Throughout 2024 there was no shortage of news emanating from the council chambers of the Town of The Blue Mountains and the Municipality of Grey Highlands.
This year saw a wide variety of different news stories as members of council and staff wrestled with the big issues of the day and dealt with a wide variety of public concerns.
CollingwoodToday was there to cover the issues and there were many. Here are some of our most-read stories in 2024 about Grey Highlands and The Blue Mountains.
Chapman’s Ice Cream plans huge expansion
One of the largest employers in Grey County is planning to grow. Chapman’s Ice Cream, one of Canada’s best-known brands, is planning a 175,000 square foot expansion that will employ up to 150 to 200 people when it is complete. This was huge news in Grey Highlands, across the region and Canada.
1,250 unit village proposed between Meaford and Thornbury
In the summer, it was announced that Parkbridge is planning a massive village-style development on 135 hectares of land just off of Highway 26 near Christie Beach. The proposal includes public parks, trails, commercial uses, a public community centre and a village centre. It would feature a wide variety of housing types. The proposal is in the early stages of the Grey County planning process and more information and news will follow in the coming months.
Neighbours and local residents oppose music festival near Duncan
A proposal to host a music festival on a 150-acre property near the small hamlet of Duncan in Grey Highlands drew the ire of local residents and neighbours. The event was expected to attract up to 25,000 visitors over the Canada Day holiday in 2025. Many concerns were expressed. The saga generated headlines for several weeks, before the proposal was withdrawn when the property on which it was to be hosted was sold.
Talisman property owners planning $400 million resort/Nordic spa
This year, the owners of the former resort portion of the Talisman property (the former golf course area is under separate ownership) announced plans for a significant resort and spa development. The proposal from property owners Brian Ellis and Phil Calvano would include restaurants, convention space, an indoor pool and parking for 900 vehicles. More details will emerge as the planning application works its way through the approval process.
Ditched Grey Highlands snowplow leads to parking ban
The steep slopes on the roads in the Amik subdivision near Kimberley combined with a heavy snowfall to create a dangerous situation. A municipal plow was forced to stop on the road because of cars parked on both sides of the street. The snowplow slid backwards into a guardrail. There were no injuries, but the response from Grey Highlands council was swift: a total parking ban in the winter months on all Amik streets.
TBM couple face $125,000 in fees to build a single house
A local example of the housing affordability crisis involved a Town of The Blue Mountains couple facing huge fees to build a single house. Between development charges, parkland dedication fees and the cost of various planning applications and reports, the couple was staring at a bill of $125,000 (before a shovel was even in the ground) to build a home on severed property they already owned. In the end, the town was able to reach a compromise to lower the bill.
Wedding venue built without permits seeks retroactive approvals
A rezoning process to permit a wedding venue at a Lake Eugenia-area property saw many local residents express opposition. The proposal came forward in an attempt to retroactively permit a business operating without the necessary permits. Wedding events had been hosted without permits, a short-term accommodation business was running on the site without a license and several buildings had been constructed without building permits. No decision on the application was made by either Grey Highlands or Grey County.
Thornbury townhouse development goes into receivership
In February, the Towns of Thornbury project went into receivership. Construction on the 23-unit subdivision in Thornbury, adjacent to the Foodland store, had been stalled for quite some time when the receivership proceeds began. Court documents revealed that $1.64 million in purchaser deposits had been spent on construction costs, but the development still stalled. Later in the year, the primary mortgage holder on the property had purchased the development with plans to finish construction.
