Now that the Canada Day Weekend is behind us and the weather has warmed up some, it’s official now that the former Indian Head Park, now named Harmon Seaside Park, is in full swing.
With a count of 96 seasonal fully serviced sites already with trailers or recreational vehicles on them and other sites that are not serviced ready for use for other purposes, such as small trailers or tents, the facility is operating for the summer.
The former Indian Head Park, which wasn’t operational for decades, came together quickly by the new owners and perhaps to the chagrin of some people who used the vacant park for other reasons — especially walking, hiking, cross country skiing or snowshoeing.
It was a great place for those types of activities, especially since it was well sheltered from the wind by the trees that have grown up there during the years.
To accommodate today’s large recreational vehicles a lot of work had to be done on the sites, which involved cutting some of the trees out, in addition to those that had overgrowth or succumbed to the wind during the years.
This all made for a stockpile of chunked wood that will be used in the many fire pits throughout the park for some time.
While there are a number of people who frequented the park that are put out now because of its change of use, it is now actually being used what it was designed for in the first place. Many people in the area, including some who have leased sites in the park, have many good memories of either working there or camping there in the past.
Those who are operating Harmon Seaside Park seem a little surprised at its instant success with so many people taking advantage of it and purchasing seasonal passes. It really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise when people have been saying for years that it needed to be put back into operation.
It did have some effect on Zenzville Park in Kippens that lost about 15 seasonal campers this year to Harmon Seaside but will certainly survive because of the many amenities it has from slides, pools to shower and convenience store facilities.
Actually some campers who couldn’t get into Zenzville last year were able to be accommodated this year because of regulars who have left to Harmon Seaside.
A drive through Harmon Seaside demonstrates how quickly campers settle in with their patios, their identification signs and the many types of lighting from LED to solar. Groups of friends and/or relatives have settled in together to enjoy the summer.
That’s just how it should be as the people who worked on designing the park many decades ago wanted it to be. It’s good to see that it has come to life once again in a more modern setting.
