councillor_morley@toronto.ca , asli.mumin@toronto.ca , matt.cook@toronto.ca , aysha.ahmadjan2@toronto.ca , mohamed.osman@toronto.ca , mayor_chow@toronto.ca , thomas.kakamousias@toronto.ca , johanna.kyte@trca.ca

Hello Counselor Morley and city staff,

I'm contacting you to make you aware of changes I've heard took place at THYC. It seems the previous Commodore of the club has resigned and a new Commodore has been appointed.

I'm sure this change has come about because the club has become aware of my group's activism to have the club's 20 year lease rejected. The club has clearly discovered they do not own the property which they have been privileged to have occupied for the past few decades with complete disregard for TRCA & City of Toronto regulations on land use etc. 

First, I want to say that I'm not convinced this "change" is significant as the previous Commodore still has his boat moored at the club. I feel this move is more in response to the significant evidence of the previous Commodores threatening and aggressive behavior toward the public both on THYC property and the public boat launch south of the property. 

Secondly, the previous Commodore had the support of the majority of THYC members for the past 7 or 8 years as he has consistently been voted to lead the club. The last election was just this past January ('25). This indicates to me the club as a whole agrees with the direction the Commodore chose to take the club in over the past several years. 

I walked the THYC grounds for the first time today and to say it's an eyesore and a scar on the environment in which it sits would be an understatement. The club has used the privacy afforded it by the very narrow band of woodland which hides it from public view to completely destroy the grounds on which it sits. It looks like some sort of "after" picture of a war zone or the spitting image of an industrial waste land. 

With this in mind I want to bring up some of my communications with the "new" Commodore. 

He reached out to me a month or so ago. In response to his first message asking if I would agree to meet with him to discuss my concerns, I outlined my concerns with the club. Rather than addressing my issues head on he used misdirection, disinformation and avoidance.

When I pointed out THYC had almost completely covered the property with hardscape, his indicated TRCA allows that on its lands. He avoided mentioning that TRCA requires a permit before installing hardscapes though, a permit process the club did not undertake. 

He also pointed out the TRCA allows for "crushed stone" to be used as a hardscape (but let's remember, only with a permit), which may be true. But the club used "repurposed asphalt" not crushed stone to cover over what I'm told is their septic field. I have a feeling repurposed asphalt would not be approved by the TRCA.

When I brought up the club clearcutting sections of the woodland to increase storage space for boat trailers, he indicated the woodlands were on their leased property. This may or may not be true but this does not negate the fact the clearcutting was illegal because once again permits are required before doing any such work. Permits the club did not bother getting before doing the work.

Please note, the new Commodore is a club member who voted for the old Commodore and was a member of the board in January. This is important to keep in mind as clearly at that time he was completely aligned with the direction the club has been moving in over the past few years as it has decimated the land on which it sits.

The new Commodore again reached out to me last week asking if I had any concerns with the way the club members are behaving on the water, as in my first email I mentioned the safety concerns I had with the way THYC members operated their jetskis on the river (in addition to my concerns for the environment, mentioned about).

I brought up two incidents with jetskis that were moored and or trailered on THYC property. 

The first incident he completely ignored because it was clear the offender was and is still a member of the club.

The second incident he tried to deflect blame. I sent him a picture of the jetskier clearly racing down the river. His response to that situation was to inform me the jetskier was not a member of the club. The jetski being used is moored at the club. It may well have been a "friend" of a club member operating it vs the actual club member who owned the jetski but that doesn't negate the fact the club is responsible for ensuring those using equipment it houses safely.

Ultimately the fact remains THYC is not a good fit for being on the Humber River. The club has no concern for the natural environment or the safety of other river users, regardless of who they present as their "new" Commodore.

I also want to be clear, our group is not opposed to a club occupying the property on which THYC sits. We are simply committed to ensuring whatever entity is considered to occupy the property fits into the long term conservational aims of TRCA as well as being a positive space for the community as a whole.

A paddling club with a mandate to reach out to environmental/outdoor educators to use the space in the club's off-season makes more sense than an unwelcoming exclusionary club such as THYC. 

Let's create a club that is committed to a long term goal of undoing the damage wrought by THYC over the better part of the last decade (removing hardscape, repairing the septic field, removing the gazebos/hardscape lining the shore and rehabilitating the shoreline). Let's create a club that reaches out to our community, offering access to the Humber River to those with disabilities (why is there not a canoe/kayak dock for the disabled on the Humber yet?).

As the city continues to work to increase population density in our established neighborhoods (a move I wholeheartedly support), it's important to make sure our public spaces are being optimized and used holistically to ensure the increased populations have access to nature and the outdoors.

Thank you for taking the time to hear my concerns with THYC' s possible 20 year lease renewal and I'm hoping we can all come together to move away from the destructive path THYC is on and create something truly beautiful for our community to treasure.

Regards,
Jason Sills