Farmland conversion and landfill sites

[KevinL]

Even the most ardent pro-labour party won't always take 'new jobs at any cost'. And this isn't necessarily a pro-farmer position (though becomes so by association), but a pro-environment and pro-transparency and ant-corruption position.

[panamaniac]

Not sure how one gets to "at any cost" from the story so far.

[danbrotherston]

I dunno...some folks here seem perfectly willing to support this development because it offers jobs regardless of the environmental cost, and even in the face of pretty concerning transparency and property rights issues.

But yeah, the NDP position is consistent...

[KingandWeber]

Coincidence? https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-p...e-capacity

"The deal, expected to be announced within a week, involves a multibillion-dollar commitment by Honda for new facilities to process cathode active materials, build batteries, and assemble battery-powered vehicles"

[panamaniac]

What a tremendous economic boost that would be, although if the announcement is really that close, I have to wonder whether the Region is still in the running.

[westwardloo]

It would be huge news if it ended up being Honda that sets up in the Region. I expect they will end up in Alliston. Not sure how many more jobs Alliston can absorb though.  I expect we end up with toyota's plant.

[bravado]

It would be huge news if it ended up being Honda that sets up in the Region. I expect they will end up in Alliston. Not sure how many more jobs Alliston can absorb though.  I expect we end up with toyota's plant.

From personal experience, Alliston is totally tapped out for labour. All the Tier 1 suppliers out in the country from Palmerston all the way to Stratford have to bus in temps from big cities. If Honda is truly getting a land deal, then being near KW/Woodstock/London makes sense to try and get employees and access to the 401.

It’s important to note that the electric RAV4 is made assembled in Woodstock, so making components for an electric CR-V in the area wouldn’t be unprecedented.

[Joedelay Highhoe]

I do know that Toyota is building a huge battery plant in Greenville, NC, and they are shipping a bunch of engineers from Cambridge down to set it up. Not sure if that means they won't build a battery plant locally, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[westwardloo]

I suspect your right and Alliston can't handle another 1000+ person factory. I hope it's Honda, there is probably a slight difference in part design so it would boost the smaller manufacturers in the Region even more.  Still surprised land in-between guelph and kitchener isn't being considered since Linamar would be one of the major suppliers for the plant.

[SF22]

I suspect your right and Alliston can't handle another 1000+ person factory. I hope it's Honda, there is probably a slight difference in part design so it would boost the smaller manufacturers in the Region even more.  Still surprised land in-between guelph and kitchener isn't being considered since Linamar would be one of the major suppliers for the plant.

The area between Kitchener and Guelph also has a rail line, which I presume is part of the reason that area in Wilmot was chosen (rail line runs just north of it, and could easily spur off to a new plant). I imagine that if the new highway 7 was under construction already, then that area might be considered instead, as they could pick a spot right off one of the new highway exits, but they aren't likely to put all that extra strain on the existing infrastructure.

[westwardloo]

I suspect your right and Alliston can't handle another 1000+ person factory. I hope it's Honda, there is probably a slight difference in part design so it would boost the smaller manufacturers in the Region even more.  Still surprised land in-between guelph and kitchener isn't being considered since Linamar would be one of the major suppliers for the plant.

The area between Kitchener and Guelph also has a rail line, which I presume is part of the reason that area in Wilmot was chosen (rail line runs just north of it, and could easily spur off to a new plant). I imagine that if the new highway 7 was under construction already, then that area might be considered instead, as they could pick a spot right off one of the new highway exits, but they aren't likely to put all that extra strain on the existing infrastructure.

I think the main reason for the location is that there is already high voltage power that runs directly through the chosen site.

[neonjoe]

I'm assuming that funding for this part of the highway 7-8 corridor improvements would be also pushed up for this project..
http://www.7and8corridorstudy.ca/downloa...fziger.pdf

[Bytor]

Interesting that a party that was once considered the Labour Party of canada is backing rural farmers (Typically Conservative Voters) instead of the thousands of unionized jobs (used to be NDP voters) that could be coming to ontario.

Don't forget the history of the NDP and their origins. United Farmers helped spawn the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation who helped spawn the NDP. Historically that alignment has been there.

[panamaniac]

Interesting that a party that was once considered the Labour Party of canada is backing rural farmers (Typically Conservative Voters) instead of the thousands of unionized jobs (used to be NDP voters) that could be coming to ontario.

Don't forget the history of the NDP and their origins. United Farmers helped spawn the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation who helped spawn the NDP. Historically that alignment has been there.

Not in Ontario.

[KevinL]

Was this all a tempest in a teacup?

Wilmot Township deemed not suitable for EV battery plant

Wilmot Township is not suitable for an electric-vehicle battery plant and did not make the list of potential sites for two other big factories that will make essential parts of the batteries, says Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Investment.

An electric vehicle-assembly plant will be built in Alliston, next to an existing Honda plant, and an EV battery plant will be built across the street. The locations of the other two factories will be announced very soon, said Fedeli.

The plants require massive amounts of water, so Wilmot was never shortlisted for one of the factories, said the veteran Progressive Conservative MPP from North Bay.

For nearly two months, Wilmot Township has been rife with speculation that the Region of Waterloo and the township are assembling 770 acres of land bordered by Nafziger Road, Highway 7/8, Wilmot Centre Road, and Bleams Road to clear a site for an EV battery plant.

But that can be crossed off the list of possible explanations.

“I’m not aware of any prospects for Wilmot,” said Fedeli. “They are responding to the premier’s call.”