Editor,
The beach at the bottom of Centreville is more that just a beach, it’s a home for memories. I remember when my grandparents first moved to their house on Centreville Road. I wasn’t entirely excited to leave the house that I had spent the first six years of my life making memories in. Leaving the old house also meant leaving the big maple tree in the backyard, the river and the bridge, and countless other childhood memories.
But the beach at the bottom of Centreville road added an element of excitement to this move, because while the other house had a lot of things, it didn’t have a beach.
The first few visits to the beach made me miss the old house less and less. Although it’s best used in summer, I still have vivid memories of taking walks down to the Centreville Beach in the winter with my aunt at Christmas. As the years went on, it became more than just a beach. It became a checkpoint for going on walks and runs, a spot to collect rocks and ‘sea glass’ and a main activity for some days. Not only is the beach one of my family’s favorite spots, but it’s almost become a point of attraction for guests. Having people over at grandma and grandad’s in the summer almost always means taking them down to the beach.
Although Centreville Beach has become a highlight of going to grandma and grandad’s for me, I’m not the only one who has opinions. Being the oldest of five grandchildren, I know there’s usually a lot going on when we visit, but one thing that is a constant is the love my siblings and cousins have for the beach. Every time we go to its shore, it’s always the same routine when we have to leave. The parents say it’s time to go, and the kids don’t leave until 20 minutes later. That pretty much sums up the love they have for this beautiful beach. Each time we go, you would think it’s their first time because of their ongoing excitement. In my ten years of visiting my grandparents at this house, I have never heard the words “I don’t want to go to the beach”.
Once I become a parent, I would love to take my kids to visit the spot where I made so many memories. It would be extremely unfortunate if said spot were lost to the community. I want my kids to be able to experience the same memories as I have, memories from the beach at the bottom of Centreville Road, because the beach at the bottom of Centreville Road is more than just a beach. It’s a home for memories.
Addison Bacchus-DeCoste, Mississauga
