Sideroad 22 Sale Map (Image from Meaford Council report)
Meaford’s Committee of the Whole is deferring a motion to approve the sale of a section of Sideroad 22 to pump water from Georgian Bay to a private apple orchard, until alternative options are brought back.
During a meeting on April 17, the committee received a report from Clerk and Director of Community Services Matt Smith. It recommended approving in principle the sale of the road east of Lakeshore Road North and send a letter of intent to sell land to the proponent for a permit to take water from Georgian Bay.
The report says in 2021, Meaford was approached by representatives of Longfield Farms, an apple-grower with land north of Highway 26 and west of 7th Line.
The business owner is looking to purchase part of Sideroad 22 for the installation of a water pumphouse, the area in question, however, is currently an open road and provides access to South Georgian Bay Road.
The pumphouse would allow the proponent to take water from Georgian Bay and pipe it to their orchards for irrigation purposes.
“Staff believe that facilitating Longfield Farm’s access to Georgian Bay has an economic development benefit as it will allow its business to continue to expand,” says the report.
By selling to the proponent, they will be able to obtain a permit to take water from Georgian Bay, and once the permit is obtained, the proponent will be able to further deign a pumphouse based on the volume of water permitted, and will install water piping along Sideroad 22, accessing property at the intersection at the 7th Line.
The committee was presented four options for moving forward, either move ahead with the sale of Sideroad 22, lease a section of Sideroad 22 or part of St. Vincent Park, or decline the offer.
During the meeting council received a number of deputations from residents on this item, voicing their objection.
Coun. Harley Greenfield quickly proposed deferring any decision on the sale of the land, which was supported by Coun. Rob Uhrig.
“It does concern me an orchard is going to require to a direct conduit to Georgian Bay when all these other orchards, and many still exist, somehow manage to find other sources of water and succeed quite well,” says Uhrig. “Plopping a industrial pumping station in the middle of a residential area also concerns me, not to mention how it is going to get from that pumping station to said orchards.”
Coun. Steven Bartley added while he does not have an issue of water being taken out of Georgian Bay for agriculture, he does have an issue with shutting down access to a road.
“I know how you need it to get there, to get to your septic systems, you need it to get to your wells, and I have no intentions of shutting that off. If there is a way we could take water out of Georgian Bay and still have access to it, I’d like to hear it,” says Bartley.
Greenfield’s motion was adjusted to later include having staff bring back this item, only when solutions to their concerns are addressed.