Discussions between Brantford, Brant County, a developer and a local farmer-led co-operative are progressing to move the location of a proposed ethanol plant from the city’s northwest over to Cainsville.
King & Benton Development Corp., which earlier this year sold land in its Oak Park North business park to Integrated Grain Processors Co-operative for its $86-million corn ethanol plant, has filed an application with Brant County this week to rezone a 54-acre parcel of land on Old Onondaga Road that it has purchased in the Cainsville industrial area.
King & Benton president Steve Charest said that the rezoning action is to facilitate a change of location he is seeking for the co-op's yet-to-be built plant and allow for an expanded operation.
“We constantly look for ways to make something that is good better, and I think IGPC follows that concept, too,” said Charest.
The co-op has acquired a permit from the Ministry of the Environment to take 1,600 litres of water per minute from the aquifer.
However, concern about the long-term viability of the aquifer continues to be registered by environmentalists on the watchdog Northwest Gateway Committee, and by city council.
“We have concerns about them drawing from the aquifer,” said Hancock, “so there are advantages to the plant being located in Cainsville.”
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Y facility good fit in East Ward
BY MICHAEL-ALLAN MARION
EXPOSITOR STAFF / BRANTFORD
In the 5:30 predawn darkness of Tuesday morning, staff unlocked the main doors to the new Y Family Program Centre at Wellington and Clarence streets to find members standing about, pumped to be the first to use the new, top-rated workout machines.
Nearly two months after the YM-YWCA closed the doors on its longtime 40 Queen St. building, it is reborn in a gleaming new facility with the early 1900s International industrial architectural style resurrected from the drab, bricked-in former textile Work Wear factory that had descended into a brownfield site.
The project was made possible with the help of brownfield developer Steve Charest, president of King & Benton Redevelopment Corp., who helped finance the $1-million-plus costs with a long-term lease with no profit, then execute the renovations.
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