Hello Petition Supporters.

I know all seems lost and once again it appears City Council is broken with those with the funds to hire lawyers, well connected "consultants" and PR firms will always win regardless of how destructive their cause. But I've got to believe there is some hope out there that someone in power will act with integrity and put the needs of the community above the wants of the few.

With this in mind, if you scroll to the bottom of this email there is a list of all Toronto City Council emails that can be cut and pasted into an email I'm asking you to send.

Below is my email and here is a link  to the full body of the email with pictures etc.

If you have a moment please review my email to all TO Councilors, and if you feel called to, please send them emails of your own letting them know your thoughts on the current situation, why you feel THYC should lose their lease, your personal experiences with the club etc.

I will be sending out an update soon regarding the City Council meeting on March 25.

_____________

 Toronto City Councilors,

My name is Jason Sills and I have lived in the Old Mill and Bloor area for close to sixteen years. I moved to the area because as an avid outdoor enthusiast and amateur wildlife photographer, the Humber Ravine is a perfect (and rarity in Toronto) location for me.

I hope you will forgive me and have the patience to actually read what will be a very long submission, but please understand for the past two years I’ve been deeply involved with trying to protect our community and the Humber River/Ravine from the many abuses at the hands of Toronto Humber Yacht Club (THYC) members and their elected leadership team. 

Although I’ve been aware of THYC for the entire time I’ve lived in the area, it’s only been the last five years or so that I’ve really started to notice how toxic the club has become both to the river itself as well as the community. To demonstrate just how toxic the situation has been allowed to become, I’ll outline the two instances which galvanized my commitment to see THYC lose the lease they hold on public land.

1/ In early May of 2024 while kayaking the Humber River I discovered THYC had moored a significant number of floating docks at the base of the Humber Ravine north of their property line.

 It should be noted THYC had no right to moor their docks outside of the property line but as with all endeavors they just did it because they feel entitled to the entirety of the Humber River.

In my frustration I called 311 to file a complaint which I was told would be forwarded to the appropriate department to be dealt with.

I waited four weeks to see some action being taken on the part of THYC to remove the docks before contacting 311 for a second time. This time I was informed the city was well aware of the issue and had many complaints about the situation. I was also informed to expect significant delays as THYC was notorious for ignoring requests from the city.

True to 311’s word, it took another month or so for THYC to remove the docks they had no right to moor at the base of the ravine to begin with. I would like to point out I was there the morning they went to work removing them and this was my first personal experience with how belligerent and entitled this group really is. As I was landing my kayak at the public boat launch, club members were yelling at community members who were trying to use the public boat launch as well. They seemed to feel they had a right to sole use of the public launch as an extension of their club.

2/ The second event which truly made me understand the need to have THYC removed from the shores of the Humber River occurred on Canada Day Weekend 2024. As I was paddling up to the public boat launch in Kingsmill Park, I saw it was very busy with families launching kayaks, canoes, paddleboards etc. Of particular note was a family of four who had launched two inflatable kayaks and were approaching the ninety degree turn in the Humber just south of the launch heading north. 

To my shock I heard and then saw a JetSkier race around the corner at such a speed the wake their craft created was almost as high as I am tall. To the JetSkiers credit, he was able to maneuver the craft such that he narrowly missed the family in the kayaks but could not avoid swamping their kayaks with his wake. To my dismay, instead of offering any apology the woman clinging to the back of the JetSki operator laughed hysterically. Far from being reprimanded when he docked his JetSki at THYC, the fellow was met with laughter from members on their docks and offered a beer. And to make matters worse he scared the family so much they turned their kayaks back to shore instead of enjoy a paddle down the river on a beautiful day.

This instance was the perfect representation of the ethos of the club, they believe the river belongs to them and they are free to use it in any manner they wish.

These two experiences caused me to start chatting with other paddlers on the river as well as other community members as I walked my dog with Kingsmill Park. It took very little time to realize THYC had been taken over by a leadership team who were committed to an aggressive expansionist agenda and who felt the best way to silence community concerns was through aggressive and bullying attitudes.

I’ll take the expansionist agenda first:

The following image clearly shows the extent to which THYC expanded since 2018 when the new leadership team took over the club.

1/ It is clear to see the club covered over the vast amount of greenspace visible in 2015 by 2025. 

They did so to: 

increase parking for members in the summer months and increase space for boat storage in the winter months. They gave no thought to the effects on the health of the river as the hardscape significantly increased run off from the property into the river. 
covered over the entirety of the shoreline the club occupies with hardscape and then erected gazebos along the entirety of the shoreline. This destroyed what was once a vibrant nesting area for ground birds and turtles along the shores of the Humber. In addition the gazebos are a blight on the shores of the river as they are crowded together and crammed full of odds and sods. It should be noted when I pointed out the issues with the gazebos a member flippantly mentioned he needed shade during the summer months. He seemed not to have realized the clubhouse as a covered patio and the club paved over a lawn that once had table and patio umbrellas that provided shade for members.
double the number of docks to increase membership for private boats.
added a significant number of jetski docks (note there were not JetSkis prior to 2018)

Now let’s look at the attitudes the club leadership takes toward the public.

A quick review of the club’s google maps page will provide a glimpse of how the leadership treats the public. One does have to do a bit of digging as their reviews as since engaging a PR professional last summer their page has been flooded with positive/fluff reviews. 

It should be noted these reviews predate my public efforts to have city finally address the obvious issues with THYC and clearly demonstrate the aggressive, entitled and bullying attitude THYC leadership has toward community members.

I would also like to point out that in the summer of 2025 the club initiated a social media smear campaign which led to veiled threats toward me personally as I was informed via facebook DMs everyone knew where I lived and what kind of car I drive. It was spearheaded by a PR professional who knowingly lied about me and tried to suggest I wanted the property so I could take it over for a private business (I’m not retired I’m just passionate about protecting the Humber and to my knowledge the property is not allowed to be used for person profit).

Throughout the 2025 paddling season, club members made it pretty clear they were watching me and my movements on and off the water. In the beginning of the season a club member would pull his truck around to the public boat launch whenever he saw me landing my kayak. I will admit he did not interfere with me but he made it clear he was listening to my conversations with other paddles.

It was through these conversations as I paddled on the river and chatted with community members in the park  that it became clear just how toxic the THYC has been allowed to become.

Now I would like to address my experience with the city as I tried to have my concerns heard.

Of course I first started with 311. At first I was impressed with my experience. The operators were professional and I even received emails letting me know my issues were being addressed. It took a while for me to find out those emails simply meant 311 had forwarded my concerns to the departments they felt were appropriate vs having the issues actually being addressed.

I then addressed my concerns to city staff and politician’s staff. 

My first experience with city staff was less than stellar. In June of 2025 Thomas Kakamousias informed me the city was undertaking an extensive review and preparing a report regarding THYC’s many issues which would be released by July. Imagine my surprise when I found out the report was to remain confidential because THYC is a private entity even though it occupies public land. Thomas’ next promise was to complete public consultation regarding what the community wished to see become of 101 Humber Valley Road in the fall of 2025 only to find out in winter 2025 those consultations had been shelved.

My second experience was communicating my concerns about THYC JetSki members speeding on the Humber River to Councilor Morley’s staff. I was assured my concerns were being taken seriously only to find out the city ended their investigation after receiving a letter from THYC’s lawyer. Instead of engaging in an investigation to determine the facts on the ground the city walked away with their tale between their legs. Apparently public safety wasn’t worth the inconvenience of a thorough investigation.

Once it became apparent city staff and politicians were not taking the community’s concerns seriously and coming to understand many in the community were afraid of repercussions from the club should they come forward publicly against the club, I decide it was time to take a stand and I started a petition (https://c.org/MxYvWdcKg9 with 2567 signatures (and climbing after Monday’s fiasco) and a social media campaign to educate the public about the toxic effects THYC were having on the health of the Humber River and the community as a whole. 

In very short order it became apparent that by and large the community was done with the antics of THYC members and leadership team. Armed with this knowledge I started to apply pressure to stakeholders.

I was thrilled to learn in June of 2025 that the club had received a letter of non-renewal. I was promised city staff had everything well in hand as they completed an exhaustive report detailing the many environmental and public safety issues the club presented etc. 

I was dismayed to discover the Staff Report that outlined this recommendation kept being delayed. It was to go to the Governance Committee in the fall of 2025, that was bumped to December 2025 which was then bumped to March of 2026. 

From the very beginning I voiced my concerns that this constant bumping of the report would lead to the exact situation we find ourselves in now (I’ll get to that in a moment) but was assured the club had no legal right to the lease and this was all just a technicality. 

I’ll refer you to the email I received on February 26, from Karyn Lau (Interim Manager Client and Business Services – Leases, Agreements and Contracts Team Parks and Recreation (P&R)):

"Thank you for your patience.  The property within King’s Mill Park, currently occupied by Toronto Humber Yacht Club (THYC), will not be used as a boat club for the upcoming 2026 season.”

Needless to say I’m dismayed, disgusted and disillusioned with the entire process as events  unravelled at the Governance Committee, the situation worse than my worst nightmare.

In the end club leadership was correct in their assessment of the situation as reported by Ben Cohen in the Star on March 9, 2025: 

“Attendees of the meeting, which included all club members, say it was loud and tense. In the end, Girimonte persuaded the club that Seenarine had charted the wrong course for lease renewal. They didn’t need to clean up their act. They need to get lawyers involved to pressure the local councillor.”

It’s amazing what can be accomplished when one has the funds to hire lawyers, consultants and PR professionals vs having to rely on grassroots efforts to bring about change.

I’m left wondering how to explain this, was it complete indifference to community concerns in favor of maintaining the simpler status quo, was it complete incompetence on the part of city staff to present a coherent argument for ending the lease, was it corruption and backroom dealing that allowed this fiasco to occur or was it a combination of all three?

What I can say for sure from watching the meeting was:

1/ City staff failed miserably in explaining their reasoning for ending the club's lease. Where was this exhaustive report they prepared and kept secret last summer? Why did they only mention vague environmental concerns vs sighting the many verified lease violations committed on the part of the club? Why did they not mention the community's safety concerns? Why did they not compile a list of 311 calls relating to the club over the past 8 years?

2/ Why did politicians who do not represent our community have the last word in determining the outcome of a situation they do not understand or apparently care enough about to make themselves aware of the situation on the ground?

But it is what is it is now it seems. 

That being said, Councillor Holyday seemed very emotionally attached to the club’s continued presence on the shores of the Humber so I’m sure he will support returning the club to the ethos it possessed when his grandfather was a member. I also noted a club member in tears because he wondered where his children would go. And as the club leadership has already informed club members the docks are going in this spring and they will operate as per usual for the 2026 season and as leadership indicated their commitment to working with the community to ensure a positive relationship moving forward they will want to work hard to meet both the above goals.

So if it is the case the docks are going in the water, there should be stringent conditions met before any docks are permitted on the water, and as Wislon from the club indicates they want to work with the community so I’m sure they will be more than happy to address these concerns immediately.

1/ All gazebos should be dismantled and removed from the shores of the Humber.

2/ All hardscape installed on the shores of the Humber should be removed and the land reseeded with native flora

3/ All hardscape installed post 2015 should be removed and the lawns replanted to increase greenspace for club members to enjoy

4/ JetSkis should be banned from the property (this includes the JetSki rental company which used the property as home base last season as pictured below)

5/ Limit the number of docks the same number THYC had in 2015, which did not include ANY jetski docks.

Since 2018 the city has been in communication with THYC leadership at every step of their aggressive expansion only to be met by defiance and  THYC lawyers. THYC argues that if something isn’t explicitly prohibited in the lease it is implicitly allowed. THYC leadership knew full well their actions were not in keeping with the spirit of the lease but they proceeded with their agenda with complete disregard for the community’s concerns, against the advice of TRCA and against the wishes of the city. This makes it very clear the above conditions must be met before the club is allowed to operate “as per usual”.

It should also be noted before 2018 THYC did have a vibrant paddling community. They had dragon boats, a significant number of paddlers etc but THYC leadership chose to squeeze those members out in favor of taking over the entire property for gazebos and an increased number of yachts.

I have a feeling the club will not agree to the above conditions nor will they ever work collaboratively with community members because their most recent history clearly demonstrates club members in general and club leadership specifically feel they are entitled to do whatever they want with the property and shoreline without regard for the community or the environment.

Councillor_Crisanti@toronto.ca,
Councillor Morley <Councillor_Morley@toronto.ca>,
councillor_perks@toronto.ca,
councillor_nunziata@toronto.ca,
councillor_pasternak@toronto.ca,
councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca,
councillor_colle8@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Bravo@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Malik@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Saxe@toronto.ca,
councillor_matlow@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Moise@toronto.ca,
councillor_fletcher@toronto.ca,
Councillor_ChernosLin@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Burnside@toronto.ca,
councillor_carroll@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Cheng@toronto.ca,
councillor_bradford@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Kandavel@toronto.ca,
councillor_thompson@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Mantas@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Myers@toronto.ca,
councillor_ainslie@toronto.ca,
Councillor_Shan@toronto.ca,
councillor_holyday@toronto.ca,
mayor_chow@toronto.ca, integrity@toronto.ca