Hope for Municipal golf course
Thunder Bay city council may reconsider a decision to close Municipal Golf Course.
Coun. Andrew Foulds said Monday he’s filing a notice of motion to reverse council’s decision to close the city-owned, nine-hole course.
“Since that original decision was made, (I’ve) received numerous calls from the community,” Foulds said in an interview at city hall Monday night.
“I’ve received emails, I’ve received written correspondence.”
Foulds said a petition calling on the city to keep the course open is also circulating. Jules Tupker of the Save Municipal Golf Course committee said the petition currently has more than 1,800 signatures.
Foulds said he’s filing the notice of motion because, in light of public response, closing Municipal needs “sober second thought.”
It is far from a guarantee, however, that Foulds’ motion will result in the course staying in public hands. It’s actually not even a guarantee that council will debate the matter further.
The notice of motion is to be presented at the Sept. 24 council meeting. Council has to approve tabling of the motion, which is expected at the Oct. 15 meeting.
If councillors accept the motion, they’ll debate the closure of Municipal again. Then they’ll vote, with a majority required to overturn the earlier decision.
Councillors voted in April to close the course after the 2012 golf season, citing revenue shortfalls and declining membership. The city is expected to save about $100,000 per year if the course is closed.
The notice of motion was welcome news to Tupker and the about 100 other committee members who showed up at city hall on Monday afternoon.
“It’s never a victory until we’ve won the war,” said Tupker. “I certainly look at this as a positive thing.”
Committee members held a rally outside city hall before Monday’s council meeting.
Tupker was also hoping to get on Monday’s agenda to make a presentation to council. But council told him that was unnecessary since the matter would be dealt with at the Oct. 15 meeting.
Municipal Golf Course had been discussed by council during a closed session on Monday. The specifics aren’t available to the public, but council did tell the committee that the notice of motion was being filed.
In other business Monday:
• Councillors voted to rezone the space occupied by the Lakehead Labour Centre, changing it from heavy industrial to urban centre, which permits office uses. As a result, Progressive Driving School can continue to run its office at the building.
In a report to council presented Monday, city administration said a complaint was made to the licensing and enforcement division in January about the driving school operating at the Labour Centre, which was prohibited under the previous zoning.
Under the new zoning, the Port Arthur Labour Association — which owns the centre — can develop the property for a wider range of uses, the city said.
• Council voted to amend the city’s zoning bylaw to permit a new four-unit apartment building at 58 N. High St. The area is zoned as urban residential, a report to council states, which allows development of four-unit apartments on corner lots.
The existing single-detached residence now at the site will be demolished.