritage, so that some point in the future there was an opportunity for their vision.

The park which the public now enjoys is fairly close to the plan which was developed. There are the additions of the Sail performing area, walkways and gazebo. These are all consisted with the view the park would evolve over time and begin to take on the needs and values of the community.

In the 1970s and 80s, as mentioned, public access and parkland on the lake was limited. One of the biggest concerns was the creation of green space, only to be paved over by parking lots. One of the early designs was building the park on top of a parking deck. There is an elevation difference from Ontario street to the Lake. The idea was to take advantage of this feature by having the park on the deck and hiding the parking underneath.

There were a number of features planned for the park and never realized. In part they were lost because of opposition or the lack of resolve to continue to invest in the park.

As part of the budget for the park, funds were identified to design an artificial ice rink, skating tract. This would be similar to what is found at Harbourfront. The funds for this design work were diverted to deal with the opposition to the boat storage and other issues. Further the community advisory committee would not support the ring or a splash pad, over concerns of parking and noise. These features were included in the park as a means to attract people to Bronte to support business in the winter months.

As you walk along the Promenade towards the Sail, you will see an indentation. The intent for this area was a fountain spraying into the air (20 feet) with night lighting. The idea to provide a visual focal point.

Bronte has been divide by the 12 Mile Creek. Over time the pedestrian connection from Bronte Road to West River has become more urbanized and less friendly as the sidewalks butt up against a very busy road way.

Bronte Beach has had its ups and downs. As a popular beach from the turn of the century till the 1940s. Home to a dance pavilion, small Carnaval rides, cottages and building offering snacks and a few pinball machines and juke box. The west pier had a diving board for the summer and was great for fishing. At West River and Lakeshore was the old Riverside Restaurant, which was a bit like Arnolds from Happy Days.

While the Bluffs were saved from development, erosion has continued while they now host the Bronte Historical Society building. The Beach has also had a historical role for recreational boat launching.

Bronte Beach remains a both a hidden gem and a unrecognized or under utilized opportunity for something better. Similarly, the Bronte Marsh has played an important role for recreational skating and hockey in the Winter. It is also a unique environmental area with a wide variety of birds and wildlife.

As part of the Master Plan, a cantilever pedestrian bridge was proposed to connect the east and west side of the Bronte Creek.

The bridge would be located in front of what is the Shores and span over to just north of the iron walk way to the west pier.

The cantilever proposal would permit deep keel boats to continue to access the inner harbour, while allowing pedestrian access to the Bronte Beach.

This is an example of how a pedestrian bridge could be use to provide access across and major barrier, in this case the rail lands in Toronto. Sadly, when the waterfront park was transferred from the Region of Halton to the Town of Oakville, the concept of the pedestrian connection to Bronte Beach was removed from the Master Plan.

With a pedestrian bridge connecting two sides of the 12 Mile Creek, the concept plan included a number of improvements to Bronte Beach including a protective break wall, improved swimming area and an opportunity for public uses such as a restaurant.

The final visionary concept was the idea of linking the Halton Waterfront to the 1200 acres Bronte Creek Provincial Park. In the late 1990s, the Province of Ontario made overtures to transfer the ownership of the Park to Halton Conservation Authority. The concept under consideration was to investigate the feasibility of creating a walking trail along the East side of the Bronte Creek Valley. This would have allowed for a connection through the former Metro Marine property and then to the Waterfront Park. Discussions with the Province failed over funding and the idea faded into the past.

The very existence of the beloved Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park that has become the fabric of the village, if not its soul, is a lesson in the conflict that exists between the politics of the present and the fear of change versus visionary planning for future and the people that are yet to come.

In the case of Halton's waterfront and the creation of the Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park, it would not exist without the persistence of a small group of planners and the leadership of champions, largely from outside Oakville.

The article from September 1986 contains a quote from Burlington Councillor Joan Little.

"It is important for the future to plan for public

waterfront parks now"

" We can't see it so much today, but in 20 years from now,

people will say its the best thing we have ever done"

There is a predisposition to object to change. It is less that 1/3 of the people which are here participate in the municipal electoral process. No plan or development is perfect, there will be problems, which can be solved. The biggest failure is to not plan, to not be creative, and listen to those who only want the status quo or think small.

Interestingly, the residents of Bronte and Oakville are in complete agreement around blessing of an accessible waterfront that is a people place. Sadly there remains disagreement over the future, change and development. There is no consensus as to the future and for our elected representatives, it is like trying to move a car forward with a foot held firmly on the brake.

Bronte has so much potential, it can be better. A consensus for the downtown of Oakville, the Harbour and Tannery Park paved the way for investment. Similarly, the determination of Glen Abbey residents allowed the Town to spend millions on its defence.

Newer residents consistently refer to Bronte as a village. Here is a definition of a village "a self-contained district or community within a town or city, regarded as having features characteristic of village life".

It is "Now Bronte's Turn" to become truly vibrant. Places where people will gather, dine, shop and socialize, where it is a cohesive community, where it has the "features characteristic of village life"

The pre-occupation of opposing every new development or proposal needs to change to finding ways to make them work, to yield real, measurable public benefits. The various stakeholders, partners and interest groups need to reach agreement on a vision, a list of projects, improvements and priorities. Our elected representatives need to be freed from being the referees of opposition to a strong and powerful voice at Council to invest in Bronte, like has been done elsewhere in Oakville. Bronte needs to be known as a vibrant village within the Town instead of where you come to have your car towed away while out for dinner.

There is a wealth of ideas from residents, planners, experts and advocates. The recent consultation undertaken by the BIA illuminated the opportunities. Some are inexpensive, others need investment. There is a need for a list of priorities, clear objectives and outcomes. Our councillors need broad based community support that will amplify their voice on Council.

The Park that Nobody Wanted, has become, as that small group of planners envisaged; a people place, part of the fabric of the community and one that would grow and evolve over time.

It was for that reason, the planners asked the Promenade be named after Bill Hill. At the dedication, Bill stated he wanted to see the park be for "All the people of Halton". Bill understood the beauty of Bronte, he embraced change and welcomed everyone from the oldest long time resident, to the person who moved in a month ago.

Over half of the small band of planners who took on this project over nearly 15 years since conception to opening have passed on, much too soon. The others are retired; their work done.

With the return of the Oakville Wind Orchestra and Lake Note Concerts to the park, people with gather to enjoy music and vibrancy it brings to Bronte. Few if any will know that the park they enjoy had a very long and difficult journey.

What if at the decision at the Council meeting of September 1986 had been to cancel the project?

What if it were proposed today?

What if a public meeting was scheduled where a group of planners proposed to build a marina, a large park, gazebo, performing arts space? What if it was going to take 2 years of construction, noise, dirt and change? What if, when built there would be thousands of people coming into the village for special events or just to enjoy a picnic and lake breezes each summer.

Would new community group Residents Against the Marina and Park be formed to oppose any changes to the waterfront? Or would the community come together, see both the vision and transformative opportunity it presented and advocate for the investment?