For now at least, the proposed Xinyi float glass plant project that would draw an estimated 1.6-million litres of water every day if built is on ice, but the councillor who put forth the motion expects this not to be the end.
Three of four councillors, as well as the mayor of Guelph/Eramosa Township passed a motion by councillor David Wolk Monday to strike down the application to build the proposed 2-million square foot facility as it does not meet the requirement of being a dry use industrial site as required in the existing bylaw.
Officials form Xinyi Glass Canada have said publicly that the plant will require up to 1.6 million litres of water per day in its operation.
Speaking to media after the passing of his motion, Wolk said councillors made the bylaw requiring dry use and now they have to live by it.
“If we don't think it's right, when the appropriate moment comes along we can do a revision. That's not on the table tonight,” said Wolk.
Xinyi has the right to appeal to the Land Tribunal, noted Wolk.
“Do I think they will do that? That isn't for me to say," he said.
After the vote struck down the application, Tommy Wong, president of Xinyi Glass Canda, and others representing the company left the building declining an opportunity to comment.
Three delegations presented in favour of Wolk's resolution on Monday, with a representative for Xinyi Glass Canada presenting in opposition of it.
Delegations were each given a total of five minutes to speak to their position on the resolution.
Three of the delegations spoke on behalf of GETconcerned Inc., an activism group set up recently in response to the proposed plant. Susan McSherry, Julia Forward and Carol Maria Easton each laid out reasons to reject the Xinyi application based on it not meeting the definition of a dry use due to the significant amounts of water it will require on a daily basis.
Dr. Ron East spoke on behalf of the Council of Canadians in support of upholding the existing bylaw.
Due to the amount of people expected, Monday's meeting was held at Parkwood Gardens Community Church in Guelph. The sanctuary was filled with people, with some standing in the church's lobby.
The vote itself was delayed as councillor Mark Bouwmeester spoke in opposition to the motion for about 45 minutes, trying the patience of many in attendance. Bouwmeester said he represented the silent majority of residents in the township.
Neil Dunsmore spoke on behalf of Xinyi Glass Canada, saying the motion by Wolk was unethical as council had earlier instructed the company to provide additional information and were considering denying the application prior to considering that information in open council.
Bouwmeester agreed.
"The fact that we asked somebody to go do some studies, spend some money, use their resources — and we're not even going to look at that? That, to me, is unethical," he said.
He noted the Hidden Quarry application took years to study, with report after report being created on both sides.
"This is about the process. I'm vitally concerned about the water, as everybody is in this room, but I want to see the science first. I want to follow the process. We hire people to do this work, then why aren't we using them? We have zero reliable information to support councillor Wolk's resolution,” said Bouwmeester.
During the approximately 45 minutes he was speaking, Bouwmeester made some of the same points a number of times while reading pages of script, trying the patience of many in the room, with some guffaws in the room directed at some of his statements.
"You know who makes arbitrary decisions with a disregard for due process?” asked Bouwmeester rhetorically. “Dictators and totalitarian (inaudible)."
Bouwmeester attempted to table another motion from the floor to defer the resolution to allow staff to review the documents Xinyi had supplied, but failed to find another councillor willing to act as a seconder.
McSherry called Bouwmeester’s remarks a filibuster, but said council eventually was able to do the right thing by passing Wolk’s resolution.
She said a sigh of relief went over much of the room as the vote passed.
"You could feel it in the room," said McSherry.
Asked about Bouwmeester’s comments in open council, Wolk told media, "Pretty long winded.”
