Crystal Beach, Ontario

Crystal Beach Amusement Park

Postcard image of the Cyclone, next to the Crystal Ball Room, circa 1930s.

At first, Crystal Beach Park was a religious retreat with a beach and "side-show" attractions started by John E. Rebstock in 1888. By 1890, he had decided to turn it into an amusement park.^[8] By then, steamboats shuttled patrons from nearby Buffalo, New York to and from the park. At its peak in the 1940s and early 1950s, the park had about 20,000 visitors daily throughout the summer, from Victoria Day through Labour Day.^[9]

Boat service connected Buffalo with the park until 1956. Initially, in the 1890s, a ferry service operated small boats, with a capacity of 500 to 1200. Later, the main passenger vessels used for these journeys were the Canadiana and, until 1929, the Americana,^[10] each of which could carry 3,000 passengers per trip. In 1896, the Ontario Southern Railway began to provide connection between the park and the mainline rail station at Ridgeway. This service consisted of a unique elevated monorail style train, and ran for only three summers, through 1898.^[11]

The owners made significant investments. For example, in 1909, the "Backety-Back Railway" roller coaster, or "Scenic Railway", was installed for $50,000. and in 1910, another was added, the "Giant", at a cost of $35,000.^[11] In the late 1920s, the "Cyclone" coaster was built, at a cost said to have been $176,000. A newspaper report from 1948 indicates that the owners spent $165,000 on two new rides, including a new Comet roller coaster that replaced the Cyclone.^[9] In the 1950s, the Lusse "Auto Skooter" bumper cars were added at a cost of $50,000. Although attendance was down by then, a half million dollars was spent after a 1974 fire damaged the dance hall and another $250,000 in 1975 to update some facilities.^[11]

By 1983, the park was feeling serious competition from Darien Lake, Marineland of Canada and Canada's Wonderland. Crystal Beach was nearly bankrupt but was saved by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce after going into receivership. New owners took over in 1984 and spent over $2 million during the next three seasons for renovations and improvements including new rides. Financial problems loomed again in 1989 and the park closed due to bankruptcy at the end of that season.^[11][12]

One of the memories that people have of Crystal Beach is the loganberry drink which was sold there. Even though the park is closed, several companies still sell varieties of loganberry drinks, mostly in Southern Ontario and Western New York.^[13][14][15]

Following the park's closing in 1989, the rides and buildings sold by auction on October 17.^[11] The Comet was moved to The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom in Queensbury, New York where it still operates today.^[16] A roller coaster known as the Silver Comet was built at Fantasy Island in nearby Grand Island, New York with a loading platform and signage similar to the original Crystal Beach Comet. The Ferris wheel from the park was sold to Centreville Amusement Park in Toronto, Ontario and remains in operation.^[17]

Crystal Beach Hill Cottagers Organization (1983–present)

In the 1930s many amusement park employees were allowed to build cottages on the Crystal Beach sand dune, so that they could live near their jobs. The area was called "Crystal Beach Hill" and eventually grew to 43 cottages. Before the park closed, the residents of "the Hill", fronting on the lakeshore, jointly purchased it and formed the Crystal Beach Hill Cottagers Organization. Crystal Beach Hill is now a family-oriented community, with many cottages owned by second- and third-generation descendants of early residents. "The Hill", the highest vantage point for miles around, offers elevated views of the beach, Lake Erie, and Point Abino, to the West.

Crystal Beach Motel

The Crystal Beach Motel is the only lodging place left from that time. Back then it was called the Crystal Pool Motel, built in the mid '60's by Geza and Maria Banfai, who also built, owned and operated what was then the Lakeside Motel on Terrace Lane. The Lakeside Motel was closed for some years and reopened as an all-suites motel.

There were a few bars in Crystal Beach, keeping its visitors and residents well hydrated. The Palmwood Hotel still stands, despite a fire that all but destroyed it back in the 1960s. Its affiliate basement bar, Circus by the Sea, closed some time ago.

Other hotels in the beach area are long gone. The Park Hotel on Derby Road was destroyed by fire as was Hebert's Hotel on Ridgeway Road and the Imperial which was a two-storey structure with separate beverage rooms for men and women. Teal's Hotel on Erie Road is still open as a pub Sneaker's Beach Tavern. The Ontario Hotel now houses apartments. The Derby Hotel on Queen's Circle is now a Crystal Mart store.

Crystal Beach Tennis & Yacht Club (1992–present)

Land where the amusement park stood was converted into a gated community called Crystal Beach Tennis & Yacht Club in 1992.^[3] The pier that at one time served the Canadiana and Americana remains in a state of disrepair, as evidenced by the fenced off area, is currently owned by the Crystal Beach Tennis & Yacht Club development. The canopied section still stands however the end section which has been falling into the waters of Lake Erie was crushed and removed in the winter of 2013-14.

Crystal Beach is still a popular vacation and second-home area. The town of Fort Erie operates a free public beach directly adjacent to and to the west of the Crystal Beach Tennis & Yacht Club and Crystal Beach Hill. West of the public beach are private homes, as well as frontage owned by the Bay Beach Association, which provides beach access for a membership fee. Crystal Beach Waterfront Park is a municipally-owned park with a publicly accessible boat-launch and picnic area immediately east of the Crystal Beach Tennis & Yacht Club.