| Crystal Beach Strand Way Back Machine |
| Crouching Village, Hidden Gem |
Editor's Note: This was the piece I wrote in 2002 that helped get me the job at the
downtowner. Some of the references are dated, but the piece holds up pretty well. I
recently came across a file, long forgotten that even contained a mock-up of a brochure I
designed called, "Crystal Beach, a Hidden Gem." I presented it to the CBIA, but it was
never used. It was just one of many ideas I gave to the CBIA that were ignored. Oh well.
downtowner. Some of the references are dated, but the piece holds up pretty well. I
recently came across a file, long forgotten that even contained a mock-up of a brochure I
designed called, "Crystal Beach, a Hidden Gem." I presented it to the CBIA, but it was
never used. It was just one of many ideas I gave to the CBIA that were ignored. Oh well.
| The ride has been a rocky one. In 1989, the village of Crystal Beach suffered a crushing blow. The hundred-year-old Crystal Beach Amusement Park was closing down. Forever. Residents stood helplessly by as the heart of their community was auctioned off, torn down and carted away. What followed was a rapid decline into near oblivion, accelerated by high unemployment and a poor economy. Many deserted the village; businesses closed; blight and decay took over. The village languished in the throes of depression and despair until 1995 when a C.A.U.S.E. Study group came to town. The first twinges of the rebirth of the Beach were felt when the recommendations of the study were released The conclusion that Crystal Beach was a "hidden gem" on Lake Erie buoyed the spirits of local residents. The amusement park was barely mentioned; CAUSE participants did express regret that the town hadn't purchased the park's waterfront property when it came up for sale. The former amusement park's lands were bought by a developer who built a pricey gated community of pseudo Victorian homes that remains cut off from the rest of the village. Despite the loss of prime beachfront property, the CAUSE group foresaw a bright future for the Beach - if residents followed the suggested game plan. And so the village began its long, slow climb out of the darkness. Some village leaders, still mired in the past, locked horns with the "young bloods." These power struggles slowed progress and for a time, the whole idea of revitalizing the Beach foundered under the weight of bitterness and acrimony. The lead group, The Friends of Crystal Beach, almost folded. Group members slowly came to the realization that they had to work together to bring the village back from near extinction. Pressure was exerted on the town to enforce its property standard by-laws to address the rampant blight. The town council member for the Beach (Tim Haggerty) became a regular at Friends' meetings. Following a CAUSE recommendation, the group formed a partnership with the Town of Fort Erie and the Niagara Parks Commission School of Horticulture to rejeuvenate Queen's Circle. Located in the village's centre, it had been allowed, through neglect, to become the prime symbol of the downfall of Crystal Beach. The transformation of Queen's Circle now stands as the symbol of the village's renaissance and it has spurred further revitalization and pride in the community. On village streets, flowers were planted in long-abandoned containers and new playground equipment was purchased for a small park off the circle. Innovative community events were staged to establish "new" traditions and attract visitors. The Friends of Crystal Beach remained as a community group, but a new group, the Crystal Beach Improvement Area was officially recognized as the lead community group in the Beach. Following another CAUSE recommendation, the town was able to purchase the Bay Beach Properties from George Rebstock that includes parking lots across the street from a large lot on the sandy beach just down from the original Crystal Beach Like a rider of the Comet, the world famous roller coaster that once stood proudly by the water's edge, the village is poised at the top of the big hill, ready to hurdle forward towards its destiny. All the hard work is beginning to pay off as tourists are coming back to the Beach once again. Now they're coming to enjoy the waterfront that was there all along, but often overshadowed by the amusement park. They are also coming to browse through the many antique shops that have sprung up in what was once known as "Hot Dog Alley" so named for its many food stands. Now, it's being redubbed "Antique Alley" by the those looking for treasures where, in the past, visitors sought the treats available only in Crystal Beach. These days, loganberry can be purchased at local convenience stores. The delicious Sugar Waffles and Hall's Suckers that people once stood in line for at the amusement park, thanks to a local entrepreneur who purchased the original recipes and equipment from the Hall family are available at stores in the area. The Crystal Beach Players theatre troupe, while still searching for a permanent venue, is enjoying its third successful season. The Village Garage Sale, held in June, has become a major community event, drawing bargain hunters from all over the Niagara Region and Western New York. In late July, the CBIA stages "Memory Days" to reminisce and remember the amusement park. For its sixth year, the festival will return to its roots in Queen's Circle. Last summer, the event was staged in the just completed Waterfront Park - another CAUSE study that has become a reality. The ride comes to a gentle stop and everyone happily walks away. Crystal Beach has gone from a wild hurly-burly place for summertime revelers to a quiet, genteel lady of a town, sitting on its verandah by the lake, and finally smelling the roses. |