Sandy Beach in Hudson, Que. closed for the summer

Beach in Hudson, Que. closed Locals in Hudson, Que. were displeased to find that a popular beach was closed for the summer.

The town of Hudson, Que. has closed Sandy Beach for the summer, just as the weather is starting to be warm enough to enjoy it.

The beach is on private property and so too are the trails leading up to the popular destination.

The town made the announcement on Friday.

"It is a disappointment for many families already since the pathways were closed on March 11," said Hudson Mayor Chloe Hutchison.

The private land where the beach is located is owned by a developer. Concrete blocks are in place along with signage to keep people away.

"I think this is a good wake up call for the town as well, to take on our responsibilities and to ensure that people respect private property," said Hutchison.

For decades, there has been talk about development near Sandy Beach. Much of the land is owned by Nicanco Holdings and recently the Quebec Environment Ministry pulled a permit for the developer to backfill a portion of the land.

The town said buying the private section of the beach to make it public would be a costly option.

"But reality is, we have so much work in terms of infrastructure deficit, looking after public assets, roads, [and] buildings, we can't simply put that aside for another 20 years because we want to purchase the entire space," said Hutchison.

The town said it wants to add a path on public land to the beach, but that would mean going through wetlands and complying with environmental regulations.

CTV News tried to reach Nicanco, but did not hear back.

The mayor said she is in favour of development in the area, providing it is done respectfully.

"Development done in balance, in equilibrium with, I think, the environment, but also social values," she said.