Swimming and sunbathing were ideal at Grand Bend with its long expanse of pure white sandy beach. We used to make huge rafts of logs thrown up by storms and at the end of our swim pull them well up on the beach. A sand bar a hundred feet or so from the shore helped to moderate the temperature of the water and made swimming relatively safe. In storms the breakers came in long combers which would carry us from the sand bar to the shore, but we had to beware the undertow which was very strong. I well remember the shock of seeing a victim of the undertow dragged ashore by friends and the vain attempts made to revive him by artificial respiration. When a doctor arrived he pronounced him dead.

In a heavy gale it was almost impossible to stay on the beach as the wind whipped up the sand with a stinging force. We used to go down to the pier by the river, however, and watch the breakers dash against it with incredible force. Sometimes a good deal of damage was done, but it was immediately repaired when the storm was over.