Page 46 - GBC Magazine Winter ENG 2023

With the golf season behind us, I wanted to share some concerning legislation coming out of Quebec that all operators across the country should be keeping a close eye on.
On May 25, 2023, the Quebec Minister of Transport introduced Bill 22: An Act respecting expropriation. The intent of Bill 22, which is currently being considered by the National Assembly of Quebec, is to replace the current Expropriation Act in order to substantially reduce the indem- nities paid to expropriated parties by various levels of government. The Bill responds to numerous well-publicized calls by mayors who want to acquire green space to protect it. Although golf is not directly mentioned, there is nothing more attractive than a golf course in an urban area to help municipalities and cities reach their green space targets.
In April 2023 as it readied itself to pen the proposed changes to Bill 22, the Ministry of Transportation met with various groups however the consultation was one-sided with only potential expropriators being invited.
For the past 18 months, the NGCOA Canada – Quebec Chapter has been working closely with several levels of government. The discussions ranged from education of the Bill, to some groups admitting that they were waiting for its adoption to expropriate golf courses in their municipalities, while others seemed to draw insights from our discussions.
The government of Quebec set up public hearings and we were 1 of 21 groups invited to testify before a parliamentary committee on September 22. As a 3rd generation
Bill 22: An Act Respecting Expropriation
46 Golf Business Canada
golf course owner, the Quebec Chapter Advisory Board asked if I would do the presentation. I had the opportunity to listen to several groups that presented before us (especially from the expropriator side) and these three words kept surfacing: GOLF, and the term SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNTS.
Our presentation focused on educating the committee members on the economic, health and employment benefits of golf. We wanted them to understand that these are small, often family businesses that are often passed down from 3 and 4 generations. We wanted them to understand that this was someone’s investment who one day would want to retire by passing the business to family, selling to another owner, business, etc. These businesses gain value, just like a retirement savings and these owners are entitled to the fair value of their assets.
Another point we raised with thegovernmentistheprincipleof compensation. We made it clear that in the case of expropriation, a golf course owner who wants to continue operating a golf course, should be compensated fairly where they could relocate the course in the
same economic sector without having to incur costs.
Although we feel that our presentation and memorandum were well received, there is still a lot of work to be done on this issue and we are steadfast in fighting for the golf industry. We are concerned that if the current proposed changes are adopted in Quebec, this could be an issue facing the golf industry across the country.
Sincerely,
Daniel Pilon, Owner
Club de Golf St-Zotique, QC
Click on the QR Code below to view the video of our committee presentation – please note that it is in French only.
The Parting Shot
Message From The NGCOA Canada President • Daniel Pilon