Jack Pine Hill for sale?

Jack Pine Hill could be on the sales block, despite assurances to the contrary from deputy mayor Peter Chirico.

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority, which owns and runs the hill, has a $3.2 million debt underwritten by North Bay city council.

And it will be looking at selling its assets, including Jack Pine, to retire the debt.

If the ski hill was to be sold, said authority secretary-manager Brian Tayler, “the idea would be to get it into the hands of an operator, because the community has said it wants a ski hill. But all options are on the table because of the large debt.”


Dismal
Authority board members did not attend Thursday’s budget meeting, and were asked by council to come at a later date once a plan had been developed to deal with the $3.2 million debt.

“Does ‘dismal’ ring a bell,” Chirico said, when asked about the authority’s financial situation.

“They have one heck of a challenge ahead of them to deal with the issues that they have, but let’s face it, debt retirement plans with funding from municipalities are never going to cure those evils.


The authority, Chirico said, must start selling its assets, “and that does not mean the ski hill, let me make that perfectly clear.”

It definitely means the interpretive centre atop the hill, Chirico said.

Very long tunnel
Tayler said the authority is a provincial organization and there are rules to follow when it comes to asset sales.

“We’re governed by the Conservation Authority Act, which dictates what we can and cannot do,” Tayler said.

“Each property is different, so we’re exploring the possibilities.”

While the situation isn’t great right now, Tayler admits, he does see light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s a very long tunnel, though, and this is going to be a critical year for us in coming up with a restructuring plan that can be implemented, and everything is being looked at.”