Council to Consider Purchase of 1300 Acres in Wesleyville

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 – Port Hope, ON

A purchase agreement to buy more than 1300 acres of land is going forward for consideration to the Municipality of Port Hope Council on Tuesday, February 15, following tonight’s Committee of the Whole meeting. The lands, currently owned by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), are in the Wesleyville area.

The lands are appraised at $18.6M and include: four kilometers of Lake Ontario shoreline; 700 acres of protected natural and cultural heritage features and more than 600 acres for potential future development.
In June 2021, Council signed a conditional purchase and sale agreement. The Municipality has since been conducting extensive due diligence work, including assessing: liability and risk, title search, financing, budget and operating cost impacts, planning matters, and building, infrastructure, and environmental site assessments.

“These lands have the potential to shape and benefit our community for decades, with something for everyone, which is why I approached OPG in 2019 to inquire about a possible sale of the property,” states Bob Sanderson, Mayor of the Municipality of Port Hope. “Since then, staff has worked incredibly hard to assess if this is a good opportunity for the Municipality. Gaining access to Lake Ontario shoreline is unheard of these days. Having the chance to protect local environmental and heritage features, manage growth, increase tax revenues to allow investment in key priorities – all of this could be possible over time if Council chooses to take advantage of the agreement before us.”

The site is currently zoned general employment, power generation, and environmental protection. 260 acres are developed as industrial and are currently being used by OPG and two other tenants. There may be other future development opportunities that help to support Port Hope’s strategic plan. The Municipality does not have any immediate plans or recommendations for how the land will be used. If Council chooses to proceed, they will seek the community’s input.

According to the proposed purchase agreement, Port Hope will lease approximately 260 acres of lands to OPG for seven years to allow its operations to continue for a period of time and allow these uses to transition to an alternate site. Lease revenue from OPG will help cover purchase costs.

For more information, maps, and informational video, images of the land, along with an FAQ, please visit the Wesleyville / OPG Lands Acquisition page.