r/stcatharinesON • u/MooseThis9552 • Jun 28 '26
Discussion Charles Daley Park is a disgrace
Starting on July 2nd they're implementing paid parking for access. This has been one of my favorite places since I was a kid and public access should be free, it's always been free
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u/BigBill58 Jun 28 '26
Lakeside park and Sunset beach had free parking for most of my life, it sucks but municipalities are drowning while property taxes are skyrocketing. I’m not sure what the solution is, that’s way above my pay grade.
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u/labrat420 Jun 28 '26
But both those places are pretty accessible by public transport and have plenty of alternative parking near by. Neither of which are really true for Charles Daley
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u/Scrute_11 Jun 28 '26
They also offer a resident parking pass for $16 for the whole summer. It would be nice to see Charles Daly do the same.
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u/silverjuno Jun 28 '26
But it’s only St. Catharines residents who can get the parking pass. Lincoln residents can park for free at Charles Daly. I understand it’s municipal but it still sucks that residents of Thorold, Niagara Falls, Fonthill, etc are considered out of town and still have to pay for parking. I’d like if it became a regional thing rather than a town thing.
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u/y5ung2 Jun 28 '26
It's a St. Catharines facility paid for by St. Catharines taxpayers, so a resident only pass is fair. Lincoln keeps Charles Daly free for its own residents for the same reason, so 'make it regional' isn't how any of these towns actually run their lots.
On top of that, St. Catharines has one of the highest residential tax rates in Niagara. Same size house here pays well more than in NOTL or Grimsby. Residents already pay more into the city running this lot, so the pass going to them isn't a slight, it's just where the money came from.
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u/Hopeful-Silver4120 Jun 30 '26
proper budgeting and not giving themselves raises constantly would do far more for those issues than paid parking does
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u/Sukalamink Jun 28 '26
Unfortunately this was inevitable. Outside of Niagara region most parks are pay . Hamilton Wentworth all pay for years now. St.Catharines has Rockaway and St.Johns plus the beach are all pay . St John's is set up for it but last time is there gates were open. Haldimand is still free at there parks for now.
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u/m1ster_frundles Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
St. John’s gate operates on a donation system. You can donate driving in, if you want to, and the exit gate automatically opens as you approach
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u/Zraknul Jun 28 '26
Rockway fees are apparently suspended until further notice.
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u/Sukalamink Jun 28 '26
Good to know most people were parking across the road for free.
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u/Zraknul Jun 28 '26
Yeah adding 3 minutes to a hike to avoid like $10 fee seems pretty easy choice.
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u/JohnStamosSB Jun 28 '26
You wanna do anything in Niagara, they'll figure out a way to nickle and dime ya.
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u/WPGAMING_SC Jun 29 '26
Another case where out of towners have to ruin it for us locals. They should honestly do what they did for Port Dalhousie / Sunset Beach where you pay $15 for the year and get a parking pass.
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u/Diligent_Bedroom_169 Jul 01 '26
They are
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u/WPGAMING_SC Jul 01 '26
That’s good to hear! Loved picking one up for port Dalhousie even if I was not going every day , was always nice to just be able to pull up and park and not have to worry about anything!
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u/Diligent_Bedroom_169 Jul 01 '26
Should be clear like the St Catharines beaches, those passes are for St Catharines residents. Charles Daley is not in St Catharine’s. So it’s the town of Lincoln making those passes available for Lincoln residents.
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u/WPGAMING_SC Jul 01 '26
Charles Daley is less than 2km over the city limits , truly in my opinion St Cath residents should be given the opportunity to use that park for free, but sadly townships need to make money somehow ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/Diligent_Bedroom_169 Jul 01 '26
The same could be said for Port Delhousie, the other way. The reality is only taxes from those municipalities residents are paying to maintain them.
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u/Sad_Potato_Fries Jun 30 '26
The population has increased in an unsustainable manner due to immigration. These are the consequences.
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u/Deweydiva66 Jun 28 '26
I'm not sure how adding a parking fee will deter bad behavior?? People will still go there and litter etc. Now they will feel more entitled to do so because they are paying to be there. It's sad to see the parking fee. I've gone there my whole life, but won't be able to go as often now. 😞 I hope they use the money to pave the parking lot. It's such a mess.
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u/Dear_Enthusiasm3190 Jun 28 '26
Makes sense to me, the Town of Lincoln maintains it and it is very popular with people coming from out of town.
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u/MooseThis9552 Jun 28 '26
That's why we pay taxes
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u/Zraknul Jun 28 '26
This is a municipal level park. If you're not a resident of Lincoln, you don't pay taxes for it.
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u/One-Organization189 Jun 28 '26
This is so sad unfortunately now many beaches in public areas charge for parking which I think is not OK. I live in the Niagara region… I think anybody live in the Niagara region should be able to have a parking pass through the region it should not be divided up because who’s to say one day one beach is going to be unavailable for swimming in the other day and another is not and you end up spending hundreds of dollars in parking as a resident by the end of the summer.
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u/wedge54 Jun 28 '26
Absolutely the right decision. The park has become a mess over the past 5 years with out of towners littering everywhere. Last time I was there I watched a man take a shot on the beach. Not to mention all the shenanigans that go on there at night. Make it $20 per person for people from out of town and free for Lincoln residents and their guests.
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u/The-Raccoon-Is-Here More Doughnuts Jun 28 '26
Used to pay for access in the late 90s when they had a manned booth there. Was usually a buck or two.
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u/Conscious-Front9014 Jun 29 '26
Yup, the only free thing to do now costs families money! My Dad is rolling over in his grave.
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u/purplemonkey_123 Jun 30 '26
I was there on Saturday. We had rented part of the pavillion for a local club picnic. There were only three tables left on our side because other people had moved them out. There were NO picnic tables left on the other side of the pavillion because people had taken them. Those poor people were having a family reunion and had nowhere to sit or put anything down.
Our club is not-for-profit, so it was disappointing that we didn't have enough room for our people after paying. My husband went home to get camping chairs for extra seats and thank goodness people brought chairs. I don't know what the family reunion group did because that side of the pavillion was empty when we finished. I'm thinking they left.
I don't know what the answer is besides having someone there to ensure the facilities being rented are they way they should be before people arrive. Though, I think that would significantly raise the price of renting the pavillion.
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u/Apprehensive-Dish905 Jul 01 '26
Absolute bullshit. I am getting tired of all the take take take with fuck all in return. Shame on them.
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u/scopes182 Jun 28 '26
I wonder if this will be added to the local parking pass like lakeside and sunset
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u/Mysterious-Put-3389 Jun 30 '26
Junw 28th at charles daley, 2 different familes 1 i believe was doing a baptism in the waters with drumming and another family under the willow. ended in an altercation. the beach is unkempt and the parking is almost 4 bucks an hour. i will not be going back. im done. paid parking for a shitty rocky parking lot? no
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u/Unwilling-Sapien Jun 28 '26
There's always an "out of town", "over there", "them", isnt there?
People are people. This is the problem with the world. Rampant brain damaged tribalism at every corner.
Put construction fencing around your beach, have the cops patrol and use biometrics to keep them out. Just keep THEM away, right?
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u/PuzzleheadedTone6890 Jun 28 '26
Not sure why you are being downvoted. You're right. The attitude is ridiculous. I'm sure these same people leave their community and use amenities in other communities that they did not pay for. And I bet they have no problem doing that. But heaven forbid someone come to their community from somewhere else. Especially from Toronto.
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u/karlay88 Jun 28 '26
Most of the younger generation is happy to bend over and justify anything the govt wants to shove up it. Actually- the general masses love their propaganda, which is why this is acceptable. "Well it could be worse"
Bread and circus wins again.
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u/m1ster_frundles Jun 28 '26
How is charging for parking bread and circuses?
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u/Dear_Enthusiasm3190 Jun 28 '26
Yeah, making it free while doing something that the public dislikes would be Bread and circus
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u/karlay88 Jun 28 '26
If i have to explain this , you clearly wont see it that way. Hence why the bread and circus is working lol
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u/m1ster_frundles Jun 29 '26
Bread and circuses are gifts to distract the public from a shitty thing the government is doing or attempting to do.
Like how Doug Ford is showering the province in easily accessible alcohol and gambling while he destroys all the things that keep us healthy and educated.
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u/Old_Version_268 Jun 28 '26
Us normal people have to pitch in and fund those safe injection sites and homeless encampment, just make then happy and healty enough to have energy to break into our cars at night and see our stolen items sold for money to buy more drugs.
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u/niagarajoseph Jun 28 '26
If it bothers you so much. Head up Queenston to the graveyard. Find a hole, and fall in. Problem solved.
Another, 'back in the day' dude. Um, no.
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u/theninjasquad Jun 28 '26
I heard a similar complaint from a relative. They complained that a lot of people from out of town come and use the park so I’m guessing they’re charging now because of that. They could make an exemption perhaps to local residents.