View - The Municipality of Lambton Shores

Lambton Shores Mayor and Council,
The Grand Bend Cruising Club would like to draw your attention to the ever increasing issue of safety in
the local harbor and river.
As you are most likely aware we are currently experiencing historic low levels in the Great Lakes. The
low water levels combined with the lack of dredging in the Grand Bend harbor and river are serious
safety issues for boaters. This past season saw numerous groundings; some resulting in minor damage
and others more severe results.
While other harbors and ports along the Lake Huron shoreline dredge on a yearly basis, no dredging has
taken place in Grand Bend in many years. The consensus from the Canadian and United States boating
communities is that Grand Bend is off the list of "Ports of Call" for fear of problems due to the water
depth.
Our harbor is a very diverse and lucrative source of revenue generation for private business, and all
levels of governments. Local business depends on the tourism revenue generated as a result of the
proximity to local retailers, restaurants, and marine related services compared to other harbors. We
think council would agree this issue needs to be addressed immediately to prevent any further revenue
loss.
Grand Bend has one of the greatest beachfronts in the Great Lakes but we prevent it’s accessibility to
transient and local boaters. The transient docks and washroom facilities require refurbishing to
compliment the stunning beach front improvements. The current facilities available to transient boaters
do not promote the image that Grand Bend is a desirable place to visit and ultimately, we are turning
away transient marine traffic.
In the interest of preventing any more boating communities and tourism from leaving or bypassing
Grand Bend, our organization is interested in knowing if there is a plan to address these issues in the
short term. What is council’s long term commitment to the harbour? Council needs to ensure that a
portion of revenues generated from the harbour are reinvested back into the port, and put in place a
sustainment plan and budget for any necessary future actions or requirements.
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