Thunder Bay to close Municipal Golf Course
Closure translates into $200,000 in savings for the city
Thunder Bay’s Municipal Golf Course will close this fall after councillors voted Monday night to shut down the nine-hole course to save money.
Andrew Foulds voted against the closure because he said it represents a gradual erosion of city services.
"Tonight, we're talking about golf. Next week we're going to be talking about bike lanes," Foulds said. "In the future, we're going to be talking about the conservatory. I'm really concerned about where we're heading."
The majority of councillors wanted to reduce the city's expenses, including Rebecca Johnson, who said the city can't afford to pay for non-essential services.
"We have to really figure out how we're going to manage all of the things we really want to keep in the community because — ladies and gentlemen — we can't do it anymore," Johnson said.
Johnson said she'll ask council before the next budget to consider shutting down both Chapples and Strathcona courses.
City staff will report to council in September on the best way to close Municipal at the end of the 2012 golf season.
The last swing
- Closing Municipal Golf Course has been talked about for years.
- The move will represent savings of about $200,000 per year for the city.
- The union says Municipal was the last course to make money, back in 2003.
- A total of four staff will be affected — two full time, one seasonal worker and one student.
- Very little capital work was done on the course in the last few years.
- Municipal is the second-oldest course in the city. It started in 1909 and was operated by the Fort William Merchants Association.
- The city will likely sell the land once the golf course closes.
- The course is located outside of city limits, in Oliver Paipoonge Township.