43.24°N · Lake Huron · Est. 1977
A coastline
kept by its
neighbours.
Stewards of Port Franks Beach since 1977 — a small, volunteer-run association that holds a deed, a budget, and a long-running argument with the wind.
- Established
- 1977
- On Lake
- Huron
- Neighbourhoods
- Five
- Run entirely by
- Volunteers
Looking south · late September
What is the PFBHA?
A community
project, since 1977.
Founded in the summer of 1977, the Port Franks Beach Homeowners Association is a volunteer-led non-profit holding the deed to a private stretch of Lake Huron shoreline. Members raised the funds to buy the beach almost half a century ago — and members are still the ones paying its taxes, insuring it, maintaining it, and handing it forward, season by season.
The Association is governed by a board of ten residents — two from each of Port Franks's five neighbourhoods: Huron Sands, Old Ausable, Port Franks Area, Richmond Park, and Windsor Park. Every director, every committee member, every cleanup crew is a volunteer.
“We protect the ecosystem. We ensure rightful use. We fund the work.”
Our mission
A balance between leisure and an unsteady ecosystem.
Protect
A balance between leisure and ecology, carefully held. The dunes shift; we try not to.
Steward
A privately held shoreline, reserved by deed for the residents of Port Franks. Every guest is our guest.
Sustain
Funds, hands, and patience to keep it running — paid for by a few hundred neighbours, year after year.
The beach
A private
shore, kept.
A privately held shoreline on Lake Huron, deeded in 1977 and cared for ever since by the people who live within walking distance — a working private beach on the Great Lakes, kept by the people who love it most.
Continue reading→
A shelf cloud · mid-afternoon
The lake makes its own weather, and rearranges the sand to match.July 27, 2020
An annual rhythm
The PFBHA year.
Beach Bash
First weekend of summer
Beach Yoga
Through the season
Karaoke Night
July 11 · 8–11pm
Beach Cleanups
Spring · Fall
On stewardship
Port Franks Beach is what scientists call a dynamic beach — an inherently unstable accumulation of shoreline sediment, in conversation with wind and water and the slow, patient breath of Lake Huron.
Aurora over the lake · May 2024
Membership
Join the association.
Membership is open to property owners in Port Franks. The dues are modest, the work is rewarding, and the view is excellent.
Membership details→Annual dues
- One-time initiation
- $100
- Yearly dues
- $85