Topless summer a bust

By KALVIN REID Reformer staff writer

Despite much controversy and debate, area beach communities have found that Ontario's first topless summer has been a bust.

Along the shoreline from Long Point to Port Dover, the Ontario that allows women to go topless is pretty much the same as the Ontario with a law requiring women to wearing tops.

"It was a non-issue here," said John Marchington, superintendent of Long Point Provincial Park. "We had inquiries from two people at the beginning of the summer, wondering what we were going to do.

"But we've had no incidents and no complaints."

Like any local authority, provincial parks and public beaches have not been legally able to do anything to curb incidents of toplessness. But for the most part, the incidents have been rare.

"Even if it happens, there is nothing we could do," said Dave Kersten, assistant superintendent of Turkey Point Provincial Park. "But we haven't had any problems, just a few sightings and no complaints that I am aware of.

"For those that did (go topless), it was a natural thing. Anybody who did just did it just to get some sun. They didn't walk around in front of people."

The issue was brought to the public consciousness because of an Ontario Court of Appeal ruling last year that found the law forcing women to wear tops in public to be unconstitutional.

However, intense media coverage, debates on morality and public decency, and controversy over lewd public behavior have failed to bring the issue to a crisis level.

"At the beginning of the summer, a lot of people were talking about it," said Margaret Bauer, owner of Tiki Room, a beach-wear store in Turkey Point. "I think a lot of people expected to see (topless women), but nothing has happened."

In Port Dover, the issue never became what it was expected to be, said David Knetchel, of Knetchel Foods.

"There really hasn't been anything; no real problems," he said. "We didn't even have anybody walk up to our counter without a top on."

Despite some isolated complaints of allegedly lewd behavior in Powell Park and on the beach, the impact of topless women has been minimal.

"If I receive no complaints, then I assume there is no problem, and only one complaint has come to my attention." said Katie Buck, owner of Buck's Cottages in Port Dover.

"I don't think the issue was toplessness per se. I think the issue was whether or not advantage might be taken of the legislation in the sense of behavior that was inappropriate. But, to my knowledge that only happened on one occasion and it was dealt with promptly and efficiently."

Said Marchington: "At the beginning of the year, there was all this anticipation. We've just carried on and forgot about it, like I think a lot of people have.

"It simply hasn't been the issue that everyone thought it would be."