Picton’s Marina will re-open under municipal management following the termination of a sub-lease agreement with  a third-party operator. Council voted in February to end its sublease agreement with Tenacity Capital. 

The lease was supposed to extend through to the end of 2025, but a communication breakdown between municipal staff and Tenacity led to the early termination. 

The County leases Picton Harbour Marina from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources. 

Council approved some changes to the Municipal Fees and Charges By-law to off-set some of the operational costs of the boat launch. 

Those fees include parking charges, which now match fees at other municipal boat launches, such as the Wellington Harbour boat launch.

 It will cost $10 to park a regular vehicle, $20 to park a vehicle with a trailer, $50 for a resident season parking pass and $100 for a non-resident parking pass. 

Parking space at the Picton Harbour is limited. There are just two spaces for vehicles with trailers, four regular parking spaces, and two staff parking spaces. 

There are 14 slips, including 11 for seasonal rental at a fee of $1,700 and three short-term slips at a flat rate of $20 for up to four hours or $2 per foot for overnight use.

The municipality is also charging a $5 fee for staff-supervised boat launching in Picton. 

The fees were welcomed in a deputation from Michael Jowett, a boater who has used the marina for almost 40 years. 

He noted the fees will “help offset the ever-increasing costs associated with running that property. At other launch ramps people are expected to contribute by paying to park,” he said.

He also recommended creating a designated accessible parking space. “On more than one occasion I’ve seen some people with mobility issues who had a hard time navigating, even though it’s a well looked after property.” Councillor Kate MacNaughton said she would consult the Accessibility Advisory Board. 

Supervisor of Environmental Services and Sustainability Albert Paschkowiak noted, “we will likely be returning with more reports in the future to talk about optimizing as we learn lessons in the initial operation of the site.” 

Staff anticipate that the marina will still operate at a small loss this season. Services will also be scaled down. County staff will review the summer operations when the season is over to plan for next year.