SELKIRK—What began as a quiet summer camp in 1953 will soon echo with Sunday sermons following Haldimand County’s decision to rezone a Selkirk property for church use.
At its May 20, 2025 Council-in-Committee meeting, Haldimand County unanimously approved a zoning bylaw amendment to permit Sweets Corners Church to operate a place of worship at the Disciples Conference Grounds, located at 1899 Lakeshore Road.
The decision is a step forward for the church to begin utilizing the 49-acre site, using existing buildings and infrastructure.
Senior Planner Mark Andrews presented the planning report to Council, noting that the proposed use aligns with provincial policy and the County’s Official Plan.
No new buildings are proposed, with services to be held in the existing pavilion, originally built shortly after the property was acquired for religious use more than 70 years ago.
“The proposal is simply to add a place of worship to be used in conjunction with the existing buildings on site,” said Andrews.
The subject property, currently zoned Open Space (OS), will be redesignated to Open Space (OS.8) to include a special exception for the church use.
The property is located within the Lakeshore Node of Sweets Corners Road and was originally purchased by the Ontario Assembly of the Christian Church in 1953 to provide a space for faith-based retreats and gatherings.
Ward 5 Councillor Rob Shirton raised concerns about the standard 120-metre notification radius for rural planning applications, questioning whether it adequately reflects the realities of rural neighbourhoods, particularly when seasonal cottages are involved.
“Even if they were notified, they might not have received it yet because they haven’t been out to their cottage,” he said.
Manager of Planning Shannon VanDalen acknowledged the limitation, explaining that the current notification process follows Planning Act regulations, but could be reviewed by staff if directed by Council.
Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley echoed Shirton’s concerns, stating, “In rural areas we really need to expand that 120 metres.”
Pastor Wesley DeVries, who leads Sweets Corners Church, addressed Council to share the steps the congregation has taken to engage with the local community.
“I looked at 160 metres and realized that’s just three neighbours,” said DeVries. “So, we went 500 metres in either direction and talked to everybody.”
The response, he said, was overwhelmingly positive.
“They were all excited that a church was coming and that it wasn’t going to turn into a trailer park,” he added.
DeVries told Council that the congregation had already taken steps to evaluate and manage the potential impact of sound and traffic on neighbours.
“We had a teen challenge addictions recovery group that has a choir,” he said. “We turned up the volume a little bit. Then I called the neighbours afterwards and asked, ‘Could you hear us?’ And they said, ‘We didn’t hear a thing.’”
He also said the congregation had been advised to drive slowly and use two different routes to reach the site – Brookers Road and Sweets Corners Road.
“We’ve been … just reaffirming that we want to be the best neighbours for the people in the community,” said DeVries.
Council was supportive of the proposal, with Bentley praising the congregation’s persistence after a previous attempt to establish a new facility across the road was met with obstacles.
“I’m happy to see this application,” added Councillor Debera McKeen. “Sweets Corners Church is a very busy church. They have a large congregation.”
Ward 2 Councillor John Metcalfe agreed, noting neighbours are far enough away that they’re unlikely to be disturbed by church events: “They’re not going to be holding Woodstock-style concerts or things there. I’m happy to see this application go through today. I can support it.”
Planning staff confirmed that an existing overgrown parking area with approximately 60 spaces is being re-established for use during church services. Details will be finalized under the site plan control.
Planning staff stated that an environmental impact study and archaeological assessment were not required, given the absence of any new site disturbance, and that they received no concerns from area stakeholders.
The motion was carried unanimously. With the zoning change approved, the church can begin to move forward with its plans to establish an additional place of worship.
