Farm groups have lined up to support Cargill’s opposition to residential developments near its grain terminal in Sarnia.
Cargill fears locating residents near the terminal will result in complaints about noise, dust and traffic.
But Sarnia council has gone ahead and amended its official plan and zoning bylaw to allow Tricar to build a 14-storey apartment.
Other developers who want to build housing nearby are waiting to see how the province will respond to Cargill’s request for a ministerial zoning order to block the residential developments.
Among the farm groups supporting Cargill’s application are the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, several of its nearby county federation of agriculture and the Christian Farners Federation of Ontario.
So far Grain Farmers and the National Farmers Union have not issued public statements.
Drew Spoelstra, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, wrote to Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing calling Cargill/’s grain termibal "a critical component of Ontario’s agri-food network and export infrastructure."
Before Flack was elected to the legislature, he headed Masterfeeds.
"As one of only a limited number of export grain terminals in southern Ontario, the facility plays a critical role in supporting Ontario farmers, food production, global trade and agricultural supply chain resilience," said Spoelstra.
"The terminal handles approximately 35 per cent of Ontario’s export grain capacity and supports the movement of millions of tonnes of wheat, soybeans, and corn annually, while also receiving fertilizer inputs essential to agricultural production across nearly 400,000 acres of farmland in southwestern Ontario."
"As identified in similar land use compatibility concerns involving the Ontario Food Terminal in Toronto, incompatible residential encroachment near critical agri-food infrastructure creates significant operational risks and long-term uncertainty," Spoelstra said.
"Supporters of the Ontario Food Terminal MZO correctly recognized that introducing sensitive land uses adjacent to essential food distribution infrastructure can lead to complaints related to noise, traffic, odour, dust, and around-the-clock logistics activity, ultimately threatening the continued successful operation of those facilities."
Spoelstra said the same concerns are "directly applicable in Sarnia.
