The Wellington sets sail

New project passes its first stage

The Wellington Hotel at 192 Main Street is one step closer to opening its doors after an application for development was heard and approved by council last Wednesday. The application changes the property’s designation from a village residential area to a village core area. It also changes the zoning from residential to commercial, which will allow the project to continue its path to becoming a hotel with a restaurant and commercial retail spaces onsite. By all accounts the planning meeting was very positive for The Wellington Hotel, and the team was warmed by the positive feedback from some members of council and from villagers that came to the meeting to show their support. But the meeting did come with some push back from a handful of concerned residents and from Councillor Steve Graham, who was vehemently opposed to the new project’s size and scope.

Matt and Kelly Buckingham with their daughter Isabelle outside The Wellington Hotel.

“The idea of a small boutique hotel which was 20 rooms in Wellington sounded great. And then a 230-seat restaurant? I need to remind you guys, we just went through this with the Drake Hotel. It didn’t work. Thirteen rooms and a restaurant. This has one entrance, one exit. I think it needs to be tweaked, and honest to god I think it’s far too much.” said Graham.

What set the local rumour mill into a tizzy was the statement that the hotel would have a restaurant with a capacity of 230 people. A number, which was unfortunately wrong. The actual number of seats for the restaurant at peak season is closer to 120, with indoor seating hovering around 35, and an outdoor seasonal patio that will seat around 80. The number of 230 came from figures drawn from a thirdparty traffic study for another property and have nothing to do with the plans at The Wellington Hotel. It’s a simple clerical error, but one that is hard to retract after the ripples have already spread over the pond.

For owners Matt and Kelly Buckingham and their business partners Jay Alexander and Kelly Sinclair, it’s all about making sure that the project has the blessing of the community. The group have heard the concerns of the neighbouring residents regarding noise and are being proactive by hiring an acoustical engineer to help them design the property and ensuring that any noise emanating from property is minimal. The Wellington Hotel team does have plans to build year-round cottages on the property—which will be relatively close to the backyards of a few neighbours—but Matt Buckingham insists that they are taking their time and making sure that all efforts are being made before they commit to anything.

“This is just the first step. These are still preliminary designs. We have not even been approved for a liquor licence yet. A lot can change and we will keep reacting and responding to the needs of the community. We live across the street and this village is our home. We want everyone to be happy.” says Matt Buckingham.

The site plan for the property at 192 Main will eventually see a spa onsite with treatment rooms available to rent at a reasonable cost for any local practitioners looking to work in the village. The site will also see the transporting of the old cannery office from the back of the property to the front on Main St. It will house a new Italian mercato created by local food favourite Enid Grace.

Although the Buckinghams are not from the County originally, both have histories that endear them to the County. Matt grew up in Ottawa and his family would regularly vacation at Sandbanks Provincial Park and he has very fond memories of his time spent there. When Matt and Kelly got together, Kelly was brought out here by Matt one day eight years ago and immediately felt a connection to the place.

“I grew up in the countryside in England and spent most of my young life in a rural setting. When I first came to the County it took me back to when I was a kid. Matt and I kept coming back to the County and it quickly became our favourite place to be. We always thought it would be great to live here and raise a family. We consider ourselves very lucky to finally be out here,”

Exterior progress at the Wellington Hotel. Photo: Barry Norton.

Matt and Kelly’s story is not unlike many other couples and young families looking to get out of the city. The two together have over twenty years experience working in the finance industry in Toronto, and like others in their position, the corporate grind was getting to them and they knew that eventually they needed to get out. The couple spent the five years exploring options on what to do and how to get out of the rat race. What they eventually decided on had to do with getting back to their roots and doing what they love. Both have a love for restoring old homes. Matt has an extensive woodworking background and is the one that is leading the charge onsite at The Wellington Hotel. But he was also in the food and beverage industry, constantly working every position imaginable to put himself through school. From pastry chef to dining room server, Matt’s done it all.

Kelly spent time in the Wellness industry before her career in finance. She worked at a Wellness centre for years that had a yoga studio as well as naturopathic medicine and a spa. She worked her way up to the business development manager at the wellness centre and the skills she learned working in that industry will serve her well when the spa eventually opens onsite.

Eventually, the Buckinghams will be joined by their partners Jay and Kelly Sinclair, who also have plans to move to the County permanently and help run the day to day operations of the hotel. They are heavily focused on buying local and using local services to get the hotel to the finish line. Once opened, they will strive to be as locally driven as possible regarding their food offerings. They also have plans to offer affordable staff accommodations onsite for employees of the hotel.

The minor issues that the team face now can be endured by sticking to their guns and making sure they keep the community around them foremost in their mind. They can’t do anything about what people say, whether it’s positive or negative. They have a goal to make this establishment one that the village will be proud of—and with hard work and determination, they will get there.