Frank Csaki, 80, has started his mornings on the water for the past 60 years.
Now he, along with other boaters, are frustrated because the borough council torpedoed a new marina project.
“I’ve lived in Pierrefonds since 1967, so I’ve lived though a lot of disappointments. This is just one more,” he lamented.
The current marina has a boat ramp, a boarded up building and a picnic area on the waterfront.
“I understand fully the challenges the boaters may have at this current moment,” said Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis.
“We had the opportunity for them to use the docks in the past. This is an exceptional situation so I ask for them to be patient.”
The new marina was supposed to be completed by next year, but it was stalled and there’s no solid plan to say when it will go ahead.
The initial $3.1 million estimate ballooned to $4.7 million.
“It’ll happen. It’s just going to happen a little differently, but the responsible choice was to reject it under the current circumstances,” said Beis.
The project included a chalet, a beach volleyball court, fishing piers and bike paths.
“I don’t need a marina. I just need a wharf,” said Csaki.
“I don’t need a restaurant. I don’t want to come eat here. I train here.”
Tsipy Hochman uses the launch for her speedboat and says it’s a big challenge just to get in and out of the water.
“We are trying to do our best to get on the boat, but if we bring our grandkids we have to pick them up and it’s much harder,” she said.
Hochman said she’s upset that Pierrefonds-Roxboro took the old dock out without immediately building a new one.
“The summer is so short and it’s not right to do that. They took it off and then we are left with nothing,” she said.
The new marina was supposed to be finished next year, just in time for Montreal’s 375th birthday.
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