Citing concerns about liability, the fact that the lands are located in Algonquin Highlands and not in the Township of Lake of Bays, and that they’re privately owned, a majority of Lake of Bays councillors opted to follow municipal staff’s recommendation to end the lease for the Dorset Pavilion Community Park with land owner Don Tapscott.
At its July 11, 2023 meeting, councillors were told that the municipality entered into the lease agreement in 2021 with the owners for a ten-year period, agreeing to cover the maintenance costs with the owners who purchased the property to ensure it was not developed, and hoped to keep it open to the public.
Tapscott tried to persuade council to stick to the agreement, noting that the community of Dorset is in need of infrastructure and the park brings people together. “Here’s a town that was and still is in trouble. Central store bankrupt, an unhabitable community centre, failed marina, seasonal unemployment, cutbacks in resources, other problems…The good news is in the past year the private sector has stepped in. We got a new owner for the store, terrific pharmacy, great pizza restaurant, rebuilt ice cream shop and lots more. The partnerships and individual groups are critical to this turnaround,” he said. “If we keep the momentum happening, great things can happen.”
Tapscott spoke of the weddings, markets, fundraisers and other community events held at the park, which he said has become integral to the community. He also told council the park had even further potential to grow as a community hub and “become a regional centre to highlight our Indigenous peoples and their heritage.” He also said more infrastructure could be added to the park to attract young people. “Parks are not just places to walk around in, they’re vehicles to bring people together.”
Tapscott also noted that the park across from the Dorset Pavilion Community Park had a very different role to play and spoke of the impact pulling from the agreement would have on an already eroding trust in government.
“We came into this, and we did our part. We made a significant contribution understanding that we were working with people who would abide by their commitments,” he said. “We didn’t want to own a private park and were sure the township would take it over. We want to do it as a partnership where everyone makes a contribution. It was the original understanding and fair to stick with.”
The community through the Dorset Community Partnership Fund raised $120,000 to build washrooms, a pavilion, fencing, and a soccer field. What would happen to the infrastructure with the cancellation of the lease was not clear.
The notion that after the lease the lands would be donated to the municipality was also not confirmed, in fact, Township CAO Bryan Brown told council that in a separate conversation he had with Tapscott he learned there is no such intention.
“At the end of the day, Mr. Tapscott owns this property. And I think that if he wishes to operate a park there, then he should do just that, operate a park there. He can do that, it’s his property. Or if he wants Algonquin Highlands to operate the property as a public park, then he should feel free to either sell the property to them or donate the property to them or enter into a lease with them if they’re interested. Those are the options that make sense to me,” said Township CAO Bryan Brown. “Now we’re running a large corporation, our solicitor recommends that we get out of this lease, our insurer recommends we get out of this lease, your staff recommends you get out of this lease. What more can I say.”
Councillor George Anderson, who represents the Dorset area, said the park is being used by people in the community regardless of which municipality it falls under and said he did not agree with staff’s recommendation.
Councillor Nancy Tapley said council leased the lands many years ago and agreed to lease them again. “It was very obvious that the community wanted the park there, the community raised money to have everything in it… Two years ago, we were very enthusiastic,” she noted.
She referenced similar situations in other areas like the Dorset fire station which is managed by the municipality of Algonquin Highlands on Township of Lake of Bays land. Or the park across from the Dorset Pavilion Community Park, which is managed by both municipalities. “Dorset is absolutely unique. It’s divided down the main street half and half. So you can’t look at it as us and them, you have to look at it holistically,” said Tapley.
According to Town staff, it costs Lake of Bays an estimated $8,000 annually to maintain the park.
“It has to be stated, this is private land,” said Lake of Bays Mayor Terry Glover, adding that it’s private land and it could be sold at any time. He said he hopes Algonquin Highlands will get involved as the property is in that municipality.
Glover said the situation is comparable to someone who owns property and allows people onto their lands but the municipality would be cutting their grass, maintaining their land, cleaning and pumping the washrooms and paying the taxes “and that, as your mayor, I cannot support… cannot suggest for a minute that we can do that on private land,” said Glover. He said the owners of the land “are trying to do good. They’re trying to fix up the town, do what they can for Dorset and I’m agreeing with all the things they said and it’s lovely all the wonderful things they’ve donated and I appreciate all that but it’s difficult to work with our bylaws and our planning and our park consultant—they could get their own and develop it however they want and I believe that they will. Or possibly Algonquin Highland doesn’t have the extreme liability issues around leasing… that could be an arrangement that could be made.”
In the end, while some councillors tried to hit the brakes by asking for a deferral, a majority of council voted to end the lease.
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Margaret Ann Baker says
The Mayor and council seem to spend most of their time worrying about liability instead of servicing the people who vote for them.
It certainly would deter any voter from donating anything to this township. Shame on them.
Dorset needs all the help it can get.
People like Don Tapscott are few and far between these days.
Do they have any idea just how much time and money this man has donated to our area.
Health Hub, Hospital. Maybe they will find out when it stops.