TORONTO - The Niagara Parks Commission is being ordered to re-open a lease for the famous Maid of the Mist tour boats to get competitive bids.
The commission came under fire for giving the American holders of the lease a 25-year renewal without putting the contract out for tenders.
The original lease renewal given to the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company prompted a lawsuit and an investigation by Ontario's integrity commissioner.
The province ordered the parks commission to review its decision, and the commission again decided not to put the lease out for bids, so this time the government ordered a competitive bidding process.
The Tourism Ministry told the parks commission to accept bids and complete a deal to lease the land for the tour boat operations in the Niagara gorge by next spring.
The Opposition had complained the government was violating its own rules banning single-sourced contracts by allowing the Maid of the Mist lease renewal to stand.
Atlanta businessman Bill Windsor has said he bid $100 million above the estimated $650 million the lease is valued at over 25 years, and filed suit after the parks commission wouldn't entertain his offer.
The Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company said in a release Wednesday evening that it is "disappointed that the Ontario government has placed its longstanding and mutually beneficial working relationship with the Niagara Parks Commission in jeopardy."
The decision to open up the agreement comes despite "positive reviews of the agreement" by the province's integrity commissioner, forensic auditors and outside consultants, the company said.
It said the Maid of the Mist will take whatever actions are necessary to enable it to continue its operation.
