On Tuesday, February 15, 2022, Municipality of Port Hope Council voted unanimously to proceed with the purchase agreement to buy more than 1300 acres of land in the Wesleyville area in Port
Hope from Ontario Power Generation (OPG). The Municipality will take ownership of the property on March 31, 2022.
“These lands open up so many opportunities for us as a community,” states Bob Sanderson, Mayor of the Municipality of Port Hope. “First and foremost, we will be able to control how we grow and meet Provincial growth targets. We will also be able to achieve many of the goals we set for ourselves in terms of heritage, cultural and environmental protection. There is truly something for everyone here and I’m so pleased that Council and staff are one hundred per cent behind this incredible multi-generational opportunity that will benefit the community beyond any of our lifetimes.”
In June 2021, Council signed a conditional purchase and sale agreement. For months, Municipal staff conducted extensive due diligence work to assess the lands and any associated risks with the sale. On February 1, following a staff report detailing the findings and recommending the Municipality purchase the property, the Committee of the Whole voted that the purchase agreement should go forward to Council for final consideration.
More than half the lands (53%) are environmentally sensitive. For the 634 acres that could be developed, the Municipality does not have any immediate plans or recommendations for how those lands will be used. An extensive public engagement process to help shape their future is targeted to begin in 2023 and will take place over years as the project progresses.
For more information about the land, the purchase agreement, and next steps, please visit www.porthope.ca/wesleyville.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
