The farming community in Wellington County is rallying behind a rare proposal for a new flour mill in Guelph-Eramosa Township.
“This $18.5-million investment will have an immediate impact for local farmers,” said David Parker, president of the Wellington Federation of Agriculture. He called the proposal great News, especially considering the current state of the economy.
LVB Milling has proposed a flour mill on a 13.2 acre land-locked property southeast of the intersection of Marden Road and County Road 39, and directly east of the Guelph Junction Railroad.
The proposal, which will require a zoning bylaw amendment and official plan amendment, includes the mill itself, a warehouse and grain elevator, eight silos, a truck scale and an on-site storm water management pond.
LVB President Andreas Boersch said about 25 trucks per day will access the property from the intersection of Woodlawn and Edinburgh Roads in Guelph, although 70% of the final product will exit the property via the existing Guelph Junction railway line.
Township planner Bernie Hermsen, of MHBC Planning, called the proposed mill a vital “bridge” between local farms and the final market.
“In our opinion the use supports the agricultural community,” Hermsen said on Monday night.
Boersch told a packed gallery his company chose the location because of the mill’s “unique requirements for infrastructure” – namely, the rail line – and also because of the county’s strong agricultural base.
He explained the “state-of-the-art” flour mill will employ about 25 to 30 people and process about 180,000 metric tonnes of wheat per year, a third of which will come from local farms.
At current grain prices, that means an annual boost to the local economy of about $14-million in wheat alone, plus other economic spin-offs, including outside job creation, a boom to the trucking industry and more, Boersch added.
And that is very good News for about 600 local wheat producers, said Henry Van Ankum, a Mapleton farmer and vice chairman of the Ontario Wheat Producers Marketing Board.
Currently, about two-thirds of all Ontario wheat is exported for processing, Van Ankum told council. He estimated the proposed mill will save local farmers an average of about $30 per tonne, or a total of about $1.6-million.
Gord Surgeoner, president of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, was also among those who spoke in favour of the proposed mill.
“This, to me, is an economic engine,” Surgeoner said.
It seemed the only person at the meeting not offering blanket approval was Father James Profit, director at the adjacent Guelph Ignatius Jesuit Centre, who is concerned the mill may impact the “silence and solitude” on the centre’s property.
Given his experience during the centre’s long battle with the nearby Wal-Mart, Profit said he is not requesting a noise study, which measures noise levels at the nearest building – in this case over 300 metres away – and will likely show a negligible impact.
He stressed he is neither opposed nor in favour of the mill proposal, but he is worried approval could set a precedent for other developments.
“I strongly object to any future development that will increase urban sprawl in the area,” Profit said.
Hermsen told Profit that Guelph-Eramosa already has a bylaw that discourages any development within one kilometre of the city-township border.
“The only reason we’re considering this is because it’s a very unique situation for the agricultural community,” Hermsen said.
Most Ontario flour mills are decades old – a few have been around for more than a century – and new mills are rarely proposed.
Wheat currently produced in Wellington County is either exported or sent to mills elsewhere in Ontario, including Mississauga, Cambridge, Hanover, and Midland.
Councillor John Scott called the proposal “a win-win for farmers and producers.”
Councillor Doug Breen, who is also the chairman of the township’s trail committee, said he does not think a trail that will run beside the mill’s driveway is much of an impediment at all.
Breen said it would be nice to have the Jesuit centre on board, but he thinks it would be “irresponsible” if the township did not proceed with the application.
Councillor Reta Moyer also expressed concern for the Jesuit centre, but Mayor Chris White loves the idea of the mill, particularly considering the current economic outlook.
“I think this is fantastic for our township,” White said.
However, council voted unanimously to defer its decision until the applicant can provide additional required information.
Among the items the township requested are a justification for the removal of land from a prime agricultural area, an addendum to stormwater management plans and compliance with Ministry of the Environment guidelines for noise and dust, as applied to the Jesuit centre.
After the public meeting several councillors told Boersch they were very supportive of the proposal, but wanted to ensure everything is in place before granting approval.
