Advertisement

Deterioration of Katy's Cove beach worries Saint Andrews woman

A Saint Andrews woman is raising concerns about the decline of Katy's Cove, a beach owned by the company that owns the Algonquin Resort.

Gillian Pedersen-Mjannes says Katy's Cove has "been allowed to deteriorate so that fewer and fewer people use it."

Until two years ago, the beach had lifeguards on duty, swimming lessons and a canteen, and the beach and grassy area were crowded and well-maintained, she said.

But last Saturday, fewer than six people sat enjoying the sunshine and no one was swimming at the beach.

"Not surprising" said Pedersen-Mjannes, "as the water in the enclosed swimming area looked extremely unappealing.

"Outside the area, it still had a slimy appearance."

Pedersen-Mjannes said local people and visitors with fond memories of Katy's Cove are unhappy about what is happening to it.

"Its degradation reminds me of what has happened to Parlee Beach," she said.

Unsure of public access

Saint Andrews Mayor Doug Naish said the water at Katy's Cove is tested daily and there are no current issues with it.

But he also said Pedersen-Mjannes's description of the beach is "fairly accurate."

The Algonquin Resort is one of Marriott's Autograph Collection Hotels. Though the beach is privately owned, the public has still been able to use it.

But for this year, the town did not allocate any funds to provide beach services because it expected public access would be restricted, Naish said.

"There was a bit of a change of heart, I think, on the part of the Algonquin and they said that it could be used, and so we scrambled around a bit and we do have it open for the season, with the co-operation of the Algonquin," he said.

Algonquin manager Matthew Mackenzie said the hotel did some recent work on the beach, removing a derelict building, beautifying the grounds and grading the sand prior to the start of the season.

Mackenzie said the resort hopes to build new washrooms and an outdoor covered venue next year or in 2020.

He did not say whether the public would continue to have access to the beach after that work is complete.