Boat launch could be coming sooner than later

The push to bring a public boat launch to Oshawa is picking up momentum.

Boaters in the city have not had public access to the waters of Lake Ontario for nearly two decades now.

The old boat launch was closed off when the Oshawa Marina closed in October 2002.

At the time the land was in the hands of the Oshawa Harbour Commission (now known as the Oshawa Port Authority) but was handed back to the city in 2011.

At a recent community services committee meeting, members supported referring discussions on the possibility of developing a new boat launch to 2019 budget deliberations.

The budget is scheduled to receive final approval on Feb. 8.

Resident Larry Ladd, a long-time waterfront advocate and proponent of a new boat launch, spoke to both the committee and council earlier during a meeting on Jan. 17.

Ladd is of the opinion the site of the previous boat launch would be the best spot for a new one, and that it wouldn’t take much money or work to get it done.

“Let’s all work together to see this gem of our waterfront receives the funding needed to move forward with this recreational boat launch this spring, and hopefully operational by Canada Day,” Ladd told councillors.

He added that other locations that have been discussed, such as Bonnie Brae Point or at the end of Park Road or Stevenson Road, would not be appropriate.

“We should use the existing boat launch and the infrastructure that is in place there,” he says.

Ladd has suggested that cutting through a piece of land that extends west from the area of launch would create a perfect entry into Lake Ontario to the south.

He does concede developing a boat launch would require dredging, as soil in the area has received a high amount of contamination over many years.

According to a report finalized by city staff last year, the estimated cost for the dredging is $500,000.

Commissioner of development services Ron Diskey said that estimate was formulated by consulting with the company which performs dredging for the Oshawa Port Authority.

Oshawa director of operation services Mike Saulnier explained the $500,000 estimate could deviate up or down by 50 per cent depending how deep the dredging would be.

Ward 5 regional councillor Brian Nicholson, voiced his frustration that council didn’t have much information in what the possible cost of the boat launch would be.

He said studies have been done over and over.

“The day for studying this is over, what we need is some engineering,” Nicholson said. “We’re not going to build this in the next week, but we need to know there is enough money in the budget to get it done this year.”

Nicholson was further frustrated when told there was no cost estimate at this time for the disposal of the dredged soil.

He said he was tired of hearing the process talked about over and over again.

“All we’re trying to build here is the boat launch, you know, we’re not talking about building the Eiffel Tower.”

Ward 1 regional councillor John Neal agreed, stating that council and the public need to see a business plan.

“If it’s costly, it’s costly, but we need to know, because time is marching on,” Neal said. “It’s too bad we don’t have that business case steadily available so the public can read it. I think the public has to have something in front of them they can either agree or disagree with, or they can comment on.”

Ward 5 city councillor John Gray said it was high time to start moving on the project.

“I think there is frustration in the community that we haven’t done anything,” he said. “At some point we need to show we are serious about the waterfront.”

Gray was clear he did not want to see a temporary boat launch opened.

The fact Oshawa is one the few communities on Lake Ontario without a boat launch is “shocking,” said Ward 2 regional councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri.

He said he is still disappointed the city spent millions of dollars to build a consolidated works depot in 2013 instead of making improvements to the waterfront.

He said the city has the lands and council has the “political will” to make the waterfront a priority.

Ward 3 city councillor Bradley Marks and Ward 1 city councillor Rosemary McConkey both said they’d like to move forward as well, but want input from the Oshawa Port Authority.

Mayor Dan Carter appreciated the enthusiasm some councillors were showing for the idea of the boat launch, but cautioned it wouldn’t happen overnight.

“There is a process of going through the right due diligence…you can’t just go down there willy nilly and do whatever you want,” he said.

Carter said he was not comfortable with creating the message council would just push the project through to get it done as quick as possible.

Diskey agreed, noting any development would require the approval of a number of agencies including the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans.

The commissioner said a number of issues still need to be addressed if the existing boat launch was to be used.

These include parking, and the integrity of concrete of the boat launch ramp.

Diskey noted the remediation of the harbour lands, which are now part of a waterfront park, was an “onerous, drawn-out process.”

“I don’t doubt doing this process will be any more onerous,” Diskey said. “To get this project to completion, it will take some time.”

Ladd told committee members he was frankly tired of coming to speak to them about the issue.

“Spend the money, clean it up, put it in, let’s move forward,” he stated.

Speaking with The Oshawa Express, Ladd said he is optimistic things will move forward.

“I think there is enough interest to put money into the budget,” he commented.

As for the possibility of a full-scale marina, Ladd said its a possibility, but it’s up to council how far they want to go with it, simply stating he wants to see a boat launch first and foremost.