In his latest Mayor’s Minute blog post, Mayor Andrew Jakubeit suggested the controversy over Three Mile Beach is about “interpretations of family and social values, which may be different depending on your background or beliefs.”
Personal “core values,” as the mayor puts it, have nothing to do with any decision made about Three Mile Beach. Council needs to consider legal issues and what is best for the community.
Legal issues are definitely a bit murky, but the basic statement in the Criminal Code of Canada is that being nude in public is unlawful. The two court cases that are held up as precedent refer to seclusion, or the appearance of seclusion. A beach in open view of several houses alongside a road can hardly be considered secluded in any way. But that, in any regard, is up to the RCMP to enforce, or not.
What’s best for the community is also a thorny issue. Proponents of a clothing optional beach are fond of talking about what a boon it could be to the tourism industry, but they have never backed up this statement with any figures.
And, in this case, the community starts with the local landowners, who are opposed to making the beach clothing optional. Yes, Three Mile Beach has a history as the spot for skinny-dipping, but that applied to a more secluded portion north of the public beach the naturists have now moved on to. Jakubeit also talks about both groups coming together to find a compromise, but that isn’t a realistic hope in this case. That’s not because of the people involved, but the very basic issues that are driving each side. The naturists feel entitled to a place where they get closer to the sun, and the local residents don’t want it happening in their neighbourhood. Not much room for compromise there.
There has also been a very clear warning from Three Mile Road landowners that they plan to sue for damages in terms of decreased property values should the city endorse a clothing optional beach. What’s best for the community doesn’t include spending taxpayer dollars on a multi-million dollar law suit that could have been avoided.