Protecting the rural landscape.
Urban sprawl and industrial development threaten our rural community.
Our goal is protect the essence of our community and maintain our rural integrity, while supporting responsible and sustainable growth.
Help us continue the fight
Our small neighbourhood group has recently sought reinforcements to support our concerns. Help Protect Puslinch has retained Donnelly Law. They are a firm that specializes in working with citizen groups on land use planning matters and have been very successful on similar applications in our area.
We are also working with Small Change Fund to support building funds to pay for the lawyer fees. Small Change Fund is a registered charity where grassroots groups can get crowdfunding help and coaching support.
Danby Applies for a Minister’s Zoning Order
What is a MZO?
What is an A Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) is a powerful land use control mechanism that enables the Ontario government to unilaterally decide how land is used and developed by bypassing local municipal planning and public consultation processes required under the Planning Act for Land Development.
They are issued by the provincial government, override the local zoning by-law and don’t have to follow the policies in the Official Plan.
Why is this concerning?
MZOs remove any and all controls that local government has over the development of their communities. It takes away the power of the people and gives the power to developers by:
NOT requiring public notice
NOT requiring public consultation
NOT requiring an Official Plan Ammendment
NOT requiring alignment with the Provincial Planning Statement
Prohibiting appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal
The Ford government has been accused of corruption over its use of MZOs at an unprecedented rate to fast-track developments, many favouring developers close to the PC Party of Ontario. Between 2019 to 2023 the Ford government issued 114 orders over 4 years compared to the Liberal government’s 18 orders over 15 years, a 17x increase.
How you can help
Help Protect Puslinch is working with our new support team and will release information soon on the next steps. In the meantime, please consider making a donation to help us with these efforts.
Thank You!
A big thank you to those who came out, in person and online, to the Public Information Meeting on November 19th.
Check out the article in Guelph Today
Notice of Application OP-2025-01
Puslinch Developments GP Inc. (Estill) has submitted an application to redesignate the majority of the lands at 4631 Sideroad 20N from Secondary Agricultural to Rural Employment Area.
An application has also been submitted to the Township of Puslinch for a Zoning By-law Amendment
This does not mean that anything is accepted, it just means that the required paperwork has been submitted by their team. The Township and the County are now reviewing this application. The proposed development consists of three industrial-use buildings with a total of 36 loading bays for shipping and receiving activities, a gym, and a daycare. The development will also include a stormwater management pond, a septic field, and a wetland as per their application.
Click here to review the full application.
How You Can Help
Email County and Township Officials: Get on record and receive updates. Click the link below for a template to use.
Attend the Open Houses: Get informed and share your views directly with Council.
Spread the Word: Follow us and and share on Facebook and Instagram (@protectpuslinsh)
Join Our Mailing List: Sign up here
Connect With Us: Partner or share ideas to grow awareness.
Additional Resources
Have Your Say - Sign the Petition
We need your support to strengthen our case!
If you're attending the Open House, please sign the paper copy of the petition. Having physical signatures is especially valuable — it carries more weight and will be admirable in court if we need to go before the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
Can’t make it in person? No problem. You can still help by signing the online petition. This version will be submitted as part of our delegation to the County and Township Councils, showing broad community support.
This is a land study to identify additional employment land in Puslinch. We would like sustainable growth while maintaining the rural landscape and protection of our environmental sensitive lands. Get all the facts and lets have a say in how our community is developed. Help protect rural Puslinch! We need to put employment lands in suitable areas.
Puslinch by Design Study
A proposal that threatens to take over 60 acres of secondary agriculture land (of which only 6 acres are zoned commercial/industrial). It will be a large scale industrial project that would be home to 600 employees and constant truck traffic on roads not suitable for such. It will change the fabric of our community. It would for sure be a good thing in the right place.
Say No to Light Pollution
Say No to Noise Pollution
Say No to Excessive Traffic
Protect Farmland & Environmentally Sensitive Lands
Despite the Puslinch by Design Study recommending that B and C are not suitable for industrial developments, Estill is still going through with sending an application into the county to get zoning changed for his parcel of land, Concession 4 and Sideroad 20 (B and C).
We cannot allow this to happen. It would set a precedent for the entire area that developers and speculators can just do whatever they what wherever they want.
Estill Industrial Park
Hwy 6/Hanlon Expressway Overpass
Phase 2 of this project is under construction at the very moment, which will change the way we get on and off the Hanlon at various spots along with land use changes to industrial surrounding the area.
Completed!
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead
Let’s come together as a community and plan our future.
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