© Jorge Henrique Cordeiro
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John Letnik, aka “Captain John”, is locked in a battle with the City of Toronto over his floating nautical-themed seafood restaurant. He is vowing not to leave the boat until the matter is resolved.
Captain John’s has seen better days, but it was a tourist attraction on Toronto’s waterfront for decades, since Letnik brought the boat over from Yugoslavia. The restaurant closed six months ago but Letnik has continued living on the boat despite the water supply having been shut off and the gangplank removed by the city in anticipation of the construction of a park that is planned for the site where the boat is moored.
The stalemate is about whether the City of Toronto will provide another place on the Harbourfront where Letnik can move the boat to. The former restaurateur hopes that if he can secure a new spot to operate from, he can sell the restaurant and use the proceeds to pay off over half a million dollars in back taxes that are owed.
In the meantime he refuses to leave the empty ship.
Find out more from The Toronto Star