On Saturday, October 4th
I met a number of members of the Grand Valley Trail Association
(GVTA) as they prepared for a historical information walk;
starting from the Port Maitland Lock. After proper introductions
and instructions from the walk coordinator eighty year old plus
Bill Haartman we set off for Beckley Beach. I found considerable
pride in the research and writing I have done over the years. As
it was not I who told the history during the walk but Bill
Harrtman and a few others, this showed the history is being taken
seriously.
When the walk reached the junction of the
Grand River and the former Feeder Canal, Bill showed them a place
where he felt would be a good site for the GVTA to begin the
southerly portion of their walk from the mouth of the Grand River
to its source. Currently the GVTA start their most southerly walk
from Rock Point Provincial Park and presently have their
information cairn there.
As we approached the entrance to
Beckley Beach, some apprehension sifted through the air as we were
in fear of trespass. Attempts were made to attain written consent
to take his group through but Bill had not received a reply. With
the overwhelming sensation, “well that’s it for the day folks”
prevailing, Don Blunt, a cottage owner at Beckley, who was walking
with us invited the group in as his guest. His invite, graciously
received, the walk continued with Bill narrating the story of John
Newton Beckley the namesake of this summer community. The hike
made its way toward the stone breakwall, where they passed the
hill once known as “Warnick’s Hill,” now renamed “Chateau
Cote.” This physical landmark held some historical geographical
significant in this area. In this writer’s, view all of what now
is known as Beckley Beach was likely a large sand hill of similar
or slightly lesser height. We know that quarrying of sand and
gravel took place there for well over one hundred years. This
would have removed those hills while leaving a portion along the
mouth of the river to continue to shelter the rest from the floods
that November will bring off Lake Erie.
The sandy beach
near the stone break wall was a bit of a surprise to me as the
last time I stood on that beach it was covered with a couple feet
of gravel. This day it was mostly sand with only a sprinkling of
loose gravel dotting the shore. The walkers continued along the
beach noting the cottages as they went. The sand was studied by a
group of would be geologist speculating why it seemingly held so
much iron like crystals. The group then traveled along to Siddall
Rd. thence back to the Feeder Canal passing Innophos Canada Inc.
This created some interest! What does this factory make and why is
it here? That will take another complete story to tell.
The
more hardy walkers continued and crossed the Innophos railway
tracks, looking at where the former TH&B station once stood. A
bit of history was unfolded here. This building once stood much
closer to the mouth of the canal approximately three hundred feet
from the river. The old station was once known as the “Robinson
House” as was the point forming the mouth of the Feeder Canal.
When the railway arrived in 1915/16 the building was moved
approximately one thousand feed further up the Feeder Canal and
remained there even after the railway had no further use for it.
It became the office for Dominion Fertilizer and other industries
until their closure and its removal in the late 1990s.
The
GVTA began in 1972 at a meeting called by Betty Schneider then a
member of the Grand Valley Conservation Foundation. Soon Brantford
and Paris formed a trail association extending the trail to Paris.
From this early start, more and more people and government
services became involved until finally a trail stretches from Rock
Point Provincial Park on Lake Erie to Alton at the river’s
source.
My view of the walk on Saturday was that there
are interested people of all ages who are involved. It became
clear that there is a healthy organization and sincere respect of
the property borrowed and crossed, from farmers, homeowners, and
municipal governments. The members seem to have interest in
history, ecology, and wildlife conservation as well as a
particular interest in preservation of our current forest and
wilderness fields.
To join the GVTA you can contact
them at P.O. Box 40068 Waterloo, ON N2J 4V1 or by email at
gvta@golden.net and of course by telephone at 519 576-6156. Also,
why not visit their website at www.gvta.on.ca ?
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