Burlington biz offers beach oasis by the hour

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Posted with permission from the Hamilton Spectator
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Jul 04, 2013



Rental operation takes over old pumphouse

By Molly Hayes

BURLINGTON A new business venture on Burlington Beach will allow visitors to turn the local shore into their own by-the-hour oasis.

For the first time in decades, the Burlington pumphouse has a new tenant — a private rental company that offers beach amenities such as Muskoka chairs, paddle boats and umbrellas (and for the teens moping about spending a beach day with mom and dad, Wi-Fi).

Burlington Beach Rentals has signed a three-year-contract with the city, and owner Maria Gerow said business is going swimmingly.

"This is a dream I've had for a long time, regardless of the pumphouse becoming available. It was a nice turn of events that happened and I was lucky to take advantage of," said Gerow, who previously worked in the insurance industry.

The Beachway Park pumphouse (which was in service from 1910-1936 and then converted into a private residence) has been vacant since the city bought it back in 1987. It was designated as a heritage building in 1992.

But as the city continued to develop the waterfront, they decided it was a wasted space.

They put out a request for proposals last year for a summer tenant and Gerow was one of four to express interest. She says she had been approaching the city for years.

"I've been a little bit persistent," she said with a laugh.

Back in February, Burlington Councillor Rick Craven said ideally, he'd like to see a refreshment stand housed in the pumphouse long-term. But the building needs a lot of work, and does not have a functioning septic system.

Gerow's rental company — which does not require sanitary or water services like a restaurant would — was a perfect fit for the old fixer-upper.

She signed the contract with the city back in May. The deal is she will operate from May until the end of October and will store her business in a storage unit during the off-season while the city does renovations inside.

The lease fee is "market value," she said.

She's working with the city to promote the historical aspects of the building — posting photos in the shop of the pumphouse and waterfront over the decades.

"We're really trying to make this a community-friendly place," she said.

The biggest challenge so far, she said, is that people don't seem to know you can swim in the area.

"You're not the first person to say that, even today," she said Saturday — noting that they do daily testings to ensure the water is safe to swim in.

"A lot of people don't know what we have. People remember 20 years ago when they were children and didn't necessarily come here, but people are rediscovering it."

She said that as people stroll by and discover she's there, they are pleased to welcome her to the waterfront neighbourhood.

"The weather has not been co-operating, but otherwise people are really enjoying themselves and are happy with the services we offer," she said.

In terms of fees, paddle boats go for $22 an hour, Muskoka chairs and a cabana-like umbrella "beach spot" package goes for $20 a day, and a locker/Wi-Fi combo costs $5 a day.

For more info on the rentals, visit burlingtonbeachrentals.com.



mhayes@thespec.com

905-526-3214 | @MollyatTheSpec
 
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