By John Moore, Columnist
My wife and I have been swimming regularly in Kearney Lake this summer. On a recent Friday we decided to go to Maskwa as we thought it would be ok to swim there. The coaches however said we could not as it was the last day of programs, and we should go to the public beach. I was not going to argue with her as her firm stance got my attention. Good on her! A friend of mine was just coming in on one of the safety boats. He was testing the water as part of the new HRM lake management initiative but unfortunately his sensor was not working. We had been meaning to get together for lunch, so we teed up a time to meet later that day. We then went for our swim at the public beach.
Later, my friend picked me up and we decided to head to the new Tap room in the Brookline Plaza. On the way, we decided to go to Belle Road to check out the construction repair job on the culvert that had been damaged by the recent floods. We noticed the sign posted said open to local traffic only. We went through the temporary side road easily enough and went to the Blue Mountain trail entrance. We checked out the repair job and thought there should be an update by someone as many people like to go hiking in that area. As it stands now, the public is not allowed to go hiking there.
We then made our way into the new subdivision of Brookline. Many new houses have been built of all shapes and sizes. We soon came across the new parking lot reserved for hikers wanting to use the newly constructed trails in that area. I was amazed the parking lot was empty and could easily accommodate fifty or so vehicles. We explored further along in the subdivision, impressed with all the new construction taking place. We parked our car and decided to go for a brief hike. The trail entrance began with a solid wooden bridge. The trail itself was well constructed but still needed work done. Unfortunately, parts of the trail were damaged by the recent flooding including some bridges. This trail when completed will make a great alternative as an entrance to the Blue Mountain trails.
Back in the car, we made our way further along and eventually to the Blue Mountain subdivision. We were amazed as this is now all connected. We then made our way to Larry Utech Boulevard and went through the impressive new roundabout by the new school on one side and the large new apartment building called the Rooks on the other. We came to the second new roundabout by the Brookline subdivision with the Irving Service Station on one side and the Brookline Plazas and large apartment building on the other. This new area is like a city within a city, and it is all shining and brand new. What a place to call home. We then made our way to the Tap room which was our original plan. The owner of the place greeted us warmly and knew right off the bat we were first timers. There was a large chart of the beers they offer on the wall, and he went through them from the milder ones to the left and stronger and fruitier ones to the right. No food is served but you can bring in your food from other nearby restaurants if you wish. They do serve snacks. The ambiance was great, and it was just like being in a neighborhood pub with lots of laughter and good bantered chatter. They have entertainment several times a month and recently had a comedy night. We were reluctant to leave but are heartened by the fact we now know where it is and will be back. That goes for the rest of Brookline as well. Great to see such a thriving new community arising in our midst. Happy September!
Photo credits to: https://www.brooklineconnection.com/history/Subdivisions.html
