Halton police seek one more year at their Bronte Harbour marine base while Oakville waits to buy the harbour lands from Ottawa

What was recommended

A report from Chief Stephen Tanner on the Halton Police Board's September 24 agenda asked the board to approve a lease of 2340 Ontario Street in Bronte Harbour from the Town of Oakville, at an annual cost of approximately $20,288 plus taxes and additional rent, and to authorize the chair to sign a one-year extension running from November 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027. The premises serve as the Marine Unit's base office and as the Bronte Village community office.

According to the report, the Town has not increased the base rent for the renewal and there will be no increase to minimum or additional rent over the proposed term. The board's decision will be recorded in the minutes of that meeting, which were not yet published when this article was written.

Why only one year

The short term is the Town's choice, not the police service's. The report says the Town advised that it is still in the process of trying to acquire the underlying Bronte Harbour lands from the federal government, and that until that happens it is unable to enter into any long-term agreement. The Town therefore proposed a further one-year extension on the same terms and conditions.

The service has occupied space in the Bronte Harbour building since September 2008, first under a lease with The Marina Group, which itself leased the property from Halton Region. On April 14, 2018 the Region transferred its interest in the harbour lands, which are owned by the Government of Canada, to the Town, and the police lease moved to the Town on the same rent. It has been renewed in short increments since: to October 2020, then to October 2022, with an amendment in November 2021 that added 368 square feet and year-round vessel storage at the marina.

Key facts

Why the police want to stay

The report describes the Bronte Outer Harbour location as ideal: close to both the Oakville and Burlington harbours, with ready access to Lake Ontario, enough office space for the marine officers and a small boardroom, and good visibility and response times for search and rescue. The alternative, it says, would be to reduce the level of marine service in the Bronte and Oakville area, because there is no other leasable space on the water in either harbour and waterfront properties for sale are beyond the current capital budget for marine facilities.