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Cobourg’s most popular attraction — its beach — has been underwater for more than a month.
The Lake Ontario community is dealing with historic flooding that has exceeded 2017 flood levels.
But, with summer right around the corner, officials aren’t pressing the panic button just yet.
“We dealt with a similar situation in 2017. Depending on the days and wind direction, it does affect the amount of water we see on the beach,” said Kara Euale, manager of marketing and events.
“At this point, we are not concerned for our upcoming festivals and events. A number of our festivals coming up take place in Victoria Park and are unaffected by the water levels at the beach.”
READ MORE: Water levels on Lake Ontario in Cobourg rise above 2017 flood level
Cobourg’s largest event is the Waterfront Festival on the Canada Day long weekend.
The event brings tens of thousands of people to ‘Ontario’s Feel Good Town’.
“It’s looking great. We have hundreds of vendors ready to go. Everything is scheduled to go as planned,” added Euale. “We recommend everyone come down and enjoy it just as they would if there was no water on the beach.”
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As for the beach itself, crews were busy on Friday moving around from the dredge.
“Two days ago, the beach was pretty much clear. It’s similar to 2017. With the waves today, we’re seeing a lot of water on the beach,” said Jason Johns, manager of the Parks Department. “We can’t do much right now.”
READ MORE: Brighton calls on feds to change how water levels are managed on Lake Ontario
According to a downtown business owner, the lack of a usable beach is having actually having a positive impact on business in the town’s core.
“It works good and bad, with the beach flooded. The tourists can’t sit at the beach all day, so they come downtown to do some shopping,” said Adam Bureau, town councillor and owner of Cobourg Buy and Sell. “It actually improves business.”
The Cobourg Scottish Festival & Highland Games on June 14 and 15 is not affected by the high water levels.
All events are being held in nearby Victoria Park.
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