Goderich is bringing shopping and entertainment to beachgoers right on the sand

Get ready to shop and enjoy some live entertainment right on the beach of Lake Huron this summer.

Goderich, Ont. is boosting its waterfront offerings witha new pilot project aimed at helping local businesses hit by the ongoing pandemic and attractingmore tourists to its beach.

Starting in mid-June, beachgoers will be able to access four to six local retail businesses, plus two watersport rental businesses,that will be set up in wooden huts right on the sand of the town's main beach.

"Imaginelittle wooden huts in sort of a semicircle, creating aclustering of businesses," said Mayor John Grace. "They'll blend in with the waterfront itself in colour and in texture and really create almost like a little entertainment retail centre at the beach."

In addition to retail, Grace said there's an opportunity to bring in live music and entertainment, in a way that would ensure physical distancing.

Grace said the initiative just adds one more feature to an already developing waterfront.

"Our waterfront is quite spectacular and sowe have a unique opportunitythat we can build on and we've jumped in feet first to reimagine what this space could be like."

The project comes as Goderich's iconicboardwalk, whichruns 1.8 km. down the shoreline, nears completion. The boardwalk has been undergoing a revitalization for the past few years.

"Council's vision over the next couple of years is to build on the assets that we have and one of the gems of the community is the waterfront," Grace said.

The pilot project,which is still taking applications from local businesses wanting to participate, is set to run up until Labour Day weekend.

Grace hopes to expand the project in the next few years to add more retail spaces.

Meanwhile, tourists heading to the beach will now have to pay for parking on the boardwalk during the day. Grace said the parking revenues will help fund projects like these that will keep the waterfront a vibrant place to visitin the summer.

"We attract a lot of tourists and we want to be able to give them the very best experience we can. It needs to be clean, it needs to be safe and it needs to be environmentally conscious all the time."