South Bruce Beach Cottagers Association - History
History
Known locally first as The Dunes and now as Area 1, this neighbourhood really started to take shape in the early 1950s, when Pearl and Elizabeth Henderson purchased more than 50 acres from Gordon Emmerton. The Henderson subdivision (Plan #483) was officially registered in 1955, when the sisters set about dividing the property into 43 lots and building a road. They sold the lakefront lots for $1,000 and the back ones for $800 and donated two lots for a park.
In the spring of 1966, a group of these cottagers, on what was then a lightly populated area, got together to discuss the formation of a group to buy the remaining property for greenbelt purposes with a view to keeping this portion of the beach the quiet resort area the Henderson sisters had in mind. They subsequently formed the South Bruce Beach Association.
South Bruce Beach Cottage Association was incorporated on July 26, 2006 under the Province of Ontario’s Corporation Act. The name was determined by the province based on the cottagers’ geographic and historic location on Bruce Beach.
Historic Events
- June 10, 2011
- 25-30 per cent of the pine plantation in the Greenbelt property Blandford Woods was cut by the Moggie Valley Timber Company under the supervision of the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority.
- March 21, 2011
- By a unanimous vote, the SBBCA named its Greenbelt property Blandford Woods to recognize Archie Blandford’s forward-thinking actions in securing the land.
- 2009
- South Bruce Beach Cottage Association was honoured with a Green Cottager Award by Cottage Life Magazine.
- 2006
- South Bruce Beach Cottage Association was incorporated.
- 1981
- From James Farrell, the association purchased the old road allowance adjoining their greenbelt property.
- 1976
- 12,000 pine trees, including 5,000 red pines and 1,500 white pines are planted on the association’s greenbelt property.
- 1975
- The association entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources for a planned program of reforestation on the greenbelt property.
- 1969
- The estate of Elizabeth Henderson conveyed one lot to be used as a roadway access to the greenbelt property.
- 1968
- From the Elizabeth Henderson estate the association purchased 30 acres of ecologically sensitive sand dunes to ac t as a greenbelt. Today, the land is a mature forested area providing a vibrant recreational and ecological space for members.
- 1967
- At the first annual meeting, the association elected Gord Walls as president and Archie Blandford as secretary-treasurer. A position Archie held for 39 years until 2006.
- 1966
- Group of cottagers bought three lots from the Elizabeth Henderson estate for a South Bruce Beach tennis club open on a membership basis.
- 1955
- Land for Pearl Elizabeth Memorial Park donated by the Henderson sisters to Huron Township.
Past Presidents
- 2008-2010
- Mary Wilkinson
- 2006-2008
- Chris Meyer
- 2004-2006
- Jane Robinson
- 2002-2004
- Dave Gibson
- 2000-2002
- Barb MacDonald
- 1998-2000
- Bill Murphy
- 1996-1998
- Nan Grant
- 1994-1996
- Barb Strain
- 1992-1994
- Claude Holdermeyer
- 1991-1992
- Lyn Wright
- 1989-1991
- Carm Whitmore
- 1987-1989
- Beth Brown
- 1985-1987
- Bill Henderson
- 1983-1985
- Keith MacDonald
- 1982-1983
- Al Warrick
- 1980-1982
- Dan Marshall
- 1978-1980
- Tom Plant
- 1976-1978
- Pat MacFarlane
- 1974-1976
- Ross Fuller
- 1972-1974
- George Whetstone
- 1971-1972
- Carm Whitmore
- 1967-1971
- Gord Walls