Exploring free Bay Beach passes for Fort Erie residents

At Monday’s Council meeting, I brought forward an issue that I believe is worth exploring as we look ahead to the Town of Fort Erie’s 2026–27 budget: the possibility of providing free Bay Beach passes to Fort Erie residents.

As part of the annual year-end Bay Beach report, I would like Council to better understand the proportion of revenue generated from resident passes compared with non-resident passes, and determine the financial impact if resident fees were eliminated.

I also want staff to explore whether that lost revenue could be absorbed through the existing operation or offset through other revenue opportunities, including potential changes to non-resident fees.

This was an initial discussion, and I will be following up with a Notice of Motion formally requesting that staff bring this scenario and the associated financial information back to Council for consideration during the upcoming 2026–27 budget deliberations.

Start with the facts

No decision has yet been made. The first step is getting the facts, understanding the financial implications and giving Council the information it needs to have an informed discussion.

I believe it’s an option worth exploring. Bay Beach is one of our community’s greatest assets, and we should understand what opportunities exist to make it more accessible to the Fort Erie residents whose tax dollars help support it.

Follow this web site for more information as Fort Erie explores this potential opportunity.