Sarnia’s waterfront is worth more than $11,667 a month

On the surface, the report coming to Sarnia City Council on November 17 looks like a simple win. The City’s staff are recommending we extend the management contract for the […]

On the surface, the report coming to Sarnia City Council on November 17 looks like a simple win.

The City’s staff are recommending we extend the management contract for the Andrew S. Brandt Marina with the current operator, Bridgeview Marina. In exchange, Bridgeview has offered to increase the guaranteed annual payment to the City from $110,000 to $140,000.

That’s a 27% raise. Everyone should be happy, right?

Not so fast.

This is a classic case of missing the forest for the trees. The issue isn't the 27% raise. The issue is that we are once again being asked to approve a sole-sourced, non-competitive contract for one of the most valuable public assets in Sarnia.

Bridgeview has been operating the marina since 2006. Think about that. Our City Council has not seen a single competing bid for how to run our marina, what to pay for it, or how to improve it in nearly two decades.

But let's talk about the money, because that’s where this "good news" story falls apart.

That new, higher rate of $140,000 a year? That works out to $11,667 a month.

Let that sink in.

We are leasing our entire, prime, waterfront marina—a massive piece of public infrastructure with a licensed restaurant, fuel docks, and hundreds of slips—for less than the rent of a single, mid-sized commercial business on London Road.

It’s paltry.

This isn’t just some random building. This is the crown jewel of our waterfront. And we are, by all appearances, leaving an incredible amount of money on the table.

Now, I can hear the counter-arguments already. The staff report calls the relationship "successful". It notes that Bridgeview has made $366,500 in capital investments since 2019.

Let’s look at those investments. They include upgrades to the Dockside restaurant deck, new spiles for boater slips, and a new shuttle van for boaters.

These are not public gifts. These are investments in their own business operations. They are the necessary costs of running a marina and a restaurant, the same way a pizza place has to buy a new oven.

The question isn't whether Bridgeview is a "bad" operator. The question is: Is this the best possible deal for the citizens of Sarnia?

And the answer is: We have no idea.

We don't know if another operator would have offered a $250,000 annual guarantee. We don't know if another group would have proposed a 60/40 profit split instead of 50/50. We don't know if a different partner would have a more exciting, community-focused vision for public access, events, and amenities.

We don't know, because we've been afraid to ask. Or maybe we have city council leadership and a mayor who doesn't have the vision to improve or grow anything at all. It seems to me that the entire group of them just love to sit on their thumbs and say yes or no to whatever staff is recommending to them.

This is where public accountability comes in. The job of City Council is not to rubber-stamp a "predictable revenue stream". Their job is to ensure the public is getting maximum value for its assets.

The only way to do that is through an open, transparent, and competitive public process.

Council should thank Bridgeview for their 19 years of service, reject this sole-sourced extension, and direct staff to issue a public Request for Proposals for the 2027-2031 contract.

It’s time to find out what our waterfront is really worth.