After running the camp for 14 years, Bert offered to sell the property to the Borough of North York in 1970 for $1.5 million.

At the time, the North York Board of Education was leasing the property 10 months of the year for $50,000. It is not clear whether Bert intended to continue operating the camp by leasing the property for 2 months of the year.

The proposal was reviewed according to minutes of the November 23, 1970 North York Council meeting:

North York declined the offer.

By 1976, the offer price was $2.3 million. Bert filed an application to subdivide the property and build 50 houses. Filing this proposal supports the idea that Bert was ready to recoup his land investment and close the camp. Building houses would obviously require a huge capital investment and would take years to realize profits tied to the rise in property value. Selling the land alone would obviously be easier. It is possible that Bert submitted this proposal believing this it would not be welcomed by council, giving them geater incentive to accept his offer.

In April 1977, the borough declined once again over concerns about how local residents would react to having a public park in the neighbourhood.

In 1981, a request for a zoning amendment was made to North York Council to permit the redevelopment of the site into a subdivision:

Approval was denied.

In 1986, The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority purchased the property for $3.5 million. As part of the agreement, the camp retained use of the main office building and was given a 7-year lease to continue operating through the summer of 1993. The annual lease rate was $18,000.

Efforts to renew the lease in 1991 were unsuccessful. In 1992 an offer to renew the lease was extended, however the lease rate was excessive. It was determined not to be economically viable – especially in light of recently declining enrolment.

The camp ceased operation after the summer of 1993.