Hub Staff

A five-year lease agreement between the Town of Saugeen Shores and the Harbourlite Restaurant failed during the April 25 Committee of a Whole meeting after Councillor Dave Myette brought to light an agreement over washrooms, made “20 years ago”, by the then Town of Port Elgin and the Harbourlite Restaurant.

The Lease agreement required Harbourlite owners, the Johnstons, to build an accessible washroom. Decades ago the Johnstons had a washroom facility in their establishment but the Town requested an encroachment on their property to build the current Harbour Masters Office and public washrooms, according to Myette. “[The Johnsons are] going to be under the gun for the renovation to the tune of 20 to 30 thousand dollars or more, to build an accessible washroom, where they had washrooms before that were closed because of the Town’s requirements for the space,” Myette said. “I’ve confirmed this with the CAO [Doug Court] and the Mayor at the time [John Van Bastelaar], and they were taken aback that this has taken place. And I'm quite taken aback and I don't think that we’re operating in the spirit of the agreement that was made.”

Myette said it was unfortunate that the documentation surrounding the old agreement doesn’t exist - or couldn’t be produced - to truly explain the conditions. Myette then mentioned that the reason for the Public Washrooms not being accessible to the public has never been explained to him. “That washroom is no longer going to be available to the restaurant patrons, who are essentially the public,” Myette stated. “They're closing the public washroom, we’re having the owners of the facility instal a private washroom, which I’m afraid will, by de facto, become the public washroom.” Myette added that he did not think it was a carriage of justice.

Waterfront Committee member Mike Myatt said the committee has had no discussion about closing the public washrooms, adding that it was, “news to me”.

Director of Parks and Recreation, Jayne Jagelewski was in attendance and shed light on the public washroom situation. “This falls into a bigger spectrum of what we’re looking at with the harbour. The long term capital forecast identifies a need to build an addition or new Harbour Master’s Office and new washroom facilities,” Jagelewski said. She went on to say that the Saugeen Shores Harbour has “little to no amenities that we can promote to boaters coming to the area,” boaters who, Jagelewski said are familiar with the concept. “So certainly our vision is to have a boaters only washroom.” She went on to say that the Town has no intention of closing down the existing washroom to the public until a new facility is created, for the public as well as boaters.

Councillor Neil Menage, was happy that Councillor Myette brought forth this “11th hour revelation” to Council, and suggested a meeting between the former CAO and former Mayor, Court and Van Bastellar, with current CAO, Larry Allison. “Maybe we should look at it in a different light, and I would hope that once again we are more compassionate than officious,” said Menage.

The vote for the recommendation for the five-year lease failed 5 to 4. The Johnsons were present during the discussion and were shocked by the outcome.