Spring is just around the corner and usually, around this time, members at the Otterburn Park Canoe-Kayak Club would be preparing for summer activities.
This year, though, the organization may need to find a new home because, according to them, the city of Otterburn Park, south of Montreal, is withdrawing support.
“They threw us this eviction notice saying, ‘you guys have to be out in five days,'” club board member Yves Richer told Global News.
That notice was delivered on March 3, Richer said.
The organization has been around since 1921 and has members in four towns: Beloeil, McMasterville, Mont-Sainte-Hilaire and Otterburn Park.
According to Richer, the club executive gave its property and buildings to the city in 1965. In exchange, the city is supposed to support the club with housing and maintenance costs.
“So this has been the basis of the agreements for the last 40 or 50 years,” club executive member Bob Matthey said.
He added that there have been modifications every five or so years when the contract is renewed. The current five-year contract ended on March 3.
However, at a mid-January meeting, city officials provided new information, Richer said.
“Stating that the cost of the building was something like $80,000 a year, like four times what was said in the previous agreement and that we would need to be paying our share,” he said. “Then on January 31st, we received an agreement that was nothing negotiated. This what we needed to sign.”
Matthey said in that agreement the club would now be required to pay for the space.
“The cost that they were asking us to cover was at least $25,000 a year,” he said. “That cost would make our sport no longer accessible.”
Richer, who negotiates with the city on behalf of the club, said that they didn’t sign the agreement, but instead tried to get answers from the city.
“The issue is that we don’t understand the reason behind this,” he said.
He stressed that the club members aren’t asking for anything special — just that the city honors the 1965 agreement.
Global News reached out to Otterburn Park city officials for comment.
In the meantime, club members are hoping the city will change its mind.
“No, no, we’re not gonna move out,” Richer said. “I mean, this is our place!”
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