Tay Township council recently received a primer on agricultural planning policies, prompted by an Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) decision in favour of the Southwest Fire Academy being able to use 1420 Newton St. as a fire training site.
Since their establishment in 2021, the Southwest Fire Academy at 36 Hazel St. in Waubaushene had been looking to conduct live fire training on Newton Street as part of their curriculum.
Despite assurances that the academy would be using clean burn materials and a constructed catch basin for water, opposition occurred over several years as residents raised ecological concerns that the site might have on the agricultural lands which had been unused for decades in an agricultural capacity.
The owner of the property appealed to the OLT over Tay’s decision last year to deny a temporary use application.
During the recent regular meeting of council, Todd Weatherell, the township's planning and development services manager, provided a thorough summary of what policies the township had regarding agricultural and rural properties, and their agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses, and on-farm diversified uses.
The brief slideshow presentation touched on policies from the provincial Planning Act down through to a municipality’s building permits, providing examples where necessary.
Once concluded, Mayor Ted Walker explained to attendees that the presentation was due to the fire academy and public interest, which Weatherell confirmed.
“We just got a decision... from the Ontario Land Tribunal in favour of the applicant, so Southwest Fire Academy is allowed to use the site for a training facility,” said Weatherell. “The argument in the decision… basically relied on the fact that the land can be reconverted to agricultural uses once that use ceases.”
Walker pointed out two items of interest in the report, noting within the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, ‘the retention of existing lots of record for agricultural uses is encouraged, and the use of these lots for non-agricultural uses is discouraged’; as well as the Tay Township land use policies that general agricultural uses, including structures normally accessory to an agricultural use even if not used at that time, would be considered as good agricultural lands.
“And that, maybe, is the reference that the OLT was making – that they could be reconverted,” summarized Walker.
After thanking staff for the presentation and stating that it made things “much clearer,” Walker added his final thoughts.
“I know that there will be some disappointed people out there with respect to the OLT decision,” said Walker, “but going through your report, Mr. Weatherell, I think our policies are pretty clear. Hopefully that will all work out.”
The agricultural planning policies presentation can be found in the agenda page on the Tay Township website.
Tay council meets for committee of the whole meetings every second Wednesday of the month, and regular council meetings every fourth Wednesday of the month. Archives and livestreams of council meetings are available through the Tay Township YouTube channel.
