Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant (incorporated as 1518756 Ontario Inc.) was a restaurant and banquet hall in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada. For most of its existence it was located in the MS ''Jadran'', a former Adriatic passenger ship that was permanently docked at the foot of
Yonge Street
Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...
at 1
Queens Quay West on
Toronto's waterfront. The ship was moored off on a small laneway at the foot of Yonge Street called Captain John's Pier. Once a prestige destination, the restaurant was open every day of the year, including all major holidays such as
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
and
New Year's Day
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
, for almost 40 years. When it opened, the waterfront was an industrial portland. The
Harbourfront
HarbourFront is a waterfront district situated in southern Singapore. Whilst HarbourFront's boundaries are ambiguous, its location is roughly represented on the URA's Master Plan as a subzone called Maritime Square, located within the Bukit Me ...
redevelopment turned the area into a recreational destination for residents and tourists and a residential neighbourhood; Captain John's helped begin a
gentrification
Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
process that ultimately claimed it as a victim.
[
]
History
The restaurant was owned and operated by John Letnik, who came to Canada as a refugee from FPR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
in 1957. Letnik found work at an Etobicoke country club and ultimately became its chef, before opening his own restaurant in 1961, the Pop Inn at Dundas and McCaul which he ran for seven years. He came up with the idea of opening an onboard restaurant while travelling to Europe via ship in the late 1960s to visit relatives.[ He opened Toronto's first floating restaurant aboard the in 1970. The ''Normac'' had served several years as a fire boat with the ]Detroit Fire Department
The Detroit Fire Department (DFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan.
The DFD operates 47 fire companies and 25 ambulances out of 36 fire stations located throughout the city, wit ...
and then as a ferry that traveled between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island ( ) is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia (bioregion), Laurentia. With an area of , it is the Lake ...
.
In 1975, Letnik bought the larger ''Jadran'' from the Yugoslav government for $1 million and moored it alongside the ''Normac'', operating it as a second restaurant.[ The ''Jadran'' was one of three luxury cruise ships built in ]Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enter ...
in 1957; it was one of 3 "J" Class passenger ferries built for Jadrolinija
Jadrolinija is a Croatian ferry company. It is state-owned and it primarily connects Croatian islands to the mainland by operating regular passenger and cargo transport services. The company mainly operates car ferries on domestic routes along t ...
(Jadranska Linijska Plovidba company) at the Brodogradiliste shipyard, its sister ships being MS Jugoslavija and MS Jedinstvo. For several years the Jadran operated as a luxury cruise ship in the Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
and Aegean seas and later served as a private ocean-going presidential yacht
Presidential yacht may refer to a vessel of a country's navy that would be specially used by the country's president. It is common for a vessel to be designated as the presidential yacht during a fleet review.
Some countries (below) have vessels ...
for Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito ( ; , ), was a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 unti ...
and his entourage. The Jadran appeared in the 1970 film "The Gamblers" where many onboard scenes were featured. This ship also appears in the 2002 Tamil film ''Panchathanthiram'' during the song "Kaadhal Piriyamal," where Kamal Haasan and Simran are seen walking along the waterfront.
The floating ships were one of the first attractions in the area that became known as Harbourfront
HarbourFront is a waterfront district situated in southern Singapore. Whilst HarbourFront's boundaries are ambiguous, its location is roughly represented on the URA's Master Plan as a subzone called Maritime Square, located within the Bukit Me ...
and was a pioneer in the waterfront's transformation from an industrial port to a recreational, artistic and residential area and tourist attraction.[ As well as being its owner, Letnik also served as one of its chefs.][ In 1976, Captain John's was the site of the first CHIN Radio annual ]bikini
A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering ...
contest. The event was held at the restaurant again in 1977 before moving to Toronto Island
The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the ...
the next year as part of the annual CHIN picnic.[
On June 2, 1981, the ''Normac'' was struck by the ''Trillium'', a ferry operated by Metro Toronto Parks. The crash was caused by a mechanical failure aboard the ''Trillium'' which prevented the engine from reversing to slow down.] The crash occurred at relatively slow speed, as the ''Trillium'' was in the midst of attempting to dock.[''Letnik v Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto'', ]985
Year 985 ( CMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Summer – Henry II (the Wrangler) is restored as duke of Bavaria by Empress Theophanu and her mother-in-law Adelaide at an ...
FCJ No 238 (FCTD), rev'd in part 988
Year 988 ( CMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Fall – Emperor Basil II, supported by a contingent of 6,000 Varangians (the future Varangian Guard), organiz ...
2 FC 399, 49 DLR (4th) 707 (Fed CA). None of the 132 passengers aboard the ''Trillium'' nor the 290 diners aboard the ''Normac'' were injured.[ Repairs were immediately made to the ''Normac'', and for two weeks no leak was observed on board.][ However, on June 16, 1981, the ''Normac'' suddenly sank.][ This set off a long legal battle between Letnik and the city. The Federal Court initially ruled in favour of the city, as Letnik could not prove the collision caused the sinking, and because he failed to properly maintain the boat after converting it into a restaurant.][ This decision was overturned on appeal, and Letnik was awarded damages,][ though reportedly not enough to compensate for the destruction.
While the legal battle was ongoing, the ]Toronto Harbour Commission
The Toronto Harbour Commission (THC) was a joint federal-municipal government agency based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The agency managed Toronto Harbour as well as being responsible for major works along the Toronto waterfront. It built both ...
ordered Letnik to remove the ''Normac'' from its resting site. Thus, in 1986, on the fifth anniversary of its sinking, the vessel was raised at an estimated cost of $100,000.[ The ''Normac'' was later refurbished and served as a ]floating restaurant
A floating restaurant is a vessel, usually a large steel barge or Hulk (ship type), hulk, used as a restaurant on water. The ''Jumbo Kingdom'', formerly located at Aberdeen, Hong Kong, Aberdeen in Hong Kong, was at one time the world's largest ...
in other communities. The ''Jadran'' was the sole home of Captain John's after then.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the floating restaurant attracted prominent diners such as Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...
,[ ]Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney (March 20, 1939 – February 29, 2024) was a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from 1984 to 1993.
Born in the eastern Quebec city of Baie-Comeau, Mulroney studi ...
, Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas Lastman (March 9, 1933 – December 11, 2021) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the third mayor of North York from 1973 to 1997 and the 62nd mayor of Toronto from 1998 to 2003. He was the first person to s ...
, Robert Campeau
Robert Joseph Antoine Campeau (August 3, 1923 June 12, 2017) was a Canadian financier and real estate developer. Starting from a single house constructed in 1940 in the Alta Vista neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Campeau built a large land dev ...
, The Village People
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
and Steve Stavro
Steve Atanas Stavro, (September 27, 1926 – April 23, 2006; born Manoli Stavroff Sholdas) was a Macedonian-Canadian businessman, grocery store magnate, Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse owner/breeder, sports team owner, and a noted philant ...
, and was a sought-after location for weddings, bar mitzvah
A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Halakha, Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age ...
s and other events. However, in its latter years it lost favour as the city's gastronomical scene became more sophisticated and diverse and by 2002 Letnik was seeking bankruptcy protection
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
[ Later reviews from local papers rated its culinary fare as average, despite the restaurant's boasts of having "the best seafood in town!", and reviews by patrons were decidedly mixed. The restaurant's clientele was primarily tourists with many bus tours stopping at the venue, as well as wedding receptions, bar mitzvahs and other parties.
By the twenty-first century, Captain John's was viewed by some as an out-of-date eyesore hurting the view from and the property values of a neighbouring condominium development. At the same time, the ship itself by now required a major overhaul to address issues of rust, fading paint and corrosion, making operations there potentially dangerous.]
Bankruptcy, closure and sale
In 2002 Captain John's filed for bankruptcy protection following a 10-year legal battle with his former common-law wife
Common-law marriage, also known as non-ceremonial marriage, marriage, informal marriage, de facto marriage, more uxorio or marriage by habit and repute, is a marriage that results from the parties' agreement to consider themselves married, follo ...
who the court ruled was entitled to a half-share of the restaurant.[ Owing over $5 million to various creditors including $3 million to unsecured creditors, Letnik's bankruptcy proposal involved the repayment of all unsecured creditors owed $5,000 or less and a repayment of no more than $30,000 to all other unsecured creditors.] The restaurant staff, which once numbered in the dozens, was reduced to ten.[ In 2007, Letnik appealed his property tax bill arguing that the ship is not a "structure" under the law and thus cannot have property tax levied against it. The court ruled against him and a subsequent appeal was rejected as Letnik's unpaid back taxes mounted.][
]
Temporary 2008 closure after health department inspection
In August 2008, Toronto public health officials ordered the restaurant closed after citing it for 11 separate infractions, including "Operator fail to maintain premises free of sewage back-up" and "Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated". The owner was fined $2,160.
Attempts to sell
In 2009 owner John Letnik put the restaurant up for sale at a list price of $1.5 million but was unable to sell it, even after reducing his asking price to $1.25 million.[
In June 2012, the ]Toronto Port Authority
The Toronto Port Authority (TPA), doing business as PortsToronto (PT), is a port authority that is responsible for the management of the Port of Toronto, including the International Marine Passenger Terminal, and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airpor ...
rescinded the lease agreement for the slip where the ship was moored, citing over $500,000 in payments owed for back taxes, rent and utility payments. At the same time the city shut off the boat's water supply, leading the health department to order the restaurant closed due to the staff's inability to sanitize dishes and wash their hands. Letnik was given until July 27, 2012, to remove the boat's gangplank and all restaurant signs, and the port authority invoked marine law ordering that the ship "must refrain from leaving" until its debts to the city and the authority is paid. The ''Jadran''s engine had been removed, and the ship was mired in mud, requiring it to be towed as it could not sail under its own power.[
In September 2013, with Letnik owing more than $1 million in taxes, licensing fees, and berthing fees, the city initiated the process of seizing the vessel. Letnik declared he would not abandon the ship and might even chain himself to it.
The Toronto Port Authority gave an August 22, 2014 deadline for the ''Jadran'' to be removed and scrapped and took bids from ship breakers for the job. The Federal Court declared the bid of entrepreneur James Sbrolla of the North American Seafood Exchange in the amount of $33,501 to be successful. Sbrolla hoped to restore the ''Jadran'' to a floating restaurant; however, the removal of the ship was delayed due to problems in having the hydro transformer removed, and plans to find a new berth for the ship fell through. Sbrolla then proposed to have tugboats tow the ship out of harbour and move it to a private slip at the foot of Parliament Street where the ship would be stripped of salvageable elements with the remainder of the ship to be scrapped.] However, the Toronto Port Authority terminated the deal and returned Sbrolla's payment after rejecting his proposal as it would have required tearing the ship apart in harbour, a plan which the authority did not "feel comfortable proceeding with".
Final voyage and scrapping
The Port Authority returned to court the following spring for approval to seek a new buyer. On May 11, 2015, the Federal Court approved plans to have the Marine Recycling Corporation take ownership of the vessel and tow it to its facility at Port Colborne, Ontario
Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed after ...
by the end of the month to be scrapped. Due to a slump in world metal prices the value of the ship declined by an estimated $200,000 since the previous summer. As a result, the sale only consisted of the Port Authority, Waterfront Toronto and the condominium developer paying Marine Recycling Corporation to tow and scrap the ship for an undisclosed fee; however, the estimated cost of the operation is $400,000.[ On May 28, 2015, the vessel was towed out of Toronto's harbour. Its departure was witnessed by a crowd of several hundred people and an impromptu band who had gathered for the occasion and was broadcast live on ]CP24
CP24 is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc. and operated alongside the Bell-owned CTV Television Network's owned-and-operated television stations CFTO-DT (CTV Toronto) and CKVR-DT ( ...
.[
The ship was towed across ]Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...
and through the Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Ontario, Canada, and part of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway. The canal traverses the Niagara Peninsula between Port Weller, Ontario, Port Weller on Lake Ontario, and Port Colborne on Lak ...
to Port Colborne, where Marine Recycling Corporation has its scrapyard, in a journey that began at 10:30 am and concluded at 2:15 the following morning. Letnick was invited to travel aboard the ship for its entire final voyage, as a paid consultant, and stood on the ship's deck, waving to the crowd assembled on the dock, as the ship was towed out of its slip. Prior to the ship's departure, Letnick was thanked by Harbourmaster Angus Armstrong and Councillor Norm Kelly
Norman Kelly (born August 11, 1941) is a retired Canadian politician. He represented Ward 22 Scarborough—Agincourt, Ward 40 Scarborough—Agincourt from 2000 to 2018 and served as Deputy Mayor of Toronto, deputy mayor of Toronto from 2013 to ...
for his contribution to the city in creating the waterfront's first attraction at a time when it was an industrial area neglected by tourists and residents alike. Letnik was given a framed photograph of himself, in captain's uniform, in front of the ship in the 1970s and thanked for "a mission well-served and not soon forgotten." The day before the ship sailed, Letnik received a reminder from the city that he still owed $814,656.12 in back property taxes.
Legacy
A port-hole and piece of steel of the ''MS Jadran'' were used in a memorial monument to British Home Children who perished in Canada. The monument is located at a mass grave in Park Lawn Cemetery
Park Lawn Cemetery is a large cemetery in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It currently has around 22,000 graves. It is managed by the Park Lawn Limited Partnership, which also runs five other cemeteries in Toronto. The cemetery ...
in Toronto.
In 2018, a monument commemorating Captain John's was unveiled at the foot of Yonge Street made up of the ''MS Jadrans ship's bell
A ship's bell is a bell on a ship that is used for the indication of time as well as other traditional functions. The bell itself is usually made of brass or bronze, and normally has the ship's name engraved or cast on it.
Strikes Timing of shi ...
and 3 metre high, 2495 kilogram anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ', which itself comes from the Greek ().
Anch ...
.
References
*
{{Restaurants in Toronto
1970 establishments in Ontario
2015 disestablishments in Ontario
Restaurants established in 1970
Restaurants disestablished in 2015
Restaurants in Toronto
Defunct restaurants in Canada
Harbourfront, Toronto
Ferries of Croatia
Tourist attractions in Toronto
Floating restaurants