"g" left this valid question in the comments section.
"Why isn't there a plan to save this as part of the now-official park? Our modern ruins should be considered valuable... Buffalo has finally realized the value of their grain silos and look at how successful that has been. What a shame to let more of the remnants go under if they don't have to."
The Erie Beach section of the Friendship Trail has been honoured. The section of the trail -- a recreation of the original promenade from the amusement park days -- earned a Niagara Community Design Award for urban design.
Full credit for the work, which was carried out with great care by Stevensville Lawn Service, can be found on the Niagara Region website. The awards were created to "recognize and celebrate excellence in community design in the Niagara Region."
Work on the concrete path, about two-thirds as wide as the original promenade which stretched from Bardol to Helena, began in the summer of 2007. The grand opening of the park was held last May 31.
(Town of Fort Erie press release)
May 26, 2008 - Run, bike or walk to Waverly Beach Park on Saturday, May 31 to celebrate the grand opening of the Erie Beach section of the Friendship Trail, and the completion of the Friendship Trail through Fort Erie.
As a reminder of the glory days of the Erie Beach Amusement Park in the 1920s, the theme of the celebration will be Picnic in the Park, featuring live music by the Can-Am Swing Band, free carousel rides, Fluffy the Clown, face painting, a barbecue, cotton candy, snow cones and a chance to win fabulous prizes.
“As part of the Region’s ‘Bike to Work - Bike to Get There’ program, we encourage people to ride their bicycles or walk the Friendship Trail to get to the opening on Saturday," said Manager of Parks and Open Space Development Signe Hansen, "And we will even be giving away two bikes, to encourage the use of the trail and an active lifestyle." The Bridgeburg Station, Ridgeway and Crystal Beach Business Improvement Areas have all chipped in for a bicycle to be given away as one of several prizes. The Fort Erie Community Credit Union has donated another bike prize.
Other event sponsors include Crown Amusements, M&M Meats, the Fort Erie Women’s Conservation Auxiliary, the Head Injury Association of Fort Erie, the Peace Bridge Authority, the Crystal Beach Candy Co., Sobey’s and Joe’s Valu-Mart.
“We invite you to bring your family to celebrate the history of our community and enjoy the music, food and activities at this magnificent setting along Lake Erie”, said Mayor Douglas Martin. “Experience Fort Erie’s picturesque neighbourhoods, natural areas, historic districts and exquisite waterfront by walking, running, biking, rollerblading or skiing the Friendship Trail”.
"This section of the Friendship Trail has a very interesting history and is an important part of what defined Fort Erie," said Jane Davies, administrator-curator of the Fort Erie Museum. "People would come here for organized picnics and other events, or just to enjoy themselves on the waterfront." In addition to a fabulous vista of Lake Erie, one can see the remaining structures from a long-gone era when vacationers flocked to the Erie Beach Amusement Park.
The Friendship Trail makes an important contribution to improving the quality of life in Fort Erie, undoubtedly being one of Fort Erie’s most utilized and recognized recreational amenities – a first-class trail network that connects residents and visitors alike to various attractions and services throughout the community, as well as to Niagara Falls and Port Colborne.
The opening ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. with festivities to follow. Waverly Beach Park is located near the intersection of Helena Street and Edgemere Road, on the Lake Erie waterfront.
Work is nearly done on the three-metre wide recreation of the concrete promenade through Erie Beach. Railings are up, greenery has been planted in strategic sites and there is a section (below) which includes modern versions of the concrete columns which supported decorative light posts along the full length of the walkway.
Stevensville Lawn Service, the company which won the contract to do the work on the promenade, which is the final section of Fort Erie's Friendship Trail, did an incredible job in keeping some of the old flavour of the park, recycling some of the ruins and incorporating them into the new layout. In a couple of spots they even replaced the steps leading up to the paths which run deeper into the park.
Some work is still to be done -- I believe the plan calls for some signage with historical notes and some seating in certain spots -- but the Friendship Trail through Erie Beach is pretty much done.
A Niagara This Week story notes a ceremony is planned for the spring.
With the increase in foot traffic along the trail, now all that needs to be done is for the town to get serious about a plan for the length of the shoreline from Erie Beach to Waverly Beach and the potential for increasing tourism in the area. Reconstructing the pier as an amazing vantage point for both shores or filling in the old swimming pool and erecting a bandshell as a unique ampitheatre are just two ideas suggested by those with an interest in the old amusement park.
FORT ERIE - Walk around the Erie Beach ar a while the final leg of th Friendship Trail construction is und rway and it's not hard to hear conversations about other work the town should be doing in the area.
Fixing the old steamship pier, filling the swimming pool with dirt and creating a park complete with bandshell, or even restoring the old concrete pool which was advertised nearly a century ago as the world's largest.
Such an endeavour would create quite a tourist attraction, said Howard Melcher when asked about the idea during a recent walk through the area.
continue reading in the Fort Erie Post
It's hard to believe now, but Fort Erie once boasted one of the most popular amusement parks in Canada.
Until it suddenly closed near the beginning of the Great Depression, Erie Beach Amusement Park was the top attraction in Niagara outside of the Falls.
But that was a much different time. Long before air conditioning and television, or even a family car, summer escapes to shoreline resorts were the highlight of summer for many people.
With its beautiful picnic groves, luxury hotel, expansive midway, giant outdoor pool and a three-storey structure which housed a dance hall and bowling alley, Erie Beach was a wildly popular destination for families from Buffalo and beyond.
"Everybody used to come from all over to go there because it was the best around," said Mavis Burger (nee Colman).
"Crystal Beach didn't have anything to compare."
CONTINUE
source: Fort Erie Post/Niagara This Week
FORT ERIE -- Construction on the final section of the Friendship Trail, following the century-old promenade left over from the days of the Erie Beach Amusement Park, is getting thumbs up from area residents, Niagara This Week writes.
