We acknowledge the necessity for more economic development and additional opportunities for business growth in our community. We desire sustainability in such growth.

The initial Hanlon Creek Business Park (HCBP) plan was envisioned originally as a ‘green’ initiative, with low impact development practices aimed at preserving provincially significant wetlands and old-growth trees found in the area between Downey Road and the Hanlon Expressway.

However the latest plans are not consistent with this ‘green’ plan.  It appears that cost-effectiveness has taken priority over low impact development goals.  In the SHORT term, the plan calls for over 500 acres to be affected, of which as much as 75% may be paved or built over. This plan would dramatically effect a water catchment area which is crucial to the Downey Well and the groundwater recharge of the Paris-Galt Moraine.  The Moraine is a critical source of municipal water supply for Guelph and surrounding area. The Guelph-Puslinch Groundwater Protection Study from 2005 states that increased industrial activity in this sensitive area raises the potential for toxic materials to seep into our drinking water.

There are over 1700  trees, 60 biodiverse hedgerows, plants and up to 4 ft. of topsoil.  Bulldozers and graders will entirely disrupt the soil integrity which will be mass graded for levelling high areas  to low areas. Included in this tree count is a remnant of old-growth forest that has been identified SINCE the development plan was approved in 2005. The Sierra Club of Canada has expressed serious concerns about grading this entire site before businesses have even agreed to locate there. Other communities with similar developments in uncertain economic times have been left with costly unused “Moonscapes”. We believe that more thought should be put into the scope and planning of the HCBP so that the wetland, recharge zones and old growth forest are preserved.

The Paris-Galt Moraine has not been fully mapped. Mayor Karen Farbridge and MPP Liz Sandals requested that the Minister of the Environment protect the Moraine as it overlies Guelph’s drinking water.  We have been questioning all along the wisdom of giving our water away to commercial water bottlers in our area without properly identifying whether our water supply can sustain us through the exponential growth predicted for our city. It is important not to threaten this high quality water supply more with this plan that seems out of step with our current awareness of its potential for environmental damage?

We believe that the City is missing a golden opportunity to be an effective leader in the province by planning a development that can be sensitive to the environment while at the same time provide a sustainable economic opportunity.

Along with a number of other citizens groups, we would like to be able to bring this issue to the City of Guelph Council to help address our concerns. We were surprised and disappointed to learn that there are no plans to bring this matter back to City Council except to examine the tenders offered for the construction of the business park.  This appears to be very premature considering the current economic times and lack of excess public funds.

To us, this does not appear to be within the spirit of the City of Guelph’s mandate for transparency and accountability.

We urge you to write to Mayor Farbridge and City of Guelph councilors to ask, based on the new economic and environmental climate, that the Hanlon Creek Business Park development plans be revisited.

Mayor Farbridge: mayor@guelph.ca

Ward 1: Bob Bell bob.bell@guelph.ca, Kathleen Farrelly kathleen.farrelly@guelph.ca
Ward 2: Vicki Beard vicki.beard@guelph.ca, Ian Findlay ian.findlay@guelph.ca
Ward 3: Maggie Laidlaw maggie.laidlaw@guelph.ca, June Hofland june.hofland@guelph.ca
Ward 4: Gloria Kovach gloria.kovach@guelph.ca, Mike Salisbury mike.salisbury@guelph.ca
Ward 5: Lise Burcher lise.burcher@guelph.ca, Leanne Piper leanne.piper@guelph.ca
Ward 6: Christine Billings christine.billings@guelph.ca, Karl Wettstein karl.wettstein@guelph.ca

Don’t know your ward? Click here to see the map.

We are planning some events over the next month to gather attention to this important issue. We’ll keep you posted about it, and would appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have.

Thanks as always for your ongoing support.

For more background information on the Hanlon Creek Business Park, please see this timeline.