Fair compromise

Given the myriad of serious issues town council is grappling with, what was the hot-button topic of the past week? Whether or not the town should allow wedding receptions at Sunny Cove Camp.
The underlying question is whether the town should be in competition with private-sector businesses? Paul Noonan, owner of La Place Rendez-Vous, certainly made some very good points in his presentation to council at its meeting last Monday night (March 8), outlining how much his business pays in taxes and for sewer/water services, as well as how many jobs it creates.
But as was noted during the great skate-sharpening brouhaha that erupted here earlier this winter, the town already competes with the private sector by selling gas and ice cream at the Sorting Gap Marina, as well as by renting out facilities (such as the arena and East End Hall) for various functions, ranging from trade shows to socials and, yes, wedding receptions.
Why is making Sunny Cove Camp similarly available any different?
The town purchased Sunny Cove from the local Kiwanis Club primarily to ensure it continues on as a place where youth can enjoy summer and Bible camps. But there are operating costs to contend with, and expenses for upkeep/renovations, which the town owes to ratepayers to cover through revenues generated by renting out the facility when it isn’t otherwise in use.
If family reunions, staff picnics, and perhaps conferences and retreats are allowed there, why not wedding receptions? And frankly, if town council recants and opts to deem wedding receptions taboo at Sunny Cove, what’s to stop a bride and groom from getting married, changing their clothes, and then having a party there under the guise of a “family reunion” or “family get-together?”
One solution council should consider is putting a contract for catering services at Sunny Cove out to tender, say for perhaps a two- or three-year term, which the person renting the camp has to use—no different than the Legion ladies providing the meal if you rent the Legion Hall or the caterer at the Fort Frances Curling Club if you choose to stage your function at that facility.
That way, the town generates income, which, in turn, should reduce the need for more tax revenue (well, in theory, at least), while local businesses can turn a potential negative into an opportunity. Then let time tell if it’s a lucrative venture worthy of a bidding war when the contract comes up for renewal, or a case where everyone will be wondering what all the initial fuss was about.
It may not make everyone happy, but it is a fair compromise between supporting our local business community while offering couples another choice on where to hold their wedding reception.
As one person commented online, at least the money would stay in the district rather than perhaps being spent in Mexico or the Caribbean instead.