By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
Residents in Mitchell’s Bay are hoping Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation will expand the province’s golf cart program to include the community.
To that end, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is sending a letter to the MTO asking that the Bay be included in the provincial initiative. It would join Erieau, which had its first golf cart season in 2025.
The letter follows a request from North Kent Coun. Jamie McGrail at a recent C-K council meeting.
McGrail, a Mitchell’s Bay resident, says the Mitchell’s Bay Area Association would like to see the program come to the Bay.
“We’re hoping that we can bring it to Mitchell’s Bay,” McGrail said. “A lot of people would like to see it here.”
According to a report from administration, the first year in Erieau saw 16 permits issued for golf carts at a cost of $75 each. However, that number is expected to increase this summer.
The province kicked off the Golf Cart pilot program under the Highway Traffic Act in 2021. It allows golf carts in designated communities to travel on approved roadways.
The Chatham-Kent police said the service did not receive any complaints related to the Erieau project’s first year of operation.
