St. Clair Township council has voted to pause for one year a plan that would have closed the municipally owned Mooretown Campground at the end of 2025, allowing it to remain open through the 2026 season as the municipality assesses options to address financial concerns.
The decision followed ongoing discussions about the campground’s limited revenue and mounting infrastructure needs.
Under the original closure plan, the township intended to relocate seasonal campers to its two other campgrounds—Cathcart and Branton Dundick—with priority given to full-time St. Clair residents.
Township officials cited the cost of needed repairs and upgrades as a driving factor behind the proposed closure.
“Not making much money” and “being costly to fix” were key issues noted by Mayor Jeff Agar, as reported by The Observer.
He said the township has been considering the campground’s future for some time, and the council was divided before deciding to delay the closure.
Township staff estimate it could cost between $1 million and $2 million to upgrade the water, electrical, and drainage systems at the campground. In addition, the washroom roof needs replacement, and the aging pool requires major repairs.
According to township figures, the 141-site campground generated just under $98,000 in revenue over the past three years, while requiring an additional $37,500 in township funds to cover capital and operating expenses. Of the total sites, 84 are used by seasonal campers.
“I’ve been on the fence about it, and obviously a lot of other people were,” Agar said. “I felt for everybody in there,” he added, referring to campers who attended the meeting and urged [the] council to keep the site open.
Agar said the township will need to consider operational changes, such as a hydro surcharge for campers. The seasonal sites currently do not have individual hydro meters, which may be contributing to under-recovered utility costs.
“Over time, we probably didn’t raise the rates at the campground fast enough or soon enough,” said John Rodey, the township’s chief administrator. “We find ourselves in a position now where we aren’t generating enough revenue from the campground in order to bring it back up to snuff.”
In addition to hydro upgrades, Rodey noted that the pool must be replaced and the washrooms need further improvements. “There isn’t the money to do that,” he said.