Wilderness Discovery resort doubtful to open in 2017: rotary president

The head of a Thunder Bay service organization that's attempting to re-open a unique wilderness facility for people with disabilities says it's doubtful they'll be able to get it up and running in 2017.

Bob Hookham, the president of the Fort William Rotary club, has been spearheading efforts to secure, from the province, the land on Lake Shebandowan where the Wilderness Discovery Resort is located.

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Until the group gets the land, Hookham said nothing else can happen.

"Once that's done, we can start doing some fundraising and when the fundraising's completed we can look at doing the renovations," he said.

"To say that can be done and have everything open for the summer of 2017 .... in my mind, it's impossible, perhaps the fall."

Until we get an agreement, our hands are tied-Bob Hookham

In order to start fundraising, Hookham said a non-profit corporation needs to be established, and charitable status secured — processes that could take six months.

Hookham's talks with the province involve working with the office of Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro to try and secure an agreement with Infrastructure Ontario — the crown corporation responsible for land and facilities owned by the province — to buy or lease the 2.75 hectare plot.

"Until we get an agreement, our hands are tied," he said.

The resort closed after HAGI Community Services for Independence let its lease expire on the property in 2015, citing high operating costs.

'It's dramatically overgrown'

One reason the 2017 season is in jeopardy, even if an agreement is reached soon, is the amount of work the retreat needs, Hookham said.

The resort sitting idle through 2016 and most of 2015 hasn't helped either, he added.

"It's dramatically overgrown in the two years that it's been idle ... probably at least a week to two weeks work just to bring the property back up," he said.

"Plus all the work that has to be done within the cabins."

The cost to refurbish the camp has been estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.