Nickel Beach is the perfect beach for windsurfing, swimming and sunbathing. 

Located on Lake Erie at the southern end of Welland Street at Lake Street in Port Colborne, this beach offers white sandy beaches, great trails to explore and public amenities including shady picnic areas, restroom facilities and volleyball courts.  

Wondering what’s happening at Nickel Beach in spring 2023? 

The City of Port Colborne is preparing for another great season at Nickel Beach with upgrades to washroom facilities and parking facilities.    

Washroom Upgrades

Residents and visitors alike have been eager to see new washroom facilities at Nickel Beach since the decommissioning of the old beachfront washroom building in 2021.  

With the support of Vale Canada by way of a Community Improvement Grant, the City of Port Colborne is installing two new accessible mobile washrooms. The work to construct and install the new washrooms began in March to ensure they are ready for the 2023 summer season.  

Through ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP), a seasonal installation site was chosen at the front of the beach entrance to maintain zero impact on the endangered Fowlers Toad habitat found throughout areas of Nickel Beach. This location required the removal of 12 trees, however any trees removed will be replaced with new plantings of native species through the City’s annual tree planting program.  
New Parking

Due to a request from the MECP, parking on the beach will not be available this year to accommodate the habitat and breeding grounds for the Fowler’s Toad, an endangered species in Ontario.  

In late February, Port Colborne City Council approved the construction and expansion of parking lots to accommodate visitors to Nickel Beach for the 2023 summer season. With 260 new parking spaces, there will be even more space for visitors to park and enjoy the beautiful sandy shores of Nickel Beach this year.  

Given parking on the beach will not be available in 2023, to ensure local side streets are not overcrowded with visitors to the beach, the City will be encouraging local residents who plan to use street parking near their homes to display their PORTicipate pass on their windshield. Cars parked on the streets near Nickel Beach without a visible PORTicipate pass will be ticketed pending an updated parking by-law. We are committed to ensuring local side streets are not impacted by this change to parking arrangements. 

The City is working closely with key stakeholders to complete these upgrades, including the MECP, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, biologists from LCA Environmental, and landowners Vale Canada for working together to develop a site construction plan that keeps safety, accessibility, and the environment at the forefront of this project.  

 We look forward to welcoming everyone back for another great season. See you soon for some fun in the sun! 

Picture of a resident PORTicipate pass
PORTicipate Pass

 (Port Colborne residents only): FREE

Register for your PORTicipate Pass

 

Parking Passes

There is no beachfront parking in summer 2023.

Rates for parking: 

Monday to Thursday

  • Reserved parking – $40 per car
  • First-come first-served parking
    • Free for Port Colborne residents with a PORTicipate pass
    • $20 per car without a PORTicipate pass

Friday to Sunday and Holidays

  • Reserved parking – $50 per car
  • First-come first-served parking
    • Free for Port Colborne residents with a PORTicipate pass
    • $30 per car without a PORTicipate pass

Season Passes

  • Seven days a week with dedicated parking – $350
  • Monday – Thursday without dedicated parking space – $100
  • More information about the Season Pass option will be available in the coming weeks. 

All parking options will be for the parking lot near Nickel Beach and walk-on access will be available at no extra cost. 

Accessible parking is available in parking lot D with a valid accessible parking permit

2023 Seasonal Hours of Operation (Parking Lot Access)

Victoria Day weekend to Labour Day 

Monday - Sunday (including holidays) 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.  

No beach/park access, including walk-on access, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily during operational season

Note - Beach may open on weekends from Labour Day into October annually, please monitor online ticketing system for availability.

 

Labour Day to Victoria Day weekend

Walk-on access is open to the public Monday - Sunday at all hours

SplashTown Niagara Inflatable Waterpark

Note: The SplashTown Niagara inflatable waterpark at Nickel Beach operates independently of the City of Port Colborne. 

Purchase your SplashTown Niagara Splash Pass

Nickel Beach Code of Conduct

Please respect our facilities; help us maintain a clean, safe, secure, and positive atmosphere for all by following the code of conduct and respecting other patrons and staff.

 

  • The City of Port Colborne has a ZERO TOLERANCE FOR VIOLENCE OR HARASSMENT
  • Show respect to other patrons, and staff - treat everyone with courtesy and consideration
  • Bullying, or causing a disturbance, in any form, is not acceptable and will not be tolerated
  • Respect the property - horseplay, damage or vandalism of any kind is prohibited
  • Be fully responsible for your actions and understand that irresponsible behaviour may result in disciplinary action
  • Please report any inappropriate behaviour to City staff, security, or the Niagara Regional Police

 

Any violation is considered a breach of this Code of Conduct.

 

Individual(s) that breach the Code of Conduct will be subject to immediate expulsion from the facility at which the beach occurs, with the potential for further suspension from Nickel Beach and surrounding campus.

Rules & Regulations

Refusal of Entry & Ejection

The City of Port Colborne reserves the right to refuse entry or eject any patron (resident or non-resident) that are found:

  • Upselling, transferring or selling daily parking passes or residential PORTicipate passes
  • Falsifying information in order to manipulate fees for access
  • Setting up external speaker systems and/or playing music at excessive and disruptive levels
  • Engaging in disruptive or abusive behavior towards staff, security, or any other member of the public which contravenes the Nickel Beach Code of Conduct
  • Driving dangerously
  • In possession of prohibited items
  • Engaging in any activity that may be found harmful to the natural environment
  • Lighting fires
  • Launching motorized watercraft from the beachfront
  • Camping on the beachfront

Waste Management

Beachgoers are reminded to be respectful of their environment. Please use the waste receptacles provided for acceptable items only. All leftover charcoal or propane tanks are the responsibility of the user to dispose of. Anyone found littering or leaving prohibited barbecue waste are subject to fines.

 What you can bring to the beach
  • Wagon or cooler on wheels
  • Personal hand sanitizer
  • Sunscreen
  • Towels
  • Water toys
  • Water, snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks
  • Umbrellas for shade
  • Personal BBQs (propane or charcoal)

    We ask that you dispose of any waste accumulated during your beach visit in the receptacles provided.

What not to bring to the beach
  • Alcohol
  • Drugs
  • Cigarettes and vaping devices. All beaches in Niagara are smoke and vape free.
  • Pets (with the exception of registered service animals)
  • Motorized watercraft,
  • Any type of tent/shade structures that are enclosed, or that exceed a 10x10 footprint.
  • Large external speaker systems

Is Lake Erie safe for swimming?

During the summer months, beaches along Lake Erie are safe to swim in. If the water is unsafe to swim in, Niagara Region Public Health signs will be posted at the entrance of the beach.

Beaches are unsafe for swimming when the water contains levels of bacteria that may increase a bather's risk of developing a variety of irritations and infections. Most common are minor skin, eye, ear, nose and throat infections and occasional stomach disorders. Sometimes a beach may be posted unsafe because of floating debris, oil, scum, excessive weed growth, bad odors and general turbidity.

Niagara Region Public Health will post the status of local beaches every Friday during the summer.

To obtain information on the status of beaches in the Niagara Region call 1-888-505-6074, ext. 7789.

Check the latest beach status!

 

Accessible Parking

Accessible parking is available in parking lot D and visitors will need to have a valid accessible parking permit displayed.