Go-kart track owner selling, says he’s All out of fight
It looks like racers at Karters’ Korner in Stittsville might be nearing the final lap.
The Ottawa landmark, which has been open since Canada Day 1980, has been put up for sale.
The property encompasses 76 acres near the intersection of Fallowfield and Huntley roads and was originally constructed and designed as a competitive go-karting track. According to owner Paul Joinette, an avid motorsports fan, the track was inspired by worldrenowned raceway Watkins Glen International in New York state.
The track has hosted several high-level competitions over the years, including the Ottawa Mayor’s Cup of Wishes and the Capital Karting Grand Prix.
While it started out as a labour of love almost four decades ago, the business has become more about the labour only in recent years.
Constant battles with municipal officials over taxes and zoning, unpredictable weather and the recently enacted minimum wage hike have the 71-year-old Joinette ready to see the business wind down.
“I’m done. I have no fight left,” said Joinette.
In particular, the minimum wage hike, coupled with last summer’s torrential rains, have Joinette ready to throw in the towel on his family-run business. He usually employs about 62 people during peak summer months; he says at least 50 of those are students earning minimum wage. This summer, he only plans to bring on 19.
“What made (government) think that this was a good idea?” Joinette asked.
“When a business is just floating ... it’s going to sink.”
He’s not alone in his complaint. Owners of the downtown restaurant the Black Tomato cited the hike in the minimum wage as a factor in their decision to close earlier this year. Several franchises for coffee giant Tim Hortons have announced clawbacks to workers’ benefits in reaction to the wage hike. Other businesses have taken similar measures.
Joinette said his business is a particularly tricky one. It only operates for about three months of the year but needs to make enough money during those three months to cover a full year of taxes and other costs. He said that in every year he has operated, with the exception of one, he needs to take out a loan to cover his early, up-front costs, including salaries for the first few weeks of operations. He then spends the 90 days of decent weather he has during the summer making his money back.
“I’ve spent more than half my life here,” he said. “It hurts.”
Karters’ Korner was one of the earliest go-kart tracks to open in Ottawa and immediately became popular with families. Joinette built a mini-putt course on the property in the mid-’80s to add to the attraction and give family members something to do other than karting.
He’s also tried offering a driving range and paintball at the facility. Those activities weren’t as well received and, as a result, they are both being closed. Joinette said his timing was off for the driving range and paintball. By the time he opened his range, most golf courses in Ottawa had already built one for their customers. The paintball opened amid heavy competition and last year’s wet weather saw it remain under-booked. This year, both will remain closed. Only the go-karts and mini-putt will be open to the public.
The Keller Williams real estate listing for the property indicates the asking price is $3.458 million for the two parcels of land alongside the intersection of Fallowfield and Huntley. According to the listing agent Mitch Gauzas, it’s going to take a specific kind of buyer to purchase the property. He expects that developers will be attracted to the location, since it’s close to the commercial areas of both Stittsville and Barrhaven, fronting on Fallowfield.
Gauzas said he wouldn’t be surprised to see the site bulldozed and turned into some sort of office park or commercial development.
The thought that the muchloved family business could be bulldozed by a new buyer doesn’t sit well with Joinette. He said that when he opened the track, his business-minded friends thought he wouldn’t survive for two years. Now, 38 years later, the track is a landmark in the nation’s capital.
“I’m proud of the fact that people all over know where Karters’ Korner is,” he said. “When we opened, I thought I could make a living and do something good for the community. Realistically, deep down, I realize it’s not going to be here forever.”
Joinette said he will continue operating Karters’ Korner until a buyer can be found for the property.