Yes to Innisfil’s employment lands expansion onto Class 1 and 2 agricultural land

By Kate Harries AWARE News Network August 15 2012

A Simcoe County committee has lent support to Severn Mayor Steve Burkett in his desire to ensure solar farms don’t get built on prime farmland, while backing Innisfil Council’s desire to expand employment lands on to Class 1 and 2 agricultural land. 

Today, members of the corporate service committee voted continued support for the expansion of the Innisfil Heights employment lands. 

Innisfil CAO John Skorobohacz told committee members that the expansion is needed to make justify high servicing costs for the area on both sides of Highway 400 south of Barrie – $35 million for water and $30 million for waste water.

Questioned by Adjala-Tosorontio Mayor Tom Walsh, Skorobohacz confirmed that the expansion would be on Class 1 and 2 agricultural lands. 

He said there is resistance from bureaucrats within the Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure to extending the employment area further south. Innisfil would like to see the extension to at least between the 6th and 7th line, and preferably down to the 5th, he said. 

He added that the assistance of Provincial Development Facilitator Paula Dill has been requested.

Warden Cal Patterson said the PDF needs to be involved in both the Midhurst and the Innisfil Heights situations. 

The employment lands expansion was approved in 2009 by previous Innisfil and Simcoe County councils but is presently in abeyance. Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli has the power, under Amendment 1 to Places to Grow, to set the boundaries to employment lands by sending a letter to the municipality – and that is anticipated soon. 

Essa Mayor Terry Dowdall and Penetanguishene Mayor Gerry Marshall expressed concern about congestion on Highway 400 if the plan goes ahead. Collingwood Deputy Mayor Rick Lloyd expressed support for jobs within a 35-minute drive of his town. 

Committee members voted unanimously to back the expansion. 

Committee members also voted unanimously to get staff working on an issue that has been a thorn in the side of Severn’s mayor. 

Burkett told the committee how he had been refused site-specific soil studies for two Recurrent Energy projects in Waubashene – soil studies that are required under the Green Energy Act in situations where there is a mix of classifications under the Canada Land Inventory. The CL inventory dates back to the 1960s and is widely held to be out of date and incomplete. 

Burkett pointed out that as part of the Official Plan, he has a responsibility to protect Class 1 and 2 agricultural lands. 

Both Recurrent Energy and the Ontario Power Authority – which oversees the approvals process – have told Burkett that the soil studies on the Waubashene lands are confidential. 

Burkett said a soil summary report from Colville Consulting of Guelph has been made public, but the consultant did not go near the properties, relying only on CL inventory data obtained from the Simcoe County archives. They show a mix of Classes 3, 5, and 7 on the Waubashene lands – triggering the Green Energy Act requirement for site-specific studies.

Midland Deputy Mayor Stephan Kramp said that in a situation where a mayor of a lower-tier municipality has difficulty getting answers, it’s part of the function of the County of Simcoe to assist. 

Rick Newlove, manager of engineering, planning and rnvironment, will investigate access to site-specific soil studies.