Pointe Des Chenes

Sault Ste. Marie is fortunate to be situated in a beautiful and naturally diverse location - a feature that has drawn people to this area for over a century. The city maintains 74 park locations - including the beloved public beach at Pointe Des Chenes.

Pointe Des Chenes, translated to pointe of oaks, was a popular camping site for many years before it was developed into a park. In the 1920s and 1930s, a few seasonal cottages were built, including that of Robert Curran, B. Carruthers, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Broughton, Merl Smith and Dr. Cain. The site was an early gathering and picnic site for many groups and associations, including the Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, the Scottish Association, St. Andrew’s WA, The St. Mary’s River Boat Club, Lions Club, Saint John’s Parish, the Sault Daily Star staff and St. Luke’s AYPA.

Sault Daily Star, 1939

Negotiations for a park began in 1938 with the Department of Land and Forests and the City Planning Board. In the late summer of 1939 an access road to the Pointe was cleared. Work on the park was halted by WWII, and interest in the project did not resume until 1945 when the park property was optioned by the government for a potential airport. The Board of Trades park committee headed by Harry Waite pleaded with City Counsel to move the airport north and stated “There is room for the park and the airport”. The city then made an application to the government to take the necessary steps to secure the property.

Sault Daily Star, 1947.

Collection of the Sault Museum.

By 1946, community interest in the project was reinvigorated, and the development of Pointe Des Chenes Park was in full swing. The Boy Scout’s hutment was moved from a location in town to a new campsite at the Pointe in 1945 and was officially opened in August of 1946. In February 1947 City Council voted to protect the land from private acquisition, and on March 20th, 72 acres of land at Pointe Des Chenes was purchased by the City of Sault Ste. Marie for the sum of $342, provided they do the necessary development there. This purchase was made with the understanding that if the Department of Transportation required a portion of the land for the development of the airport, they were to negotiations would be had with the City.

​In the summer of 1947 a request was put in to bring electricity to service the area of Pointe Des Chenes and Pointe Louise. The electricity would service 23 cottages in total, headed by Pointe cottage owner Dr. Cain. This project began in the summer of 1948 and was completed in 1950.

​A series of complaints about the sand road leading to the park area spurred a request to have the road resurfaced in gravel, a venture which was subsidized through the Department of Roads and Highways. Tenders for this project went out in 1949. Several smaller development projects were completed at the park, including clearing a parking lot for visitors, the installation of picnic benches and the construction of a small store. The municipal park was officially opened on Sunday, August 27th, 1950, after bad weather prevented a previously planned opening ceremony. 

---

Community store at Pointe Des Chenes, 1957. Collection of the Sault Museum.

The first full season of Pointe Des Chenes Park was marred with problems. The Boy Scout camp was heavily vandalized in the spring of 1951. Buildings and objects were damaged and two of the row boats used by the scouts were set adrift, but thankfully intercepted by cottagers who had them returned to the camp.

​Another problem arose in the summer of 1951: Beavers. The newly resurfaced gravel road to the Pointe Des Chenes park was sided by two ditches (near where the end of the runway would be built) where water from the field and road would drain. In June, three beaver dams popped up in the aforementioned ditches, causing the water to pool on the access road to the park. Pointe Des Chenes campers retaliated and dismantled the dams around the culverts, but the beavers worked fast and according to the Sault Daily Star, a new dam would pop up overnight. After several foiled attempts to remove the dams, the conservation authority was called in to remove the dams and trap and relocate the beavers. The Pointe Des Chene beaver battle was resolved in the late summer, and the 3 offending beavers were trapped and relocated to the Bellevue Park Zoo.

Beaver at Bellevue Park Zoo - 1950s. Collection of the Sault Musuem.

By 1952, Pointe Des Chenes had approximately 200 visitors on weekends and holidays. The Ponte Des Chenes Park Committee (Harry Waite, Alvin Virene, Arnold Upper and Harold Tolley) continued the development of the property into the early 1950s with the addition of BBQ pits, a refreshment stand, bathrooms and clearing additional land for a playing field. Sunday and holiday bus service to the park was also introduced in 1952.

Collection of the Sault Musuem.

Joesph DeForge - 1959 caretaker of Pointe Des Chenes

By 1957, the park was attracting up to 2000 visitors on its busiest days. Water pumps were installed, and plans for a children’s playground were underway. Permanent cottages were springing up on both sides of the park and numbered well over the handful that existed in the early days of the park. A dozen new picnic tables were delivered in 1957 to keep up with demand. The new airport was announced in the fall of 1957, and “would not mar the park”. The City Council turned over land to Korah for a new access road that would service both the new airport as well as the municipal park. The Girl Guides and Boy Scouts maintained their presence at the 8-acre campsite throughout the summers until 1958, when the construction of the airport required them to give up the camping grounds. In 1959, a caretaker was hired to maintain the park, Mr. Joseph DeForge, a retired steelworker.

---

Collection of the Sault Museum.

The following decade saw many changes for the Pointe Des Chenes area, beginning in 1960s when plans for an overnight trailer park began to take shape. At this time Bellevue Park maintained trailer parking and tenting, however, this became a point of contention for locals who did not want the Bellevue Park space taken up by overnight campers. The intention was to move those facilities to Pointe Des Chenes once the infrastructure was in place. By the end of 1960, construction was underway for a new well system and a picnic shelter. In the summer of 1961, plans were drawn out for an 80-lot campground for both tents and trailers. Construction of the airport and work on the roads meant reduced visitors to Pointe Des Chenes in 1961, but the parks committee rightfully predicted the dip in patronage to be temporary. With the completion of the airport and campground construction by the end of 1964, the beach experienced a boom of local visitors - and tourists.

---

Bellevue Park Trailer Park - 1950s. From the Sault Museum collection.

Collection of the Sault Museum.

The 1960s saw rapid changes - many seasonal cottage owners began winterizing or rebuilding their homes to live there year-round, much to the dismay of the township. In the fall of 1964, the Pointe Des Chenes Committee dissolved and was amalgamated into the Community Services Board. In 1965, the addition of a CSB-run snack bar and a new comfort station for campers was welcomed at the park. The cost to camp at Pointe Des Chenes in 1965? $2.50 per night, and an extra 25 cents charge for electricity. Swimming programs at the park were implemented over the summer months and intermediate camping programs for children.

​The mid to late 1960s brought an unprecedented issue: Crowding. Around 3000 visitors used the park area on some of the busiest days, filling the 200 picnic tables and 81 camping spots to capacity. By the end of the 1965 tourism season, over 10,000 people used the facilities at Point Des Chenes that year.

Collection of the Sault Museum.

Collection of the Sault Museum.

1965. Collection of the Sault Museum.

In 1970, erosion was identified as an issue at Pointe Des Chenes, caused by increased water levels and dredging of the St. Mary’s River. Community Service Board commissioner Harold Brain sought to designate the beach as an “approved park” in order to seek over $200,000 in funding from the government to save the beach from further destruction.

By November of 1970, the beach had its designation, and by the spring of 1971, a study was to be conducted on the erosion at the Point. New groynes and gabions (rock and mesh barriers to disrupt water flow) were put in place and the work was completed at the end of the year, temporarily halting the erosion. These efforts were somewhat successful, however major weather events like the November 10th, 1975 storm did irreversible damage to the park. Strong winds and massive waves took down numerous trees and as much as 20 ft. of the beach in several sections. Fortunately, none of the buildings at the park suffered any structural damage.

Despite the challenges the park faced, several new programs were implemented at the park, including the annual canoe and kayak race - held at Pointe Des Chenes beginning in 1976. Also in 1976, summer programming for children with disabilities was introduced, and in the late 1970s, paved walkways along the beach and picnic areas were installed to make Pointe Des Chenes more accessible. The Pointe Des Chenes area underwent other positive changes during the 1970s. The streets in the area were officially named in 1974 including Pointe Des Chenes Drive, Point Des Chenes Crescent, Pointe aux Pins Drive, Pointe Louise Drive, Alagash Drive and Dalgleish Road. The upswing in permanent residences continued on from the 1960s into the 1970s, replacing many of the seasonal cottages. 

Pointe Des Chenes, 1970.

Glen Garson, a city employee operating a small bulldozer on the shoreline at Point des Chenes to combat ongoing erosion, 1971. Sault Museum collection.

After the November 18th storm, 1975. Sault Museum Collection.

In the later 1970s into the 1980s, visitorship at Pointe Des Chenes began to wane. Suggestions were made to possibly allow long-term trailer rentals at the campground as they were averaging less than 50% occupancy in 1981. This was following a steady decrease from 1977 onward. This matter was deferred by the CSB, but was a reoccurring topic of debate for several years, with calls for the city to “Get out of the camping business”.

​In 1984, the CSB investigated private interest in the campground. Leasing the property was suggested as a way to deal with the mounting deficit, which was listed as $21,194 in 1983. In 1985, the Sault Lions Club took over the Pointe Des Chenes campground intending to return the park to “enjoyable family camping”. In 1989, the Lions Club asked the City of Sault Ste. Marie for a 5-year lease to ensure their ability to renovate the park as they see fit.

The early 1990s once again marked a decline in visitors to Pointe Des Chenes. The reasoning was unclear; Pointe Des Chenes Park had a fair amount of unfavourable press throughout the late 80s to early 90s, which could have led to a decrease in visitors. Concerns were raised about the lack of upkeep at the park, as suggested by an article in the Sault Star in 1993. The water pumping system at the park and campground also became a point of contention; high bacteria levels were detected in the water rendering the drinking water unusable. Beach closures due to bacteria became more common as the years progressed. In 2001, the Ministry of Environment ordered a water filtration upgrade at Pointe Des Chenes and Strathclair Park, a joint project costing between $200,000 - $260,000. 

In 2008, abnormally high benzine levels were detected in the water at the PUC-operated water treatment plant at Pointe Des Chenes campground, likely caused by fuel runoff from the airport. In 2015, PFAS was also detected, a byproduct of fire suppression exercises run on the airport property from 1964-1993. The campground was placed under a water advisory while City Counsel searched for a solution.

In 2021, the decision was made to close the campground. This was due to both the high cost to rectify the water issues (estimated at $275,000) coupled with operational issues the Lion's Club faced during the global pandemic, citing their inability to staff cleaners and the loss of 27 regular campers. When Council asked the Director of Public Works Susan Hamilton-Beach why the property had been neglected, she stated that city staff were directed to spend "as little money as possible on the property" to ensure minimal cost to the taxpayers. No future plans have been announced for the campground.

Although the sun has set on the Pointe Des Chenes campground, the beach and day park have undergone many upgrades and expansions over the past several years. A disc golf course was installed in 2021, and much-needed accessibility upgrades were implemented. The accessible paved paths were redone, and a new beach wheelchair was purchased to allow people with disabilities to enjoy the sand and the water. 

The value of our local parks and beaches to our community is immeasurable; they are places to relax,  to appreciate nature and to gather with loved ones. Pointe Des Chenes has been a place for all of the above for 75 years - and hopefully will be for many more.