Centre Wellington councillors are going with the flow and moving forward with an access agreement for a local entrepreneur to provide river raft rides on the Grand River between Fergus and Elora.
On May 29 council endorsed a commercial access agreement at Confederation Park in Fergus and Bissell Park in Elora.
The move followed a report from Centre Wellington’s managing director Brian Detzler and a presentation by Ken Thompson, owner/operator of Elora Raft Rides (River Bug Adventure Trips).
Thompson’s River Bug Adventure ride is based upon new-to-North-America tubing vessels that allow single-seated participants to manoeuvre and have some control in steering the vessel.
Thompson approached the municipality recently to request access in Confederation Park and Bissell Park for accessing the river and setting up departure/check in and landing areas to service his patrons.
During his presentation Thompson explained his research and planning for this project to ensure its safe operation.
Details of the agreement and payment schedule are as follows:
– operating days may be scheduled each week in May and June for two weekend days;
– each week in July and August for two weekend days and two weekday days;
– each week in September for two weekend days;
– daily hours of operation may be 8am to 6pm during 2017;
– the operator may access the property to set up and take down operations prior to and after the normal operating day hours;
– this permission allows the operator on the operating day to carry out only the activities necessary and related for a pay per ride operation;
– upon executing this agreement the operator shall pay to the township a fee of $500 as an administration fee for preparation of this agreement;
– operator shall pay to the township a fee of $5 per ride. The operator is required to track and report in writing the number of riders per month to the township and pay the required fee per rider at the end of each month;
– the operator is permitted to have one vehicle and one trailer necessary to carrying out its activities on the permitted lands on the operating day. The vehicle at no time shall enter onto the grassed areas in the permitted lands.
Special Events
The township reserves the right to cancel an operating day or a portion thereof for events requiring the use of the permitted lands, and shall provide notice to the operator of such cancellation as soon as the date and time of such events have been confirmed.
A financial reconciliation will be completed each month to determine the total fee owing based upon the $5-per-ride fee.
Mayor Kelly Linton quipped that Thompson should get invitations out for councillors to be guinea pigs for the ride.
“We’d all love to do that,” said Linton, who also thanked Thompson for the amount of research done prior to coming to council.
“It makes our job easier,” the mayor stated.
Thompson noted he would be checking water levels each day for safety.
