Grainboys trying a second time to build milling facility in Uxbridge

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Published June 14, 2021 at 2:20 pm

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Grainboys is set to try a second time to build a grain milling and blending facility in Uxbridge.

Uxbridge Council gave Grainboys the go-ahead in 2019 to build a milling operation in Goodwood, despite vocal opposition from the newly formed Goodwood Conservation Association.

But in early 2020 the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal ruled in favour of the conservation group and allowed its appeal. Rather than fighting the issue at the Ontario Municipal Board, Grainboys, through its parent company Port Royal Mills, withdrew the application, with Port Royal President Kresho Petrovich saying he wasn’t interested in building where he wasn’t wanted.

Instead, the company found a new location on the York-Durham Line, just south of Highway 47 and about four kilometres from the Goodwood site. The new site will likely include about a half-dozen, thousand-ton bins for grain storage.

The new application is no slam-dunk either, as the site is within the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan Area, as well as a ‘Natural Linkage Area.’ and will require a zoning amendment.

The application came before Uxbridge Council June 7 and Petrovich, as well as Steve Edwards of GHD Planning of Ajax, were on hand at the virtual meeting to answer questions and to allay any concerns about contamination. No chemicals will be used, Council was told, and Petrovich said they will be using new dust collection systems (with silencers) which will result in “minimal noise and zero dust.”

Edwards also told Council the zoning amendment shouldn’t be a problem as agricultural-related uses are permitted on the site.

The facility will take up about eight acres of the 90-acre property, with the remaining land to be used for growing grain crops.

Port Royal Mills has been in business in Aurora for 30 years and is one of the largest suppliers of grain used for multi-grain breads and bagels in Canada.

Just two members of the public spoke at the meeting and Uxbridge Council has given residents until this week to prepare any opposition to the application.

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