Victoria Park Beach

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Photographs

Description

Looking west

Notes

As far back as the early 1800s Cobourg's main beach was used as a stopover location for travellers along the Lake Ontario's north shore. The beach was a place of stopover and encampment, especially at the west end of the beach where the large stream entered the lake. This area was mainly used as a entry point. The founding of the Cobourg, Peterborough and Marmora Railway and Mining Corporation in 1866 helped revitalize commercial activity in the waterfront and attracted American industrialists and eventually led to a new chapter in the Town's history known as the American Summer Colony. The summer visitors created a wave of new grand hotels to be built in the areas just north of the shoreline and around Victoria Park. Hotels like the Arlington, on King Street at the top of Victoria Park, the Columbian, on McGill Street and the Cedamere Hotel, at the south end of Ontario Street, were examples of Cobourg trying to meet the demands of its newest boom industry, tourism. The Arlington was right at the top of Victoria Park and was a perfect setting. The park then was just one long lawn which belonged to the hotel. The grass just eventually connected to the beach. What is now Victoria Park and considered "the crown jewel" of Cobourg was actually privately owned in 1874 but still accessible to the public. Over the years subsequent improvements included the mini-golf course, ongoing upgrades to the bandshell, the walkway through the park, installation of the new splash pad and the recently built Lions-Lioness Pavilion in the park.

Date of Original

c. 1960

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