Receivership for Terra Nova resort is a worry for Port Blandford, says town's mayor

Port Blandford's mayor hopes a new owner will take over the Terra Nova Resort, which is now in receivership, before a new golf season begins.

Chad Holloway saysit will be bad news for his town if the resort doesn't reopen.

"This definitely has a huge impact on our community as a whole," Holloway told CBC'sOn The Go.

CBCNews reported Wednesday that the resort which includes two golf courses, an 80-room hotel and rental cabins was in receivership and owes$3.3 million to the Business Development Bank of Canada.

The resort, which was owned by Rex Anthony, will have its property assessed, and there are plans to try to find a buyer, but receivers BDOcould not guarantee it would reopen this coming spring.

'A gem of a course'

That's unwelcome news for the 60 or so people in Port Blandford who are directly employed by the resort, Holloway said, as well as for the many others in the town working in the tourism industry.

It's a gem of a course.- Chad Holloway

"Port Blandford, it is a tourism hub," he said. The town is at the gateway to both Terra Nova National Park and the BonavistaPeninsula, he said, and the golf course is within the park boundaries.

"Tourism is a big industry as a whole for that area."

The course itself once had a platinum designation that marked it as one of the top 100 golf courses in Canada, Holloway said.

"It's a gem of a course."

Ownership has changed before

The news of the resort entering receivership wasn't a huge shock, Holloway said, because the facility has changed ownership before.

For now, the resort's employees are laid off as they normally would be at this time of year, and the course is being winterized just as it would any other year, he said.

The timing of the receivership buys some time before affected residents really have to worry.

"We've still got five to six months to play with," Holloway said.

"Had this been in April or May I know I'd be a lot more worried at this point."

With files from On The Go

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