Dear Editor,
A number of Meafordites have approached me expressing confusion about the Private Beach sign at the base of Centreville. I replied that virtually all Meafordites assumed it was a public beach which is used extensively by swimmers, kayakers, canoeists, and paddle boarders.
I propose an eminently reasonable solution for this dilemma. There is a legal term called the Writ of Estoppel which says, among many things, that if the public have used a private road, or in this case, a private beach unchallenged or unencumbered for many years, then they have the same right to use it as the owner. Since the owner cannot build on this beach, I propose that the Municipality purchases the beach from the owner at a fair price, making the beach officially public. In this way, Meafordites can resume their nautical activities, and there is no need to invoke the Writ of Estoppel.
Sincerely,
Mark Palmer, Meaford
