Ahead of schedule
Province accelerating payment of capital grant for Mill River Resort
Staff at Mill River Resort hope to be welcoming guests and diners through the resort’s sliding front doors as soon as next Thursday.
Since last fall guests have been entering the resort through a lower level side entrance next to the golf pro shop, while renovations were being carried out to the main entrance, restaurant and bar. That phase of a comprehensive overhaul of the entire facility is nearing completion. The new front desk and a wide and welcoming front lobby, along with a totally redesigned restaurant and bar, are all scheduled to be open by March 29, coinciding with the 2018 launch of the provincewide Burger Love campaign. There’s a lot riding on that, as Mill River, with its Beefy Vixen, is the defending champion of the Burger Love, and the restaurant will be rolling out another contender this year.
Resort manager, Louise Arsenault, said renovations to the whole complex are moving along well ahead of schedule. Besides the new golf pro shop, other components of the renovation project that have been completed include a new conference centre, fitness facility and sports lounge on the lower level and renovations to the aquaplex.
The focus over the winter has been on renovations extending from the new sliding front doors, the front desk, right through to the restaurant and bar.
A new lobby with WiFi has been created across from the front desk, and there’s access to a new gift shop from beside the reception area. A new staircase has been built and the upper and lower levels will soon be accessible by elevator as well. The renovations are progressing so quickly that, for the second time in five months, Treasury Board has approved a change in its Mill River Capital Grant schedule. When Don McDougall’s purchase of the Mill River property from the provincial government was announced in January 2017, the provincial government approved a six-year, $6-million capital grant plan for the property.
Economic Development and Tourism Minister Chris Palmer said the renovations have been moving along so quickly that by the end of the current fiscal year, the provincial government will have paid out all but the final $500,000 of the capital grant. Government also paid $1.8 million towards the purchase price and is providing $1.6 million over six years in operating costs.
Palmer pointed out there is no new money included, just a faster payment of the capital grant.
“They’re getting all the work done faster than we thought, which is wonderful,” he added. “From a private business perspective, the sooner you get it done, the sooner you can generate some revenue from it.”
When it was first built, Mill River was seen as the catalyst for tourism development in West Prince.
“We know the old product was pretty tired. I think it is a great investment for us to breathe new life into that and continue to grow West Prince,” said the minister.
The resort has remained open for accommodations and functions throughout the winter, but some rooms were closed off due to the renovations. Exterior work carried out last year included upgrades to the tennis and pickleball courts, a redesign of the resort’s parking lot and entrance and a relocation of the campground’s entrance to facilitate campground registration at the resort’s front desk.
Later this spring the resort’s rear deck, overlooking the golf course, is going to be replaced with a larger deck.