
By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
NANTICOKE—The first of two public consultation meetings, the result of Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley’s ‘Say No To The MZO’ campaign promise, has taken place. The meeting gave registered participants five minutes to share their thoughts – for or against the Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) in Nanticoke – directly with Haldimand Council. If approved, the Nanticoke development would eventually double Haldimand’s population with a new community, complete with residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
Mayor Bentley started the consultation with a statement on the County’s actions so far, calling it a “privately initiated project by Empire Communities that encompasses 7,200 hectares, or 4,200 acres of total land area, of which 60% would be residential land development to accommodate up to 15,000 residential units and 40,000 new residents. 40% of the total land area would be for employment, recreational, wastewater treatment plant, and an extension of the natural gas infrastructure and capacity to the area.”
She continued, “Some have asked why the MZO was utilized for this project and why it did not go through a planning application process. The primary reason is that the Nanticoke proposal deviates from provincial planning policy. A proposal of this scale and size requires provincial support.… In other words, there is no public application process that is suitable for this proposal. The MZO was the only process for the previous Council to initiate the evaluation of the proposal, to consider it on its merits.”
Bentley said that the MZO currently remains in the hands of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, adding, “There has been no signal to the County of a decision forthcoming or direct consultation between the Province and County staff as it relates to the decision-making process.… In fact, we have the understanding that the Minister is withholding any decision until the completion of this consultation and further input from County Council relative to its support of the MZO.”
The first registrant to speak was Cheryl Coats, a 50-year-plus Nanticoke resident who launched an impassioned defense of the County’s MZO request and targeted former MPP Toby Barrett, claiming he is responsible for circulating misinformation on social media “designed to create local hysteria.”
She argued that the MZO, used in partnership with the County, will allow local priorities to remain at the forefront. Coats also argued against some of the well-circulated local talking points surrounding the proposal, noting, “The report of an increase to 40,000 is very misleading…. It would take over 50 years to realize 15,000 units.”
Coats was followed by Barrett, who said that the community at large does not support the development, citing an 82% opposition rate he saw in correspondence while still in office.
“The MZO planning tool allows the Minister to directly zone lands for specific purpose, without the usual public planning application process or appeal period. A decision of this magnitude, close to doubling the population of Haldimand County in one city close to Stelco and Port Dover, a decision reached in three weeks without consulting the citizens of the area, it doesn’t end well,” said Barrett. “A city of this magnitude goes against the wishes of the people…. People do not want this MZO going forward, and they do not want any people living in the Nanticoke Industrial Park. The MPP and mayoral elections were won on a platform of opposing the MZO, and opposing the city of 40,000.”
He asked Haldimand’s councillors if they would “buy a house next to a massive blast furnace,” noting that he fielded complaints about Stelco from Nanticoke residents for the length of his career. He added, “Putting family and houses in heavy industry is insane.”
He said the potential loss of Stelco and other heavy industry operators in the area would be devastating, noting, “We cannot lose something like this…. They’re key to our industrialized society in Canada. That Stelco dock can ship steel to anywhere in the world, but our steel mill needs the continued guarantee and vehement protection that is in Haldimand County’s Official Plan.”
Once his time ran out, Council had their turn to ask Barrett questions, with Councillors John Metcalfe and Dan Lawrence questioning Barrett over his opposition to development in Nanticoke following years of advocating for a similar community in nearby Townsend.
“Do you still support taking that farmland around Townsend, or this industrial land?” asked Metcalfe.
Councillor Rob Shirton also took Barrett to task, stating, “I think you’ve done more damage to Haldimand County in the last year than you did positive in the 25 years you were MPP.”
He asked Barrett why he had not mentioned the planned light industrial land in the development, which would separate any residential blocks from Nanticoke’s heavy industrial park.
“I don’t mind information being out there, but I don’t like propaganda instead of facts,” said Shirton.
Barrett refuted the propaganda claim, sticking to his guns: “The big concern is if you put a lot of families near an industrial park, complaints are going to force Stelco out of here.… That land is designated for dirty, heavy industry, the kind you can’t really put anywhere else.”
Registrant Ben Tucci, a former councillor himself with 17 years of experience in Cambridge, said that the general public is missing important information about the MZO.
“You’ve got to educate the people, because the people in opposition have done a fairly good job of getting their message, such as it is, out there,” said Tucci, referring to the several conditions attached to the County’s original MZO request that paint a clearer picture of what the previous Council was attempting to accomplish (see letter on Page 5).
He read verbatim from the County’s list of conditions included with the request, which include technical evaluation, financial impact analysis, public consultation, and subsequent Council support of detailed plans. Any provincial approval would remain conditional until the completion and local approval of a master plan, to be fully informed by public consultation.
“This is not fly by night,” said Tucci.
Lisa Iesse, a reporter with the Turtle Island News, requested clarity on any engagement that may have happened between the County and the local First Nations communities about the land, noting that Six Nations have expressed interest in the land.
County CAO Craig Manley replied, “We have a practice and agreement in place called the Grand River Notification Agreement. When we receive proposals, we circulate those proposals to Six Nations. I’m also aware this proposal has at least been sent to Mississaugas of the Credit.… It would be expected there would be more engagement if and when the Province decided whether this will get past the starting point or not.”
He continued, “At this point in time there has been no decision. There is no proposal – the Province hasn’t moved forward. If the Province says yes, the municipality fully intends to engage with First Nations communities.”
The remaining participants shared similar sentiments to those above, with no clear consensus amongst the participants seemingly reached by the end. Council will be given a report and breakdown of the consultation, in addition to the second, in-person consultation planned for April 27. Those reports will be taken into consideration and will help inform any decision on whether or not Council decides to withdraw their MZO request.
Stay tuned to next week’s Press for coverage of the in-person meeting.