Sleepy Town

What has made Sauble Beach so special to people through the years?
I think this blog will just be a bunch of my memories about how special Sauble Beach really is and was. I remember when I was a kid in the fifties. We just couldn't wait to get into the car on Friday evening and make the two or three hour trip to the cottage.

Even in the dead of winter, weekends were an adventure we always looked forward to. In the worst of weather, we kids would visit with the Ards (now the Home Hardware on the main drag) while our parents attempted to get heat into the old cottage. It didn't take long for my dad to prime the old green pump in the kitchen...once the rust was clear, I couldn't wait to drink that wonderful Sauble water. Sure, it had an iron taste to it, and yes, it often caused a little distress in the outhouse for a few hours..but boy, did it ever taste good.

It wasn't until I had grown a little older that I could appreciate how wonderful it was to have your own water. We even had an old rain barrel to collect water to wash the clothes and our hair. I still remember helping my dad install indoor plumbing...I think that we had one of the first hot water heaters on the beach. All of the neighbours used to come and "borrow the tub" for a nice hot bath.

Every spring we would clean the sand point with acid and flush it out before using it. I wonder how many people even bother to do upkeep on their systems? All we ever hear is how bad the water is downtown. Has anyone tried to maintain their systems through the years? I remember having good old George Moyer build our septic system for us...it was the same size as the one for the Royal Hotel in Hepworth. We shared it with our neighbours and only recently had to have it replaced. It was huge at the time... state of the art. They won't let you share a system anymore. I wonder why not? Sure seems to make a lot more sense than a sewage and water plant and humungous dollars going into chemical treatment.

Times sure have changed since having to pay the "Honey Dump" man two dollars to empty the outhouse... I think that was two dollars a season!!!