The Grimsby Beach Waterfront

The Grimsby Beach Waterfront. Grimsby Nature. , For more than 75 years, the Grimsby Beach waterfront was a summer wonderland and a major destination for people in Southern Ontario and Upstate New York., It all began in 1848, when the Ancaster Methodist Circuit first held their temperance meeting in a clearing of trees on John Bowslaugh's lakeshore property. By 1859, Grimsby Park (later known as Grimsby Beach) became a permanent Methodist Campground. At first, narrow tent lots were laid out in a circle around rows of benches and a small speakers' platform. The camp grew gradually and by 1874, permanent cottages were built on the tent sites. Two fine hotels, Park House and Lakeview House, were later built to accommodate the ever increasing number of visitors to the summer resort., Through the end of the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth century, summers at Grimsby Beach looked like a picturesque scene of a postcard. A wide array of summer activities could be enjoyed on the Lake Ontario waterfront. Its affluent visitors took strolls along the beach, bathed and played in the water, used the recreational rowboats, and fished off of the pier. Fishing enthusiasts often caught perch, rock bass, and pike. Also popular was the fish-and-chip stand that stood on the beach., Cottagers could also enjoy watching the ships that docked at the pier. After a steamship service between Toronto and Grimsby Beach was established in the 1880s, steamers carrying excited visitors were regular sights. They would often be greeted by large crowds waiting on the pier. Some of the more popular steamers to call at Grimsby Beach were the Northumberland (built in 1891) and the Turbinia (built in 1904)., When H.H. Wylie of Clevand, Ohio purchased the area in 1909, he brought an invigorated, livelier atmosphere to Grimsby Beach. A large dance hall was built down by the lake, at the base of Park Road. Musicians performed the favourite sounds of the time and people would come to dance through the night., Though Grimsby Beach has undergone much change since its heyday, its enduring picturesque charm provides a glimpse into the summer wonderland that once was.