NetNude - Free Beaches

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Beechgrove

This beautiful stretch of isolated beach has been used for decades for nude sunbathing. In the 50's and 60's, according to one long time user, the area youth used to come down to the beach with friends for an afternoon of mixed skinny dipping. Later in the 70's and 80's, adult use of the beach began.

Over the past 5 years, there has been quite an active group using the beach on a regular basis. Last year, several beach clean up days ended with a BBQ for all participants. Often over 40 people would attend and had a wonderful time.

Late last August, the police visited the beach and cautioned that there had been complaints and that they were warning everyone that public nudity was illegal and that trespassing charges would be laid.

During the early spring of this year, several other warnings were received. Once, 2 plainclothes officers warned that they would charge people if they wre caught nude sunbathing. Several of the beachgoers were nude at the time! After approximately 7 similar visits to the beach, 4 plainclothes officers arrived on the beach mid-week in mid-July and ticketed 4 nude sunbathers.

These four individuals (one couple and two single men) who were minding their own buisness, in the middle of the week, on a hot day, on a secluded area of beach and who could not be seen from any vantage point were charged with being "inappropriately attired at a public park".

On the day these people were charged, there had been no other clothed hikers who were noticed or who had complained to the sunbathers.

It seems that the police are using these charges to set a precedent. The charge is a simple municipal bylaw infraction. But the crown wanted to go to trial in a Provincial court rather than providing the easier, and less administratively expensive, option of paying a fine.

The case went to court and the charges were dropped as no one from the crown showed up.

Please suppport the Federation of Canadian Naturist's Free Beach Fund. This fund will be administered by the FCN to support situations like this one to assist with defense costs.

Help maintain our freedoms.

Print and mail this FORM to support the Free Beach Fund