Glen Echo Park was a naturist club opened in 1955 by Marie and Eddie Todorowsky in King, Ontario."Seniors Shed Shyness Along With Clothes", Kitchener Record, April 8, 1997 (pay site). When it closed in 2009, it was the oldest nudist camp in Ontario.Robyn Doolittle, "Interest sags in nude retreats", Toronto Star, June 4, 2007. The camp featured a children's swimming pool, a playground, a five-unit motel and a shower area. In 1974, a clubhouse was constructed for complete year-round use.
In April 2009, after years of trying to sell the camp to nudists, the owners sold the property; in August 2009, it was announced that the camp would close down in October 2009 as it was bought by a private buyer for personal use.Robyn Doolittle, "Nudists are losing a place to hang out", Toronto Star, August 28, 2009.
The announcement that the club would close effective October 1, 2009 only gave members about a month's notice. The news of the sale and closure came as a surprise to the membership because they had been given repeated assurances that the park would be sold to someone who would maintain it as a nudist club. Because some had significant investments in elaborate cabins that could not easily be moved, many members felt betrayed.
Members fought to keep the park open."Nudists to appear at hearings to fight for homes in southwestern Ont. park", Canadian Press in Canadaeast.com (Brunswick News), September 28th, 2009. A September 2009 Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) ruling gave the members an additional year before they would be required to vacate.Ian Robertson,"Nudists covered for a year", Toronto Sun, September 29, 2009. This ruling was subsequently overturned when the LTB ruled the act did not apply.LTB Member Berkowitz's orders of Jan 2010 and Jan 2011
References
External links Glen Echo Park (archived site) History of Glen Echo Family Nudist Park