After sitting on the backburner for a couple of years, Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent is making a push for long-planned work at Kalmo Beach to take place as early as 2026.
“It’s very exciting,” Parent told Sudbury.com. “This is kind of our crown jewel in The Valley.
“I’ve made a lot of good memories there, and I want to be able to make sure we continue to invest in that and allow access for even more people to be able to go to the beach and enjoy that waterfront area.”
Kalmo Beach is located on Whitson Lake at 2630 Sandy Beach Road in Val Caron.
The park includes three beaches, the easternmost of which is supervised by lifeguards during the summer months (they count almost 2,000 bathers in this area alone each season). A beach to the west is informally called the “dog beach.”
A small building provides gendered washroom and change facilities, but is located at the top of a sleep slope adjacent to the park driveway. Stairs lead beachgoers part of the way toward the beach.
The park and beach area is underutilized, Parent said, noting that it has accessibility issues due to a steep hill that can prevent people with limited mobility from accessing the water.
The redevelopment of Kalmo Beach has been bandied about for decades, beginning with a Valley East Secondary Plan published in 2000 which would have redeveloped the day park area and added a campground/RV park, activity centres, an outdoor recreation centre, trails and a water park activity area for children.
A fresh Kalmo Beach Master Plan was published in 2019 which proposed:
- Improved circulation and parking, with a new route to the beach furthest west being proposed, among other improvements such as expanded parking.
- Tiered decking, to allow an area for picnicking and other passive activities while overlooking Whitson Lake at what the report describes as one of the park’s best viewpoints.
- A new concept for the boat launch area, which includes a boardwalk that can follow the shoreline and connect all of the beaches on one level. A new building would offer space for accessible washrooms and change rooms, a canteen and space for canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals. A second, deeper, boat launch is also proposed.
- Naturalization of some of the areas of the park where grass cutting is difficult, which the report notes would allow native plant material and habitat to increase.
- Off-grid washrooms and change rooms.
The area would also receive an additional trail network to the north connecting all of the beaches to the community, which would require a network through Vale-owned property.
In 2022, then-Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan made a successful motion requesting a business case to move forward with Kalmo Beach plans during 2023 budget deliberations.
The business case proposed a $215,000 expenditure toward preliminary design and study work to adopt the 10-year plan, which if fully realized would have cost approximately $5 million to $6 million.
Between this successful motion and budget deliberations, a municipal election took place which saw Parent unseat Kirwan.
During budget deliberations, the business case was not picked up.
It wasn’t due to a lack of interest, Parent clarified to Sudbury.com, noting that an Aquatic Service and Facility Review was in the works and that he was encouraged to wait for it to come out.
The final report was issued a couple of months ago, and it reaffirms the importance of Kalmo Beach. Among its recommendations is that the city “implement the recommendations of the Kalmo Beach 10-year Plan, prioritizing those projects that improve circulation, accessibility, parking, wayfinding, and support facilities (washrooms and changerooms).”
This recommendation is classified as a high-priority short-term project.
“Kalmo Beach would benefit greatly from the suggestions provided in the master plan, but external funds may be required to implement the plan,” the review concludes.
Encouraged by these results, Parent introduced a successful motion earlier this month for staff to produce a business case for 2026 budget talks which would outline the costs associated with completing studies regarding “circulation, accessibility, parking, wayfinding and support facilities enhancements, including the identification of potential sources of funds.”
It also stipulates that this work should be done in consultation with the city’s Accessibility Advisory Panel.
There’s much in the 10-year plan, but Parent said that accessibility should be the first priority.
Outdoor recreational opportunities like this are integral, he said, because they’re free of charge and accessible to everyone — in theory, anyway, with improved accessibility features intended to bring it closer to this goal.
“I’ll also be looking for private sector funding to do other enhancements, like trails, which were included in that 10-year plan,” he said, adding that he has already heard interest from potential sponsors.
The city’s 2026 budget deliberations are expected to take place in late 2025. As with every year, Sudbury.com will publish in-depth reports on budget proceedings.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
