County council splits up Site 41, ignores Shotyk’s request

By Kate Harries AWARE Simcoe June 29 2011

Simcoe County Council may have closed the door on hopes that it will facilitate the establishment of a world-class research centre in Tiny Township.

But supporters of proponent Dr. William Shotyk say the plan to study the purest water known to science has the potential for major benefits for humanity, and they will continue to look for ways of making it a reality.

Council’s decision yesterday ignored Shotyk’s request last month that the county retain ownership of the whole property – leasing it out until he can put partnerships and a complete business plan together. The process would take up to two years, he told council.

Instead, councillors voted to put the 250-acre agricultural portion of the land up for sale August 31, notifying adjacent landowners and Shotyk. If no offers are received by December 31, the parcels will be listed with the county’s real estate broker.

Councillors also voted to retain the central 86-acre portion which contains dump infrastructure until March 15, 2012, by which time they hope Shotyk can present an acceptable business plan. If he doesn’t, they will put that parcel up for sale.

Shotyk has not responded to council’s decision, but Stephen Ogden, who has worked on a clean monitoring laboratory on Shotyk’s Springwater Township farm, said he’s disappointed councillors have not allowed the time requested. 

“They’ve boxed him in,” Ogden said, pointing out that in order to bid on the agricultural land, Shotyk would have to have a business plan and partners in place within a couple of months – at a time of onerous academic responsibilities.

“He’s done so much, but he can’t finalize the project in that time-frame,” Ogden said, adding that he and other supporters are working on a plan that would provide a chance of success for the project.

Ogden said that for local farmers to be growing cash crops at Site 41 is certainly much better than the option faced two years ago – a landfill site. 

“It’s just that we’ve been offered a much bigger slice of the pie. We could put this in place for our kids, our grandkids to be proud of. I don’t think they (councillors) understand what it takes to get a world-class facility. 

“How could we possibly throw this out? The land can be leased out and if this doesn’t work out, it can be sold – we have nothing to lose by allowing him the opportunity to realize his vision.”

The unanimous vote by council was observed by a fraction of the more than 50 supporters who came to hear the proceedings. Most left disappointed when the discussion was moved behind closed doors in a session that lasted more than two hours. A staff report on property disposition was made public, but another confidential staff report on the issue was kept secret. 

It’s likely that the in-camera debate was vigorous. Some councillors have said they favour selling the lands immediately. Others support the local farmers who want to buy the arable parcels. 

Those councillors who support Shotyk’s plan felt they had achieved a reasonable compromise.

“I believe what the county is proposing will reconcile the Site 41 forces with the county,” Midland Deputy Mayor Stephan Kramp told the Barrie Examiner. “It is a very good resolution that will move us into the future in a positive manner.” 

They are apparently confident that Shotyk’s project can succeed on the central disturbed portion alone, even though he has stressed that it cannot – or that he can almost immediately raise the $1 million-plus to buy the land and take on the costs of ownership.

Councillors also voted to investigate placing a conservation/agricultural easement on the lands.

Shotyk is head of the Earth Sciences Institute at the University of Heidelberg. He has studied the water in the Site 41 area for 20 years, and his findings with regard to its exceptional purity were peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Environmental Monitoring last year. 

Shotyk first outlined his idea to council’s performance management committee on March 10. “We have a kind of water ‘Utopia’ and we wish to better understand the how and why of the purification process, as well as its significance and possible applications,” Shotyk told councillors.

He then made a more extensive presentation to full council May 24.

Unfortunately, unknown to Shotyk and the public, all of council had already voted behind closed doors in April to split the land up and sell most of it. It appears that incorrect information came out of the performance management committee meeting – including that Shotyk’s request was for a 10-acre parcel – and was presented in camera. 

As recently as last week, Warden Cal Patterson was saying in interviews on television and radio that Shotyk in his initial presentation had asked for only 10 acres of the property.  Shotyk didn’t learn of that misapprehension until this week and moved quickly to email councillors on Monday that the 10-acre figure did not come from him and he had not specified an area in March.

But by May 24, with expressions of support from several leading international water and agricultural specialists, he was unequivocal. In response to a question from a councillor as to whether the central, disturbed area would suffice, he said no. He explained that the agricultural research would be an integral part of the water research, and the whole property would be needed for a financially viable project.

Members of the public attending the May 24 meeting could not have known that the decision to sell most of the land had already been made.

The April 26 resolution stated “that the recommendation contained in Confidential Item CO 11-011, regarding proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land, be approved.” 

There was no indication that Site 41 lands were in question, or what the plan would be. 

A resulting public notice on June 9 declaring the lands surplus and available for sale took Shotyk supporters by surprise and sparked an outcry.