Amherstburg says legal action possible against Boblo Island developer over ferry service

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 25, 2025 8:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

The Town of Amherstburg says it has enactment the developer of Bois Blanc Island, commonly known arsenic Boblo Island, on announcement that it needs to supply reliable ferry work oregon hazard ineligible enactment from the municipality.

The municipality sought retired ineligible assembly to find retired if it could compel Amico Affiliates to amended the service, said Mayor Michael Prue, who is besides a nonmigratory of the island.

This aft a brace of incidents successful which the ferry was retired of work for aggregate days — raising concerns astir entree for exigency crews and the needs of residents to spell to enactment oregon schoolhouse oregon entree propane for their heating systems. 

"Pursuant to respective improvement agreements betwixt the town, the developer and Boblo Island residents, the developer is liable for providing ferry services to the Island," the municipality said successful a nationalist statement.

"The ferry services are required to conscionable the circumstantial standards acceptable retired successful its agreements with the Boblo Island residents and spot owners."

The island, situated astir 5 minutes by ferry from the mainland, was erstwhile the location of a fashionable amusement parkland and is present the tract of luxury homes and condominiums. 

Back-up ferry retired of service

Residents determination went without ferry work for 4 days successful January, aft the vas suffered harm from dense crystal flows successful the Detroit River, its proprietor said successful an email to CBC astatine the time.

The developer operates a second, smaller ferry that typically serves as a back-up if the larger vas is retired of service. However, the smaller ferry has been retired of work since October of 2023, according to the town's statement.

Amico's vice president of improvement said she could not corroborate the clip framework but acknowledged that the vessel had been retired for repairs for an extended period. 

The institution is besides successful the process of readying a 3rd ferry for service, Cindy Prince said.

Though she said she thought the ferry would person been acceptable for work a twelvemonth ago, she's hopeful it volition beryllium acceptable soon.

Meanwhile, the company operates a tug and barge that tin bring archetypal responders crossed the stream successful an emergency, she said.

The Town of Amherstburg has been asking its lawyers to reappraisal the documents enactment into spot erstwhile Amico acquired the land to spot if they could find grounds to necessitate a back-up conveyance ferry astatine each times, said Prue. 

City has leverage, politician says

"There are a fig of things that person been discovered since past that bespeak that we bash person immoderate leverage," Prue said.

"And that leverage relates to the work of the developer to marque definite that exigency vehicles tin get connected the land astatine each times."

The nationalist connection identifies 2 ineligible commitments it says the municipality had secured from the developer:

1. The ferry work indispensable astatine each times conscionable the requirements of the Ministry of Transportation and the information standards of Transport Canada, including the applicable certification requirements.

2. The ferry work indispensable beryllium provided astatine nary outgo and whenever required by the municipality for administrative, maintenance, emergency, police and occurrence  personnel purposes.

Prince told CBC that Amico's lawyer is reviewing the letter, and the institution volition marque adjustments if necessary. 

"We perfectly person nary involvement successful being astatine likelihood with the assembly for the Town of Amherstburg," she said.

"They brought this interest to our attraction past night."

Ferry relation responds

The ferry has never operated successful contravention of Transport Canada regulations, she added.

The subdivision statement for the land requires Amico to supply a ferry work "on Amico's presumption and conditions," Prince said.

"We perceive to the residents successful presumption of 'How overmuch wealth bash you privation to walk each year? What level of work is an capable level of service?' she said.

"But determination are ever immoderate radical who privation a greater level of work than what the bulk says that they're consenting to wage for."

It consults with the homeowners relation for the land to find what that equilibrium should be.

When asked straight what benignant of feedback the institution received from the homeowner's association, Prince said it was akin to what different residents person said they want. 

"They would similar the caller ferry up and operating arsenic soon arsenic possible, and truthful would we," she said. 

"So we're precise aligned successful what we want. The way to get determination has proven overmuch much challenging than we ever imagined."