Brome Lake is the jewel that makes our town unique. But the town has missed several opportunities to increase and improve public access to the lake. Recently TBL has focused on recreation and culture as a means to stand out and attract new residents. Now it is time to zero in on finding more public access to the lake.

The existing public spaces are valuable, but rare. There are few on the lake and several others scattered in the area.

When Foster Point, a large piece of land adjacent to Douglass Beach, recently came on the market, the town discreetly approached the owner in order to acquire some land on the west side of the Beach to extend it. Unfortunately, those talks were unsuccessful and Douglass Beach remains very cramped.

Private donations from families and organizations created Douglass Beach, Call’s Mills Park, Lions Park and the land for Centre Lac-Brome. In the latter case, the Duck Farm graciously donated the land. The community chipped in and donors made their contributions with the town’s approval and support.

Community spirit and generosity have proved a successful recipe in the past. They may be the ingredients needed this time again when it comes to giving the community as a whole more access to Brome Lake.

We encourage the town as well as the various community groups of TBL to take a serious look for available lakefront property. More parks and beach access will contribute to the unique value of our town for generations to come. This requires foresight and a vision that has been lacking as recent history tells us. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the past.