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Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant (incorporated as 1518756 Ontario Inc.) was a restaurant and banquet hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For most of its existence it was located in the MS ''Jadran'' a former Adriatic passenger ship that was permanently docked at the foot of Yonge Street at 1 Queen's Quay West on Toronto's waterfront. The ship was moored off on a small laneway at the foot of Yonge Street called Captain John's Pier. Once a prestige destination, the restaurant was open every day of the year, including all major holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Day, for almost 40 years. When it opened, the waterfront was an industrial portland. The Harbourfront redevelopment turned the area into a recreational destination for residents and tourists and a residential neighbourhood, Captain John's helped begin a gentrification process that ultimately claimed it as a victim.〔〔 ==History== The restaurant was owned and operated by John Letnik, who came to Canada as a refugee from FPR Yugoslavia in 1957.〔 *〕 Letnik found work at an Etobicoke country club and ultimately becoming its chef before opening his own restaurant in 1961, the Pop Inn at Dundas and McCaul which he ran for seven years. He came up with the idea of opening an on board restaurant while travelling to Europe via ship in the late 1960s to visit relatives.〔 He opened Toronto's first floating restaurant aboard the in 1970. The ''Normac'' had served several years as a fire boat with the Detroit Fire Department and then as a ferry that traveled between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island. In 1975, Letnik bought the larger ''Jadran'' from the Yugoslav government for $1 million and moored it alongside the ''Normac'', operating it as a second restaurant.〔 The ''Jadran'' was one of three luxury cruise ships built in Split in 1957; it was one of 3 “J” Class passenger ferries built for Jadrolinija (Jadranska Linijska Plovidba company) at the Brodogradiliste shipyard; its sister ships being MS Jugoslavija and MS Jedinstvo.〔http://www.ssmaritime.com/MS-Jadran-and-Sisters.htm〕 For several years the Jadran operated as a luxury cruise ship in the Adriatic and Aegean seas〔 and later served as a private ocean going presidential yacht for Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito and his entourage. The floating ships were one of the first attractions in the area that became known as Harbourfront and was a pioneer in the waterfront's transformation from an industrial port to a recreational, artistic and residential area and tourist attraction.〔 As well as being its owner, Letnik also served as one of its chefs.〔 In 1976, Captain John's was the site of the first CHIN Radio annual bikini contest. The event was held at the restaurant again in 1977 before moving to Toronto Island the next year as part of the annual CHIN picnic.〔 On June 2, 1981 the ''Normac'' was struck by the ''Trillium'', a ferry operated by Metro Toronto Parks. The crash was caused by a mechanical failure aboard the ''Trillium'' which prevented the engine from reversing to slow down. The crash occurred at relatively slow speed, as the ''Trillium'' was in the midst of attempting to dock.〔''Letnik v Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto'', () FCJ No 238 (FCTD), rev'd in part () 2 FC 399, 49 DLR (4th) 707 (Fed CA).〕 None of the 132 passengers aboard the ''Trillium'' nor the 290 diners aboard the ''Normac'' were injured.〔〔 Repairs were immediately made to the ''Normac'', and for two weeks no leak was observed on board.〔 However, on June 16, 1981, the ''Normac'' suddenly sank.〔 This set off a long legal battle between Letnik and the city. The Federal Court initially ruled in favour of the city, as Letnik could not prove the collision caused the sinking, and because he failed to properly maintain the boat after converting it into a restaurant.〔 This decision was overturned on appeal, and Letnik was awarded damages,〔 though reportedly not enough to compensate for the destruction. While the legal battle was ongoing, the Toronto Harbor Commission ordered Letnik to remove the ''Normac'' from its resting site. Thus, in 1986, on the fifth anniversary of its sinking, the vessel was raised at an estimated cost of $100,000.〔 The ''Normac'' was later refurbished and served as a floating restaurant in other communities. The ''Jadran'' was the sole home of Captain John's after then. In the 1970s and 1980s, the floating restaurant attracted prominent diners such as Bob Hope,〔 Brian Mulroney, Mel Lastman, Robert Campeau, The Village People and Steve Stavro, and was a sought after location for weddings, bar mitzvahs and other events.〔 However, in its latter years it lost favour as the city's gastronomical scene became more sophisticated and diverse and by 2002 Letnik was seeking bankruptcy protection〔 Later reviews from local papers rated its culinary fare as average,〔Davey, Steven (July 10, 2003). ("Abandon ship Waterside hideaway." ) (Now Toronto Magazine ). Accessed December 2011.〕 despite the restaurant's boasts of having "the best seafood in town!" reviews by patrons were decidedly mixed. The restaurant's clientele was primarily tourists with many bus tours stopping at the venue, as well as wedding receptions, bar mitzvahs and other parties. By the twenty-first century, Captain John's was viewed by some as an out-of-date eyesore hurting the view from and the property values of a neighbouring condominium development. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Captain John's Harbour Boat Restaurant」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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