Land deal ends ED-19 landfill permanently
SPENCERVILLE – For nearly 25 years, the threat of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal hosting a giant landfill has loomed large on the rural municipality. Despite the environmental certificate for the mega-dump, known as ED-19, being revoked in 2019, there stood a chance that plans could be reactivated. That ended last week as the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville approved the sale of the approximately 600 acre parcel of land to the Township of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal.
The $1,885,500 purchase – while ending the landfill once and for all – will also give the township control over its own destiny said Mayor Tory Deschamps.
“Once we knew the land could be available to purchase from [The Counties], the key for Edwardsburgh-Cardinal was to get the land under Edwardsburgh-Cardinal’s control,” he explained. “We wanted to make sure that Edwardsburgh-Cardinal had control of how the township develops, and to make sure we would never become home to another mega-dumpsite.”
Originally planned in the early 1990s, ED19 was to be a massive landfill for Leeds and Grenville, along with the separated town of Prescott, and the City of Brockville.
Located on the west end of Byers Road, between Highway 416 and Shanley Road, the project faced extensive opposition from residents and environmental groups. Operations and transportation costs for the mega-dump exceeded the financial benefit of the landfill, so Leeds and Grenville did not move forward on the project.
Ontario’s Ministry of Environment revoked its Environmental Compliance Approval in 2019.
Deschamps said in securing the lands, it will secure the future for his township.
“We believe that only Edwardsburgh-Cardinal really should be in control of how Edwardsburgh-Cardinal,” the mayor explained. “The first thing was to own the land, that was the goal. Next and honestly, as of right now we are looking at all options – there are so many possibilities. What we know is that the 600-plus acres has gigantic potential.”
Among the options the municipality could choose from is using some of the land as agricultural land, some for conservation, potential housing development including some form of affordable housing, and industrial development. Edwardsburgh-Cardinal has sold out of land in its industrial parks, but still has potential investors knocking at their doors.
“We constantly have the St. Lawrence Economic Development Corridor bringing potential investors to our area,” said Deschamps. “We haven’t had land to sell to investors. This land gives us the ability to create generational security if we can attract the right investor.”
He added that there are no immediate plans for the land, and that it could take several years before anything is done with the land.
“It is part of a longer-term plan to make sure that we have a diverse economy that has good paying jobs and the ability to purchase a home for an affordable price.”
Buying the ED-19 lands is not the only land acquisition that Deschamps has his sights on for the township. It continues to pursue buying the 10,000 acre Edwardsburgh Land Bank currently owned by the province. The land was bought from farmers in the 1950s and early 1960s for potential industrial development linked with the St. Lawrence Seaway project opening. For nearly 10 years the township has tried to buy the land, with plans at the time to keep some of the land for industrial development and the balance to be sold to farmers.
“While we haven’t been successful over the last several years of completing this additional purchase, it really is just a matter of time,” said Deschamps. The ED-19 property fits in with the acreage Edwardsburgh Land Bank. “If we manage to complete the land bank purchase it will cement the long term vitality of our township creating so many possibilities.”
Phillip Blancher, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Morrisburg Leader
