A landmark restaurant at the Port Elgin harbour is heading into this summer without a lease.
Saugeen Shores council turned down a proposed five-year lease agreement with the owners of the Harbourlite Restaurant, which has been a fixture of the waterfront for decades.
Councillors voted 5-4 to defeat the lease, primarily over a condition which required the restaurant to construct its own washrooms by the end of this year.
Councillor Dave Myette says the restaurant had its own washrooms up until about 20 years ago, but the Port Elgin council of the day had those washrooms removed in order to expand the adjoining harbour office, allowing the public washrooms at the harbour office to double as the restaurant washrooms.
Myette says it's unfair to turn around and now force the owners to rebuild the same washrooms the municipality had them remove.
He says he will be tabling a motion that will seek to have the lease renegotiated without the washroom provision, or alternatively, have council cover part of the costs of constructing washrooms within the restaurant.
Mayor Mike Smith voted in favour of moving ahead with the lease and says it's unfortunate the disagreement over the washrooms has derailed the agreement, adding he feels the washroom issue should be split from the lease and handled separately to help ensure the Harbourlite is able to open on time for the summer tourism season.
Harbourlite Restaurant owner Joan Johnston was in the council chambers with her husband Tom and declined to speak about the vote.
"I am totally in shock, that's all," says Johnston. "I have nothing to say."
