I have just had a chance to see the proposed agreement between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Town of Parry Sound. It looks like a win-win and requires me to revise my initial comments after reviewing last week’s council meeting minutes. (Note: It’s always a good idea to check the source documents when they are made available.)

My reading of the agreement indicates that Big Sound Marina will be transferred to the Town for a nominal sum, $1.00. In addition the Federal Government will provide the Town with a grant of about $1.3 million to pay for the necessary improvements to the marina.

The Town has certain obligations to keep the marina operating for a defined period of time that will with time hit our taxes, but will probably be paid for indirectly by the increased traffic in Town. Overall then, I think it’s a win for the Town. I’m not happy subsidizing rich boaters at the expense of our local community but it seems that this is not the case here.

I would like to congratulate Staff and Council for getting this deal done. With Big Sound Marina under direct Town control I look forward to seeing the bigger vision and plan for the waterfront.