By Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
The Town of Brome Lake formally opened the long-awaited Carke Terrace locker room block in a ceremony on July 9.
The 13-acre plot of land around Carke Terrace, where the landmark Terrace Inn stood until the 1970s, was purchased from the Poulin family – heirs of the inn’s former owner – by the Carke Foundation in 2019; the foundation donated the land to the Town of Brome Lake for use as a public park.
Last fall, the municipality installed a small dock for non-motorized boats and picnic area on the site, creating a third public access point to Brome Lake for visitors and residents without lakefront property. The 900-square-foot “sanitary block,” which includes washrooms, locker rooms, outdoor showers, a public rooftop terrasse with a view of the lake and a 20-space parking lot, was initially expected to open last fall. It is the main element of the second phase of the long-planned upgrade. In the near future, as a final touch, the town plans to develop walking trails on the property, Mayor Richard Burcombe told the BCN. The Poulin family contributed $250,000 toward the cost of the project, and the town took out a $1.3-million loan last year to pay for the rest; Burcombe estimated the project’s total cost to the town at $1.1 million.
“This project reflects the town’s ongoing commitment to designing accessible, user-friendly spaces that are in harmony with the local heritage,” Burcombe said. “The public is invited to make this new space their own and create unforgettable memories here.” He said he was “very happy” to be able to inaugurate the new facilities, although some work remained to be done on the parking lot.
“It’s getting to the point where it’s very hard for people to access the lake,” he said in a later interview. “Our two other access points at Douglass Beach and Tiffany Park were full yesterday. It’s very nice to have another access point.”
Created in the 1970s, the CARKE Foundation is a non-profit organization which raises funds and awareness for specific community infrastructure projects in Brome Lake, West Bolton and Brome Village. “The CARKE Foundation is proud to have supported the creation of Carke Terrace, a beautiful new space that gives the community better access to the lake for quiet, non-motorized activities,” the foundation said in a statement. “This project reflects our mission of enhancing the social and recreational life of Brome Lake, and we’re thrilled to see it come to life for everyone to enjoy.”
“We’re very thankful to the CARKE Foundation; they gave us this and many other projects over the years,” said Burcombe, a third-term mayor who announced last November that he wouldn’t seek a fourth term. “They bought it and transferred it to the town on the same day. It’s getting to the end now for [my administration], but this is a project that has been in our strategic plan, along with making a bigger green space along Mill Pond, and the dam, and the sidewalk the full length of Victoria St. which we are completing … it’s another fait accompli, and I’m happy about it.”