Uxbridge to guide direction of Provincial land

The public will soon have input into what to do with more than 1,000 acres of land once slated to become a huge housing development in Uxbridge.

A number of uses could be made of the former 'Gan Eden' lands, 1,332 acres previously owned by Joey Tanenbaum, who agreed to a land swap with the Province for Seaton lands in Pickering last year. John McCutcheon of Uxbridge Naturally explained Queen's Park has given direction to develop a management plan for the lands, of which Uxbridge Naturally will play a supporting role. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), whose jurisdiction the properties fall within, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) would be major players in the process.

The groups will be interested in hearing "what's the best use of the land from the perspective of the community, (while) maintaining ecological integrity (of the land)," he said.

Mr. McCutcheon explained the first step is to develop a "scope" for the plan, and then develop the plan itself. Public meetings will be part of the process, he said, with the first possibly this spring. "As the process moves forward definitely the public will be involved... a presentation will be made to the public about what sort of ideas (for the land) are being considered and what kind of things (the public) would like to see done," said Mr. McCutcheon. "Some people would like to see skeet shooting, some camping (for Scouts)." Another park similar to Uxbridge's 140-acre Countryside Preserve could find a home there as well, he added. A trail extension linking to south Durham is already in the cards.

Uxbridge Naturally is looking to enhance the lands through reforestation as well as offering limited "passive" recreational activities there, he said.

Peter Burtch of the LSRCA said that approach "really fits with our objectives... we look forward to working with Uxbridge Naturally for this planning exercise." Upon completion, the management plan will be presented to the Province for approval, noted Mr. McCutcheon.

The lands, now in the hands of the Ontario government, are located in Uxbridge near Hwy. 47 and Brock Road. Members of Uxbridge Naturally were involved when the Gan Eden proposal went to an OMB fight, which ultimately disallowed the development, followed by the introduction of Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act in 2001.

Related link:

• Uxbridge to guide direction of Provincial land