West Nipissing’s municipal council decided to sell Cache Bay Trailer Park, however, the park will open for the 2023 season, beginning in May. Usually, the municipality leases the trailer park to an operator, but that contract was not extended, so the municipality will take over running the facility for the upcoming season.
Rising maintenance costs were a prime motivator to sell the land. This year alone, municipal staff estimated it would cost $226,000 to implement all of the necessary upgrades. One of the largest expenses is the pool on site, which has fallen into disrepair. On top of this, staff estimate another $90,000 in maintenance costs will be required over the next eight years, so by 2031, the municipality would be out $316,000.
To operate the park this season, the cost will be around $89,000, staff estimate.
Staff are also awaiting direction from council as to how to go about selling the property. One option is to undertake a preliminary environmental assessment of the property, then have the land appraised and offer sale with that appraised value as the minimum bid. Another option is to sell “as is, where is,” and the municipality “would provide no undertaking or warranties as to any matter or thing pertaining to the property,” staff outlined.
The park is about 8.5 acres on the shore of Lake Nipissing. The property is located within a larger parcel of land—around 226 acres—spanning the north shoreline of Cache Bay. Specifically, the park is comprised of part of lots 9, 10 and 11 in Concession 1, Springer Township. The land has close to 500 feet of water frontage.
In 1972, Goulard Lumber Limited sold the land for $20,000 to the Town of Cache Bay, and the town built the park and ran it until 1981. The town then leased the park to an independent operator. It was around this time the swimming pool was installed, as well as some other park upgrades.
“The lease changed hands a few times” through the 80’s, explained Jay Barbeau, West Nipissing’s chief administrative officer. In 1990 an operator took over and ran the park until 2015. However, “since 2016 the park has been operated under the terms and conditions of two separately issued Requests for Proposal, the successful bidder of which was the same individual.”
Last year, council decided not to renew that lease for 2023. Although the park will remain open this year, only seasonal sites will be available. No overnight or short term camping will be allowed to make it easier on municipal staff to administer.
Council will decide on how to sell the property at an upcoming meeting.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
