ClubLink, owner of the Kanata Golf and Country Club, said recently it is in “the process of exploring options for alternative use” of the golf club lands with its developer partners, Minto Communities and Richcraft Homes. Considering ClubLink’s partners, it would appear that bulldozing the golf course green space is the only option being considered, although they call themselves The Kanata Possibilities Team.
ClubLink argues that operating costs are rising and there are fewer golfers. Yet, it has stated that the course is very profitable and is the most popular in the area. It would appear that corporate greed, as opposed to profitability, is the issue.
Notwithstanding two agreements regarding Kanata land use, Clublink’s senior vice-president of investment argued that a golf course was not locked in as a land use. However, the 1981 agreement for the land states:
“Campeau (the original golf course developer) covenants and agrees that the land to be provided for the golf course … shall be operated by Campeau as a golf course in perpetuity…” (The Oxford dictionary defines perpetual as “eternal.”) The agreement further states that the golf course owner may sell the golf course provided that: “the new owners enter into an agreement with Kanata providing for the operation of the golf course in perpetuity …”
