BY
TRACEY DUGUAY
Editor's Note: Bell Park remains the undisputed winner
when it comes to Greater Sudbury's best beach.  We
didn't include it in this article for that reason.
It's Sunday morning, 10:30 am, and I'm sitting on the grass at
Kalmo  (Sandy) Beach in Val Caron.  It's quiet. With
the exception of a solitary jogger on the road leading to the
beach, I'm the only one here as I sip on my Timmy's.
There's a light, cool breeze coming off the lake causing the
rhythmic lapping of waves against the shoreline, the
temperature hovers around 17 C, but the day holds great
promise.  
 
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I'm on assignment for work, but on days like this I love my
job.  My editor wants me to do a story on the City of
Lake's Top Five beaches.  I spent many summer months as a
teenager playing at this particular one. 
Kalmo Beach isn't spectacular, or at least when one compares it to Bell Park, but it offers a fun and accessible place for nearby residents to gather up their kids or friends and spend a few hours splashing around in the water, or stretched out on the grass socializing with nearby sun worshippers.  There's no playground equipment, beach volleyball net or other amusements. It's pure water, sand and grass.  The grounds are relatively clean, no garbage lying around and there's only a few shards of glass posing a safety hazard for bare feet.
With a sigh, I finish my coffee and move on to Whitewater Lake
in Azilda, which used to host annual powerboat races. The event
was cancelled a couple of years back.  It's a large, flat
beach with plenty of room for crowds to gather while trying to
beat the heat. There's a large playground adjacent to the beach
area, a boat launch ramp and a building that houses a
concession stand and washrooms. 
By 11 am, the temperature has risen to 20 C, and the
activity at the park is picking up.  A bicyclist sits on a
picnic table sipping on a bottle of water, another person lies
curled up on a blanket taking a nap, and kids are spilling out
of family vehicles, racing each other with plastic pails
swinging to see who reaches the beach first.
Next stop is the beach by Laurentian University. It's a
short hike down the gravel pathway that stretches from behind
the track at LU to Loach's Rd.  This beach doesn't provide
much in way of playground equipment, but does boast a beach
volleyball net.  Nestled among the bush and well-travelled
walking and bicycle trails, the beach is located at the bottom
of a hill, off the main section, which adds to its appeal. The
only reminder you're in the heart of the city, aside from a
view of Nepahwin Lake, a few houses and the ever-present Inco
smokestack towering in the background, is the sight of a steady
procession of golf carts from a nearby golf course.
One can't travel down Paris St. without noticing the parking
lot of Nepahwin Beach. This city favourite, only minutes from
the Four Corners, has activities for everyone from slides and
swings to beach volleyball.  The land surrounding the
beach is beautifully landscaped with flower gardens and
benches.
The last beach on my list is a small oasis tucked between
the Yacht Club and boat launching area on Ramsey Lake Rd. 
I spent a lot of time in this spot when my children were
younger because it was easy to keep an eye on them compared to
a large, busy beach.  There's about three or four
different wading, swimming and diving spots in this little
stretch.  This beach isn't supervised by a
lifeguard. 
With the good comes the bad and one of the city's most popular
beaches on Ramsey Lake wins the dishonourable title of
dirtiest.  Geese and seagulls spoil Moonlight Beach in the
city's East End. Droppings litter the sand inches away from the
water and all along the grass.  Flocks of gulls circle
overtop the concession stand which is located near the
playground equipment.  It was the only beach I visited
where I noticed an abundance of birds and their droppings.
A real shame considering it's a great beach overall.
Another beach that was a bit of a disappointment was
Meatbird Park in Lively.  The setting was quite pretty
with walking trails, old trees, picnic tables, playground
equipment and a fountain inside the middle of the "lake."
 But it was very disconcerting to be surrounded by mining tailings, sprayed with treated sewer sludge, that could easily blow into the water on a windy day.  As well, the first sight I saw  was garbage strewn everywhere, a used condom and discarded feminine hygiene product.
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