The Rural Voice, 1988-04, Page 16OPPORTUNITY
or
OPPORTUNISM?
To develop or not to develop? That's the question for a rural community
in Grey County, where a well-known developer has proposed that an industrial/
commercial complex be built on 300 acres of farm land. Some residents are
fighting the proposal. Others are rolling out the red carpet ...
Soeseeitasarare
oppormtunity to rein-
vigorate a sagging
agricultural community. For
others, it's a short-term,
quick -fix plan with alarming
long-term consequences.
Opinions vary, but one thing
is certain. The industrial/
commercial complex pro-
posed for a hefty block of
land in Grey County has not
been received with unbridled
enthusiasm by the farming
population.
The family-owned com-
pany of Charles Watson, Sr.
and Charles Watson, Jr. is the
power behind the project.
The Watsons, who operate
Wat-Cha Farms and own
about 1,600 acres in
Normanby and neighbouring
Egremont Township, hope to
attract a major industry on
300 acres of their land in
Grey County, land in the
centre of a Normanby
Township farming community.
The industry itself would probably
require up to 100 acres; the rest of the
property would support commercial
facilities complementary to the indus-
try — a gas station, a coffee shop,
perhaps a bank. The land would be
sold to these businesses, although the
Watsons say they are "not ruling out a
lease option on certain portions of the
land." This proposed "Park of Com-
merce" would be located five miles
north of Mount Forest on Highway 6.
A lack of sewage and water
services would limit development to a
"dry" industry which would not use or
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discharge large volumes of water and
effluent. According to Charles
Watson, Jr., the Watsons are pursuing
an industry that would have "some-
thing of a high-tech nature." It would
not only have to meet govemment
regulations, he says, but additional
standards that the Watsons have set.
But the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture and Food (OMAF),
worried about preserving agricultural
land and reducing rural/urban conflict,
is standing firm in its opposition to the
Wat-Cha proposal. The Grey County
Federation of Agriculture, while it
supports development in south Grey,
is saying that the Park of
Commerce should be located
elsewhere. Near an urban
area, the federation argues,
there is less conflict with
farm operations and the
services needed to avoid
environmental problems are
available. The Christian
Farmers Federation of
Ontario, with its track record
of dedication to the preser-
vation of food land and the
farmer's right to farm, has
also voiced concern. Local
politicians, meanwhile, have
thrown their support behind
the Wat-Cha proposal. They
are asserting that new jobs
and a healthier tax base are
definitive attractions.
A sixth group, made up
of local ratepayers who call
themselves Citizens for the
Protection of the Environ-
ment and Foodland (CPEF)
is contending that the loss of
agricultural land is only part
of the problem. Members say that the
proposal undermines the aims of the
region's official plan, could lead to
environmental problems in the long
run, and is likely to interfere with the
surrounding farm community.
The issue is difficult to resolve,
and the dissenting voices involved in
the debate are a long way from
harmonizing.
According to Charles Watson, Jr.,
the development would generate
between 1,000 and 2,000 jobs. He
sees it as a contribution to the local
economy, and as an incentive for rural
youth, who would otherwise migrate,
14 THE RURAL VOICE