By Cecilia Nasmith
The Municipality of Port Hope has received an unwelcome surprise in its efforts to purchase property in Wesleyville from Ontario Power Generation – notification from OPG that the province has stopped the sale from proceeding.
“This notification is a last-minute change and was unexpected for Council and staff, who have been preparing for the closing of the sale, which was scheduled for Thursday, March 31, 2022,” the announcement said,
A letter from the province advised that the lands merit assessment by a newly proposed provincial initiative called the Centre of Realty Excellence (CORE).
“The CORE program is intended to create consistency across the public sector for prudent management of government property,” the press release stated.
“The program seeks to determine priority underutilized and/or surplus properties aligned with key programs, including affordable housing and long-term care.”
The municipality noted that it has no knowledge whether this proposed program has a governance model, framework or timeline for implementation – though it reiterates that there does exist “a binding, unconditional purchase-and-sale agreement with OPT in place, approved by OPT Board of Directors and Port Hope Council” that is the result of two years or following proper process and due diligence.
“We negotiated a fair deal in good faith,” it said.
“Right now, we have a lot of questions. We want to be open and transparent with the community, and we are sharing what information we have, which is limited.”
The municipality has reached out the province in order to understand their concerns, hoping to demonstrate how its strategic plans align with the mandate of the new CORE program.
We have reached out to the province to understand their concerns and to demonstrate how our strategic plan aligns with the mandate of the CORE program.
“We are eager to work with the province to find a way to get back on the path we planned together with OPG – a path that Council supported unanimously and that is best for Port Hope’s future,” the press release said.
Mayor Bob Sanderson expressed surprise at “the abrupt change of plans for this land purchase, since the agreement was approved by both parties.
“We followed a proper process, signed a binding agreement, and shared the good news story with our community. We are disappointed with this outcome.”
