Puslinch Township’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF) application for the big lake project has been approved.
“How’s this for irony,” Mayor Brad Whitcombe said before making the announcement during his penultimate meeting as the head of council on Nov. 3.
Whitcombe was the first to introduce the big lake proposal early in 2009 – the idea to transform several gravel pits on a 1,200 acre parcel along both sides of Concession 2 into one large lake measuring 700 acres – and the item became a major issue during this fall’s municipal election, in which Whitcombe placed third.
“The new council will have to deal with a $200,000 cheque,” Whitcombe said, before moving on to other agenda items.
Just over a year ago, Puslinch council passed by a 3-2 vote a resolution stating the township will develop a plan for the future big lake site – including “a sustainable community vision” and “sustainability targets.”
Whitcombe and councillors Don McKay and Matthew Bulmer were in favour, while Dick Visser and Susan Fielding, who objected to any taxpayer money going towards the project, were opposed.
The resolution effectively approved two grant applications. One was for $400,000 under the GMF, offered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, of which the township would receive 50% or $200,000 if successful.
The other was for $385,000 under the province’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program. If successful, the township would receive 50% of that amount – about $193,000.
This summer the township received a letter from officials with the GMF stating Puslinch’s application was favourably received during a peer review, which seemed to be a good indication it would be approved.
At that time Whitcombe said the letter, which called the proposal an “innovative approach” to pit rehabilitation, should be forwarded to provincial officials, who in January denied the township’s $385,000 RED application.
In April RED officials asked the township to re-submit the application, and Whitcombe said at the time he doubts the municipality would be asked to re-submit the paper work just to be turned down again.
Mayor-elect Dennis Lever, who defeated both Whitcombe and Visser in the election, has stated the big lake will be a major issue this term.
It appears the new council, of which Fielding is the only returning member, will have to make some important decisions – and sooner rather than later.
