Captain John’s waterfront restaurant could be heading to Hamilton: report
Posted February 6, 2013 7:30 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Captain John’s waterfront restaurant, a Toronto landmark for decades, could soon be heading to Hamilton.
A local businessman wants to tow the boat to that city and set up a floating casino on Pier 8, according to the Hamilton Spectator.
Don Maga told the newspaper he has already purchased the ship, and has filed an application with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. for a casino licence.
He also plans to open a restaurant on the boat.
However, boat owner “Captain” John Letnik told the Spectator that the deal with Maga is not yet finalized. The Hamilton Port Authority said that Maga does not have an agreement with them.
Captain John’s, which has been docked at the foot of Yonge Street since 1975, was forced to shut down operations on June 26, 2012.
The boat’s water supply was shut off and the Toronto Port Authority (TPA), which has a possessory lien on the once-popular tourist attraction, told CityNews.ca that Captain John’s owed the city more than $500,000 in property taxes.
Letnik, 73, has lived on the boat for decades. He first put the floating restaurant on the market in early 2010.
