Sudbury gives tax relief to water sports centre

Sudbury city council is giving tax relief to the Northern Water Sports Centre after the it couldn't pay its 2016 property tax bill.

The city's finance and administration committee voted Wednesday in favour of declaring the site a municipal facility meaning it won't pay future taxes.

"There's going to be some saying, 'Holy moly that's $60,000 out of our pockets,'" said Coun.FernCormier, whovoted in favour of the exemption.

"Well, my counter argument to that is that's like saying I lost money in the stock market because I didn't buy a stock that went up. Now why do I say that? Well I say that because we didn't budget for this tax revenue. We didn't have it before, and you can't miss something you didn't have."

Coun.Deb McIntosh argued the city's memorandum of understanding with volunteers was confusing.

"The memorandum of understanding, the words say the Northern Water Sports Centre will be responsible for any and all taxes should they become payable, and I wonder how many people here would think that a municipally owned facility would have to pay property taxes," McIntosh said.

"I think they can be forgiven for misunderstanding that."

The Northern Water Sports Centre is open to the public.

It's home to the Dragon Boat Festivaland to the canoe and rowing clubs.