Did someone say beach? Port Stanley ups the beach game with comfort and accessibility

Jack Sutton · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 15, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Port Stanley's 2 beaches are already well-known spots to plunk down successful the sand, but present beach-goers are going to spot thing caller connected the Lake Erie shoreline.

The archetypal are rubber mobility maps, called Mobi Mats, that marque crossing the soil easier for radical with mobility issues. They're backmost again on Main Beach and, for the archetypal clip this year, at Little Beache.

"We wondered wherefore determination wasn't the aforesaid accessibility guaranteed connected Little Beach," Chris Phibbs of the Port Stanley Village Association (PSVA) said.  

She's been walking her canine astatine Little Beach each greeting and ever stops to inquire radical what they think. The Mobi Mats are meant to assistance radical with mobility devices, but they person been fashionable with everyone, she said. 

"I talked to a grandparent with a kid successful a stroller who was thrilled due to the fact that she could easy get down toward the shore," she said. "I've spoken to a young ma with a mates of kids successful a wagon—easy to get down to the shore." 

From precocious schoolhouse task to legit business

Over connected Main Beach, inspired by the seasides of Europe and a schoolhouse project, The Lounger Life is backmost for the season.

The youth-run institution rents retired blue-and-white lounge chairs, and this twelvemonth is offering cabanas. 

Twin brothers, Malcolm and Donovan Murray, started The Lounger Life 2 years agone erstwhile they were 16-years old. They'd travelled to Europe and noticed that seat rentals were a modular work connected galore beaches, but sorely lacking successful Canada.

At the time, Donovan was taking a concern people astatine schoolhouse and this was his thought for a project.

The archetypal twelvemonth was dilatory with lone a fewer income a day, Malcolm said, but since reopening this summer they're selling retired astir each weekend.   

"I'm beauteous definite we had the astir income successful 1 time this week," helium said. "So there's evidently maturation there, and we're ace excited for more," helium said.  

"It's awesome to spot due to the fact that we've enactment a batch of clip into the concern and it's truly bully to spot that radical are truly enjoying it," helium said.

The Lounger Life has 35 cabanas and implicit 100 lounge chairs successful their inventory, and the teenagers present employment six different radical to handle the set-up and tear-down. 

The municipality has been precise supportive of the business, according to Malcolm. 

"They truly similar the thought due to the fact that it makes things a batch much accessible for seniors and radical with disabilities, and conscionable wide convenience for the public."

The brothers aren't definite yet what the aboriginal holds for The Lounger Life, but they expect to beryllium bringing it backmost for astatine slightest the adjacent fewer years, Malcolm said. 

As for Donovan's Grade 10 business project, Malcolm is beauteous definite helium scored 100 per cent.