Dear Friends,
We have just learned that the Council of the Municipality of Grey Highlands is voting to confirm the conditional sale of the upper and lower Talisman lands at their Council meeting on Wednesday February 2nd – this week…yes, that is 2 days away!
The golf course at Talisman (75 acres) is being sold for $1 million and the upper rural lands (59 acres) are being sold for $1.5 million. We think this is a sellout – public land is being sold for a song.
The offer is LESS than the offer made by the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy for the same lands. The EBC offer of $2,755 million and proposal to collaborate on future sustainable development was ignored by the Municipality.
The documents (including the conditions) relating to the sale can be found in the Grey Highlands council meeting agenda 9.10 and 10.6. The latter has the more pertinent documents.
Your voice needs to be heard!
Here is what you can do:
1. Register and Attend the council meeting on Wednesday at 1pm. Register here.
2. Phone and/or email the Mayor and Councillors:
Mayor McQueen: 519-375-1912 McQueenP@greyhighlands.ca
Deputy Mayor Aakash Desai: 519-477-0732 deputymayordesai@greyhighlands.ca
Councillor Paul Allen: 226-668-5724 councillorallen@greyhighlands.ca
Councillor Tom Allwood: 226-668-5632 councillorallwood@greyhighlands.ca
Councillor Cathy Little: 226-668-6160 councillorlittle@greyhighlands.ca
Councillor Dane Nielsen: 226-668-4534 councillornielsen@greyhighlands.ca
Councillor Danielle Valiquette: 226-668-6524 councillorvaliquette@greyhighlands.ca
Here are some points that you can use in your phone call or email:
- I strongly oppose the sale of the upper and lower Talisman Lands to Westway/NewCo.
- Do not pass this by-law until there is community consultation.
- These lands are part of the Niagara Escarpment and should be protected.
- Community residents have strongly expressed their desire not to see new development on these public lands.
- There is nothing in the staff report to indicate why this sale is being recommended to Council.
- Why has there not been an appraisal done by the municipality to determine the market value of these lands?
- Why were other options not considered including the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy offer of $2.775M?
Stay Tuned! Hope to see many people registered for the council meeting.
Best wishes,
Jeanette on behalf of FOBV and Protecting Talisman Lands Association