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Copyright © 2001 Eastern Ontario Farmers Forum Inc. All Rights Reserved |
Court orders Tweed Township to restore pig farm permit
BELLEVILLE
— Shut out twice by two townships, Mark Slack will at last be able to
build his 500 unit sow barn in Tweed Township. Justice Byers in the
Superior Court of Justice in Belleville ruled March 26 that the moratorium
on building in the municipality was directed against Slack and unfair. The
municipality has been ordered to pay Slack’s court costs and grant him a
building permit.
On February 18, Tweed Council, after coming under
public pressure, through a motion rescinded his building permit. A short
time later it brought in an interim control by-law. Before the judgement, township clerk Patricia Bergeron
said the township wanted to ban hog operations altogether. The council cited four reasons for cancelling Slack’s
permit, ranging from lack of a permit for a 911 number to the lack of an
agreement with the board of health. The council said it wanted confirmation that it wouldn’t
put deleterious substances into streams. While victory was sweet, Slack said building the barn
has been made more difficult. On February 20 he suspended his plans for
his hog operation. Now he has to go after contracts again and negotiate
for a builder. He says the actual construction might be too large for
local builders. However, he wants local builders to buy from local
suppliers. The new facility will require six full-time and part-time workers to
operate. He has already been approached for work by some residents.