County Supports Floats at Pugwash Dinghy Beach

Swimmers in the Pugwash area have been anxiously waiting for the floating docks to be re-installed at Dinghy Beach near Eaton Park.

While it started as an issue in the Village, Cumberland Municipal Council may have solved the problem last night.

While people were beginning to voice displeasure with the Village, the docks are actually owned and serviced by the not-for-profit community group that stages the annual HarbourFest  and Pugwash Homecoming.

While the docks would normally have been installed by this time, two events put the popular swimming facility in jeopardy this summer—last fall’s Hurricane Dorian and this springs coronavirus pandemic.

The docks were damaged last year and need repair. The HarbourFest group did not intend to deal with them this year because the annual celebration was cancelled due to the public health restrictions.

While the village and the community group were exploring options, HarbourFest asked the county council for a grant to get the floats back in the water. The group asked for $2,999 to complete the project and council was equally quick to agree, rounding off the grant to an even $3K.

Al Gillis, the councillor for the area, told council the floats provided a very popular and busy attraction on the tiny beach next to Pugwash Harbour. Gillis said it is not only about swimming, but also fishing and other water-side activities for locals and visitors alike.

The photo shows a typical HarbourFest crowd on the shore of Dinghy Beach.

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