One of the most popular swimming spots in Wellington County may seem a little bit less crowded this summer.
The Grand River Conservation Authority announced Monday that the Elora Quarry will be subject to a maximum daily capacity of 1,300 visitors.
Should people show up at the quarry after 1,300 people have already been let in on any given day, they will be told to try other GRCA parks in the area.
“We’ll be encouraging people to go to other nearby parks – Elora Gorge, Belwood Lake or Guelph Lake,” GRCA spokesperson Cam Linwood said in an interview.
The limit will be enforced via a wristband system. GRCA says the move will increase public safety and decrease humans’ environmental impact on the area.
Overcrowding has been an issue at the quarry lately, as more and more people have discovered it.
Linwood says crowds have been running “well over 2,000” on hot days in recent summers.
There were a few hundred at the park Monday, including Nicole Crawford – a first-time visitor from Toronto.
She said she liked the wristbands as a way to keep crowd sizes manageable, although she wondered what impact the system might have on people making long drives to Elora.
“It would suck to come all the way out here and not get a wristband,” she said.
The park is open through Labour Day, with weekday hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekend hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Alcohol and dogs are not allowed inside.
With reporting by Abigail Bimman
