Essex council has given final approval for a new jet ski rental business to set up shop at Colchester Harbour.
Jet Wave Inc., co-owned by Hasan ElBasiouni and Haider Al-Twaini, will lease berth space at the harbour for one year from the Town of Essex for $3,000.
The business is expected to offer three jet skis for rent up to six days a week, operating from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. between May and September, with a fourth jet ski kept on site for emergencies.
Renters will be required to obtain a temporary Ontario boating licence and complete a safety tutorial before heading out.
Al-Twaini said it's nice to see months of work pay off.
"Very excited for what the future holds. Me and him both have been working on this very very hard and have been imagining and envisioning this business for months and months, so we're very excited for the next few steps," he said.
In terms of a quick turnaround to begin the season, Al-Twaini said they are prepared and ready.
"Now we're just waiting until we hear back from administration, and then we're going to get working on the next steps and hopefully be up beginning of May," he said.
ElBasiouni said they are looking forward to bringing a service to Colchester that is not currently offered.
"I've been going there for a lot of trivia nights, a lot of stuff like that and it's been great. I just think it's a little boring during summer time and we can just spark this up a little bit. At the same time we will have fun doing it as well," said ElBasiouni.
The proposal was met with some opposition.
Boat owners gathered at a public meeting in Harrow on April 11 to discuss the proposal and speakers raised concerns about increased traffic, safety and security on the docks, while others said the business could boost tourism if properly regulated.
An informal vote showed mixed views, with a majority in favour, some opposed and others undecided.
At Monday night's council meeting, the bylaw was given a second and third reading, with one abstention and two opposed, including mayor Sherry Bondy and Ward 3 Coun. Jason Matyi, who wanted more information.
-With files from CTV Windsor's Robert Lothian