​Residents urge Kincardine to maintain Bluewater Trailer Park beyond 2027

Residents urge Kincardine to maintain Bluewater Trailer Park beyond 2027

By: Liz Dadson August 23, 2025 3237

Residents urge Kincardine to maintain Bluewater Trailer Park beyond 2027

Lyle Cowan and Sean Leach want Kincardine council to extend operations at the Bluewater Trailer Park beyond the 2027 season, until a specific redevelopment plan has been approved by council, fully-funded, and informed by community input.

The pair made a presentation to council at the Aug. 13 meeting, on behalf of the seasonal and transient campers of the park, located at the bottom of Durham Street, Kincardine, across from Dunsmoor Park.

Last fall, council made the decision to allow the trailer park to continue operations for another three years, meaning it would close at the end of the season, October, 2027.

At the Aug. 13 meeting, Cowan told council that without a redevelopment plan, closing the campground would result in a vacant and unsecured site; public safety hazards (due to campground-specific utilities); and increased costs for fencing and site management.

It would also mean a loss of revenue for the municipality, said Cowan, eliminating steady revenue from seasonal operations, increasing costs to manage an empty site, and removing a funding source for future park development.

“We respectfully ask that you defer the closure of the Bluewater Trailer Park beyond 2027,” said Cowan, “and maintain operations, on a year-to-year basis, until a redevelopment plan is approved, funded, and scheduled for implementation. We are eager to collaborate with council on practical, forward-looking solutions.”

“How many seasonal and transient sites are there?” asked councillor Stellina Williams.

Cowan said there are currently 39 seasonal sites and three transient sites at the trailer park.

“Thank you for your presentation,” said councillor Bill Stewart. “You gave us some food for thought.”

“It’s our point of view on the trailer park,” said Cowan.

The Bluewater Trailer Park in Kincardine is slated to close in October, 2027

Comments (4)

Lyle Cowan
2025-08-24 09:25:34

Dear Editor, I want to thank the Kincardine Record for covering our recent delegation to Council regarding the future of Bluewater Trailer Park. This property has been a part of Kincardine’s community life for well over a century, and it remains a valuable recreational and economic resource for residents, campers, and local businesses. Our group’s request to Council was straightforward: keep the campground operating beyond 2027 until there is a clear, funded plan for its redevelopment. Closing it prematurely risks leaving a vacant, fenced-off space on our waterfront — a loss for the entire community. We appreciate that Council has difficult decisions to make, and we respect the work that has gone into the municipality’s master plan. At the same time, we believe a practical, phased approach would ensure that Bluewater remains productive, safe, and accessible while the community prepares for its next chapter. We hope more residents will share their views and encourage Council to keep Bluewater open and working for Kincardine until a concrete plan for the site’s future is ready. Sincerely, Lyle Cowan On behalf of The Bluewater Campers
Denis Della Torre
2025-08-25 07:39:27

I have read the article about the Bluewater Trailer Park. As an outsider visiting this beautiful town, I must say it was an eyesore to say the least, almost ghetto presence. I believe council should move rapidly on coming up with a plan for this primo location. It's directly across from a pristine beach and park and the campground doesn't do it justice. I'm sure the trailer park had its time back in the day, but it's time to move forward
Annette Veltkamp
2025-08-28 07:57:51

There is absolutely no reason to terminate this park, and evict Kincardine friends and family from the area. This park has been in use for decades, those seasonally camping treat the park and town with dignity and respect. For once, don’t put greed over consistency, allow the park to remain open unconditionally!
Bill Clubb
2025-08-28 09:52:19

Is Kincardine disappearing? My Kincardine had many memories including the Kincardine Tourist Park a.k.a. Bluewater Trailer Park, a nostalgic summer reside for many folks who eventually purchased homes in Kincardine. The property used to be put up for renewed lease agreements including property taxes and utilities being paid by leases, that always resulted in a good return for the town. My Kincardine included a bustling downtown with many shops, somewhat different from today’s scene which now is primarily real estate offices, pizza take-outs, cannabis outlets and toenail beautification spas. My Kincardine had historic, nostalgic spots to linger, we used to lean on the parking meters and watch the Highway 21 traffic pass through town. We always enjoyed saluting Dr. Secord's monument on our way to the tranquil Victoria Park sometimes spreading a blanket on the grass and just letting the world pass. Diving off the piers, the diving board, and even jumping from the bridge was a part of growing up in this lakeside town. My Kincardine most definitely included required maintenance of the town and its assets, different from today’s view of the disappearing foot bridge at the end of South Street which was removed due to excessive erosion in Kincardine Creek. Durham Street culverts had to be rebuilt for the same reasoning. The excessive erosion has still not been addressed. What is next to disappear? So many disappearances makes me wonder with anticipation of what our next leadership team, a.k.a. council, will look like.

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