City officials declined to renew the Toronto Humber Yacht Club's lease, effectively shutting it down. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., officials made this decision because the club was negatively impacting the local ecosystem.
In an email, city spokesperson Simon Larson explained that authorities decided a "less intensive land use would better support ecological management," per the outlet. He added that erosion and flooding hazards in the Humber Valley had also increased worries about the club's location.
Some have expressed concerns about the behavior of the people who use and operate the club. Resident Jason Sills said he saw a jet skier nearly run into kayakers, then get cheered on by other club members when he returned. That inspired the photographer to start a petition to shut down the club, the CBC reported.
The petition outlined myriad complaints about the yacht club, the outlet said. Personal watercraft introduce pollutants into the river, while shoreline gazebos displace native species and destroy natural habitats.
The CBC said the petition stated that the club "uses the river as its private playground, often with little regard for the impacts on local residents."
Additionally, the Humber River is home to over 600 species of plants and animals, and its wetlands support flood regulation, air purification, and pollution reduction, per A Greener Future.
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Concerns about the environmental and community impact of yachts and other watercraft are ongoing. Some people have been outraged by floating billboards, while others are disturbed by the amount of pollution cruise ships dump into the ocean.
In one case, a group of yacht passengers set off unauthorized fireworks and started a forest fire on an island in Greece.
Club leaders denied wrongdoing, saying they didn't know why the lease wasn't renewed. Wilson DaSilva, vice commodore of the yacht club, said he would like to "open up dialogue" with the city to find a way to move forward, per the CBC.
In an article about the club that someone shared on Reddit, a commenter wrote: "I'm hoping that the property will be preserved for non-motorized boating. It's still a great place to launch small hand-powered boats."
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