St. Louis Lake plan on the horizon

Short-term lease for yacht club sets stage for Centennial Hall shoreline development

As the city of Beaconsfield has extended property leases with its two private yacht clubs — one for two years and another long-term — it will now seek input on how to revitalize Centennial Hall Memorial Park and improve public waterfront access along St. Louis Lake.

Last fall, Beaconsfield presented a draft of its green space master plan, which excluded Centennial Park and the two yacht clubs since their leases were set to expire at the end of 2018 and new agreements had to be negotiated.

On Monday, city council approved a two-year management contract with the Lord Reading Yacht Club and a similar 15-year deal with the Beaconsfield Yacht Club. Both deals have renewal options built in. While the city owns both properties, each yacht club is run as a members’ association, similar to how many West Island communityrun summer pools operate.

The city acquired the Lord Reading property for $150,000 in 2001. As for the Beaconsfield Yacht Club, the city purchased it in 1966 for $175,000. Both acquisitions were the result of financial shortfalls facing the yacht clubs, Mayor Georges Bourelle noted.

Taking into consideration that its property deal has been extended to 2033 with a renewal option for another five years, the Beaconsfield Yacht Club, on the eastern side of the city, won’t be changing its vocation or be part of a major waterfront overhaul in the coming few years.

“It confirms that the Beaconsfield Yacht Club’s existence will continue for the long term,” Bourelle said of the new contract.

As Lord Reading is adjacent to Centennial Hall Memorial Park, it will most likely be part of a potential legacy waterfront project. The new contract with the city means it will operate as is until at least the end of 2020.

“We are going to take the opportunity, particularly with Lord Reading since it’s a shorter deal, to take a good look at the overall properties that are there, Centennial Park and Lord Reading, which are really together. We want to see what’s in the best interest of Beaconsfield for those two combined properties. At this point, we have not come to any conclusion. We will look at various scenarios.”

Bourelle pointed out everything is on the table for consideration over the next year or two as residents will be consulted and plans will be proposed for a waterfront legacy project.

“This could be a signature project,” he said. “It would be the biggest project that has been undertaken in Beaconsfield since the rec centre (was built). We’re open to all the possibilities.”

With regards to Centennial Hall, it’s been considered outdated for some time and a tight fit as a community space and cultural centre for a city of just over 20,000 residents.

As the original building had been destroyed by a fire and then rebuilt (in the 1940s), the existing Centennial Hall isn’t considered a historical building, Bourelle said. The mayor added that the choice of either expanding or possibly demolishing it to make way for a new structure will be part of ongoing deliberations before a decision is rendered by council in about two years.

About six years ago, the idea of a new cultural centre had been floated by the city, but the project never materialized.

At the same time some residents and even elected officials questioned the city subsidizing the yacht clubs and footing repair bills, consequently demanding these waterfront properties be made open to the general public.

As for future waterfront access plans, the city will seek suggestions from residents, yacht club members as well as city staff and councillors as to what should be done about Centennial Hall Memorial Park or the Lord Reading property.

At the very least, the Lord Reading property should continue to offer a marina or watercraft options. But exactly how it will fit into a revamped waterfront park remains up in the air.

The aim is to make a decision in late 2020 and then implement a waterfront project in 2021, Bourelle said.