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13 Comments

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Duly Quoted: John “Captain John” Letnik

By

“It’s heartbreaking. They’re going to have to take the boat over and I’ll be walking the streets.”

—Letnik reacting to news that Captain John’s seafood restaurant has been ordered closed by the City after having its waterfront lease revoked by the Toronto Port Authority. Captain John’s is located on a boat, the Jadran, that has been docked at the foot of Yonge Street since 1975. The vessel is more than a business for Letnik; he also lives there. It’s unclear what caused the sudden crackdown, but Letnik reportedly owes $500,000 in back taxes, rent, and insurance, so that could have had something to do with it. He has until July 27 to move or scrap the Jadran.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    500 grand in back taxes? Put this piece of shit in jail and tow the boat to the scrap yard.

  • PBettany

    I feel for the guy, but an alleged $500,000 in back taxes, rent, etc.??!!??

    This is what happens when you don’t pay the bills.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Neville-Ross/100002343524258 Neville Ross

    Oh well, I guess I shall have to hurry up and take a picture of Captain John’s seafood restaurant before it’s most likely taken away and destroyed; sure, the place has shitty food, but, it’s still a great looking place by the waterfront, and it deserves to be preserved somehow.

  • Anonymous

    This movie should end with him cutting his connections to the mainland, miraculously being able to fire up his disused engines amid clouds of black smoke, and sailing off into the sunset with his recently reconciled-with sweetheart in arm.

  • http://paul.kishimoto.name Paul Kishimoto

    I’ve never been to Captain John’s, but someone told me that Phō Hung on Bloor closed today, to be torn down for a new condo development, and I shed tears.

    • Anonymous

      AW HELL NO.

      But they still have a Spadina location …

  • Jill

    I at their once… probably in the early 80s and it was the worst meal I ever had in my life. No exaggeration. I have always been amazed at it’s lasting power. I guess it is mainly tourists who eat on it once and never go back.

    • Jill

      oops… “ate there once”… apparently the memory was so horrific it affected my spelling.

  • Agent_goldgirl

    I feel bad for him he’s losing his home. I think he’s more devistated by that than the actual loss of the business. Yes he should have paid his taxes but he shouldn’t be put out of a place to stay.

  • Z-Warfare

    The reviews of Captain John’s on restaurantica are hilarious, each is more scathing than the last.

  • No

    Nobody wins except the port authority in this situaiton. They get to collect money first because of Maritime Law. They don’t care if they scrap the ship for pennies, and you know who suffers because of this? Taxpayers because the CIty of Toronto won’t see a dime of the back taxes. I think they should demand that the restaurant be closed, but turn the man’s water back on (how can he be paying land tax but have his water cut off anyway?!?), and let him sell the ship. The Port Authority’s short-sightedness in not allowing the lease to be discussed by potential buyers just PROVES they only care about making a fast buck for themselves, and don’t have taxpayers’ interest at heart at all.

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