‘Something happening’ with recycling plant near Martyrs’ Shrine

By Michael Swan, The Catholic Register 17 January 2012

While official, political debate over plans to put an outdoor recycling yard across from Canada’s national shrine has been delayed until Feb. 1, ongoing discussions among lawyers may lead to a new home for the industrial facility before the end of this month.

Midland, Ont., Mayor Gord McKay told The Catholic Register he believed lawyers for the Jesuits, Recycling Specialties Inc. and the Town of Midland may be able to find an agreement on how to get out of plans to recycle metal, wood, cardboard, plastics and other materials on the banks of the Wye River within sight and earshot of pilgrims to Martyrs’ Shrine.

“All three parties are talking to one another through their lawyers. There’s something happening there,” said McKay. “It’s one of those things where if we’re not coming to meetings I think good things are happening.”

The mayor is not privy to the discussions and can’t say whether other locations are on the table.

The campaign against the Recycling Specialties facility has generated more than 5,700 letters opposed to the industrial development.

“In my short experience here as mayor, no, I have not seen 5,700 letters on an item,” McKay said.

Recycling Specialties Inc. president Dan Kozina said he was shocked by reaction against his company’s proposal.

“I didn’t expect that type of opposition,” he said. “We thought we had followed everything through. Unfortunately the Jesuits, I guess, weren’t informed. I thought we had informed them.”

Ontario’s Planning Act requires neighbours within 200 metres be informed of a change to zoning restrictions. The Jesuits and Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons, a provincial park, fall just outside the 200-metre requirement and therefore did not receive notification that Recycling Specialties had applied for permission to put a 1.5-hectare (3.6-acre) recycling facility in Midland’s business park. The facility required a change in zoning from highway commercial to industrial. The Jesuits and Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons didn’t find out about the zoning change until months after it had been granted in March 2010.

“We are very strict about complying with the letter of the law, but we do, wherever we can, go beyond that to make sure communication is effective,” McKay said.

McKay doesn’t believe the issue will damage Midland’s reputation as a tourist destination.

“I don’t think it has fundamentally changed how people perceive Midland,” he said. “It’s an unfortunate incident, and I think we all regard it as such that we’ve had to receive this media attention.”