​Point Clark Boat Club upset with escalating costs for dredging harbour

The Point Clark Boat Club is concerned about the escalating costs to dredge the harbour and the need to complete the work more than once per year due to the design of the retaining wall.

Club president John Newman brought the issue to Huron-Kinloss council at its committee-of-the-whole meeting Monday morning (Jan. 15).

He explained that the boat club has improved the area around the Point Clark Lighthouse and the beach, including the marina and harbour which provide a place to host events, such as the fireworks, and where people take advantage of the benches to enjoy sunsets. The township and the community have benefited from that.

Newman said the construction of the retaining wall at the harbour has posed big challenges for the club.

“With the outside wall now having a hook at the end, it promotes a swilling motion that fills the channel with sand at a rate three times what it was before,” he said. “Last year, we had to dredge three times as opposed to dredging once a year. Plus, the harbour area had to be dredged last year which is a huge task.”

He said another issue is the drainpipe that empties into the harbour, allowing silt and vegetation to grow around the docks.



The Point Clark Boat Club marina and boat launch at the harbour beside the Point Clark Lighthouse

Newman said the actual expenses for 2023 will be $28,746.

The cost of loading dredge material, done by the township, was $5,426.83 (18.8 per cent of the total boat club expenses). With 80 club members, that equates to $67.83 per member.

The club’s dredging costs have increased about $7,000 per year. Per member, that equals $87.50.

“To balance our books, we would need to increase membership dues by $155.33 per year,” said Newman. “That would be a 71.7-per-cent increase over the current $200 membership dues.”

He said the township downloaded the cost of loading dredge materials without any consultation with the boat club, increasing its overall expenses to $28,000 from $20,000.

“The extra $5,000 represents one-quarter of our total 2022 expenses,” he said. “We expect an added $3,000 for clearing the channel to keep operating. This is the perfect storm for a not-for-profit organization.”

He said the membership dues would jump to $355 from $200, and the club would lose members as it is forced to increase its rate to the highest level from Pine River to Kincardine.

“No matter what the outcome, this is not sustainable for the Point Clark Boat Club,” he said.



The Point Clark Boat Club marina and boat launch at the harbour beside the Point Clark Lighthouse

Newman said the club is considering some possible solutions, such as a one-time fund-raiser to generate $12,645; raising the membership dues over two years; and setting up a Friends of the Harbour membership.

He said the township could consider raising its annual donation to the boat club to offset the loading expense; reconsider charging the boat club for the cost of loading the dredge material; or consider a one-time $5,000 donation to give the township and the club a year to explore, and possibly solve, the dredging issues caused by the design of the retaining wall.

At the meeting, Newman proposed another solution: having council endorse the dredging work in May which would then need to be approved by other regulatory bodies.

Council agreed to bring that proposal for discussion at the Feb. 5 meeting.

It was also agreed to refer the matter to staff for a report back to council.