“Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer’s out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets
The sun goes down alone.”
– lyrics from the song ‘Boys of Summer’ by Don Henley of Eagles fame
A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper
Posted August 31st, 2024
It never fails.
There is no reason why this boardwalk in Mel Swart-Lake Gibson Park should have almost nobody walking on it after Labour Day. Summer is still here. Photo by Doug Draper
Every year at this time, as we come up to the last five or so days before Labour Day, you hear the same line over and over again, coming from radio and television hosts and from many of the people you cross paths with in the community.
The line goes like this; “It’s the end of summer,” and I hear it used in the context of everything from ‘taking one last walk on the beach’, to ‘having one last outdoor picnic or barbecue before putting the lawn chairs away’ and rushing around for last-minute supplies for ‘back to school’.
It is also a line that for this commentator, who spends all winter looking forward to summer and who, once summer comes, goes on wearing shorts until the air gets so chilly that my legs are about to turn blue, drives me crazy when I hear it coming up to Labour Day.
Wearing short pants until it gets too cold might seem crazy too, even if it is my way of defying the coming winter. But crazy or not, I have a News Flash for all of us.
September 1st is NOT the end of summer.
This year the last day of summer is September 21st so let’s not be so quick to say goodbye to our favourite beaches and parks, and pack our short-sleeve shirts away.
The last days of August going into the 1st of September are too early to start singing that Don Henley song about ‘nobody on the beach’ and ‘summer out of reach’.
One of the pleasures of summer is visiting a garden full of sunflowers, herbs and sweet grass, grown each year in Mel Swart-Lake Gibson Park by members of Niagara’s Indigenous community. Photo by Doug Draper
So for as long as I can, I am going to keep wearing my shorts and going back to one of my favourite parks, the Mel Swart-Lake Gibson Conservation Park in Thorold, where I will hike the boardwalk overlooking that scenic body of water where swans swim off shores lined with lush green Cattails and trees.
I hope to see at least some of you there, in your short-sleeve shirts, where we can keep on saying ‘Yes’ to the summer of 2024 for the next 21 days.
It should warm all of us up to know that when the Labour Day weekend is over, summer is still here.
And in that spirit, let me leave you with one of my favourite summer songs by a band named War. You can hear it by clicking on the screen immediately below and I would recommend cranking it up good and loud –
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“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders
Niagara At Large 
Really enjoyed this article. Loved the music too. Made me rethink putting my outdoor furniture away.
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