'It's terrible': Beach residents upset over new business blocking their view
The arrival of a new business in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood has some longtime residents upset at its location, saying the rental trailer of iPaddle Adventures is an eyesore that's blocking their view.
The business rents standup paddleboards and kayaks on the boardwalk at Balsam Avenue and Hubbard Boulevard. It's one of three new permits recently allowed to operate in the eastern Beach area in an effort to ramp up activity.
The other two are another paddleboard kiosk and and a bicycle rental further west.
Viola Bracegirdle bought two properties in the area 20 years ago. She is used to an unobstructed view of the lake from her backyard.
Now, the iPaddle Adventures trailer sits in her line of sight.
"It's terrible. He should have been down someplace else," Bracegirdle said. "They can go down further. Why are they picking on us? We are the most expensive houses here and the taxes are the highest here. I'm fed up."
"We're not going anywhere"
Brian Quinn, CEO of iPaddle Adventures, says he understands his trailer may block some residents' view, but he didn't choose the location.
"It went through council and they drew the line in the sand, and this is where I am," he said. "We're not going anywhere."
Quinn says some of the locals have been vigorously pushing back against his business.
"Really, it's been unacceptable. I've had to close up a day and call non-emergency police services that have come down and told them they can't disregard my business and frighten customers."
He maintains that the decision is out of his hands.
"I've said to them that they ought to go to City Hall and write to the mayor because [Mayor John] Tory said this is where they want me to be, so this is where I'm at."
The city says high water levels mean the trailer could not be placed further down the beach.
The local area councillor, Mary-Margaret McMahon, says residents need to be open to sharing the space more.
"We're very spoiled in the Beach. We view it as our backyard, but it's for the GTA [Greater Toronto Area], for Ontario," she said.
She says businesses like Quinn's help to animate the area, making it more attractive to visitors.
Another resident, Matthew Arbeid, who walks his dog in the area every day, says he found out about the rental kiosk when he stumbled across it one morning. "It could've been advertised more, we could've known about it."
Nonetheless, he says, he's all for bringing more people to the area.
"I like this idea of bringing other people in to utilize this extraordinary part of Toronto. This is getting more people to use Lake Ontario."
