Opening date for Orillia’s boat launch pushed back

Due to some delays, the Centennial Park Boat Launch in Orillia, set to open on July 1, has been postponed by a month.

"Two things... one, delay of product and French's Stand had to be lifted up, and the contractors were delayed, and everything else and the weather really didn't help much, and the availability of product has been a great a setback for us," said Ralph Cipolla,  Orillia city councillor.

The Chamber of Commerce said that with this reclaimed waterfront, there's no surprise about the delays.

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"There's sawdust underneath. In the 1800s, the wood in the area was used to rebuild Chicago after their fires, and there were only rail lines here," said Allan Lafontaine, Chamber of Commerce executive director. "So, it was all massive engineering for that to happen, and now, with both the road and the boat launch, there are some nuances that just don't make it very easy to say, "Hey, we're going to be done on this date."

Cipolla said due to the boat launch not being open, tourism has had an economic impact.

"Usually, people bring their boats in, park and walk up the main street and do their shopping and everything else; this year, it hasn't happened as much. We have a beautiful downtown, so it's affected the dollars and cents for some of the retailers, and some haven't been able to sustain it," said Cipolla.

Officials are now saying the most launch is scheduled to open on July 26, with the remainder of the work to be completed by mid-September or October.