The mayor of Chatham-Kent is raising the alarm over the Ford government’s plan to revive a long-dormant landfill site near Dresden, calling the move a “catastrophic” threat to the local community.
Mayor Darrin Canniff says the municipality has retained legal counsel and is organizing a public meeting in response to the province’s proposal to fast-track the project under new legislation aimed at cutting red tape.
The plan is tied to the Unleashing Ontario’s Economy Act, which includes a clause allowing the environmental assessment of the site — spearheaded by private waste management company York1 — to be scrapped. The move would allow the project to proceed more quickly, potentially in anticipation of American border restrictions on Ontario garbage.
“We need to coordinate our effort here in Chatham-Kent that we will be working together as a community,” Canniff said in an interview. “Everybody in our community can rally together to try and stop this.”
The former landfill is located less than a kilometre from the town of Dresden.
York1 originally proposed a recycling facility at the site but – according to the Ford government - has since shifted toward a landfill operation, raising concerns among residents and municipal leaders.
Officials with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks confirmed to CTV News on Saturday they are aware York1 recently sold the property and told CTV News they were “looking into it”.
“I wasn’t very impressed when I got a call letting me know it’s coming that day — just before the long weekend,” Canniff said. “It wasn’t a very pleasant conversation and didn’t make for a great weekend.”
Canniff says there’s uncertainty around what role the municipality will play in the approval process but insists local officials will do everything possible to halt the project.
“We need to act pretty quickly,” he said. “We don’t know what role the municipality plays as of yet … but we’re going to do whatever we can to stop this.”
The province has opened a public comment period on the proposed changes. Residents have until May 17 to submit feedback online.
