The big story in our area this week, was about the land sale and potential development, of a large amount of land around the Collingwood Regional Airport.
I personally don’t know anything about this deal (nor should I), but it has created a lot of speculation, rumours and questions.
Here is a quick timeline that I put together using town website, as well as the local press, regarding items that came before council related to the Airport lands. I don’t know if any of these things are related to this new story, so make of it what you will.
June 25, 2012 (Motion) THAT Council declare an eight (8) acre portion of the Collingwood Regional Airport, approximately identified as attached, as surplus to the needs of the municipality;
AND FURTHER THAT Council direct staff to commence the process to sell the land in accordance with the Town’s Land Disposal By-law by way of an RFP/Tender process.July 20, 2012
(In camera) Airport – Property Parcel Sale
October 15, 2012
(In camera) Potential Airport parcel land sale agreement update
April 12, 2013
(from the Enterprise Bulletin) Local Airport gets long sought-after Port of Entry status
April 22, 2013
(In camera) Item for Discussion: a) Sale of a portion of the Collingwood Regional Airport
July 8, 2013
C2013-15 Sale of a Portion of Collingwood Regional Airport Lands
RECOMMENDING THAT Council receive Staff Report C2013-15 and enact and pass a by-law to authorize the execution of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale and Operating Agreement for a portion land approximately 7.57 acres in size located at the Collingwood Regional Airport between Winterland Developments Ltd. and the Town of Collingwood.
(In camera) b) Airport Purchase and Sale and Operating Agreement
BY-LAWS
THAT By-law No. 2013-066, being a by-law to authorize the execution of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale and Operating Agreement for a portion land approximately 7.57 acres in size located at the Collingwood Regional Airport between Winterland Developments Ltd. and the Town of Collingwood, be enacted and passed this 8th day of July, 2013.
July 17, 2013
(In camera) b) Airport Land Sale Update
July 22, 2013
(In camera) b) Collingwood Regional Airport
August 12, 2013
(In camera) a) Airport Property
September 9, 2013
C2013-15 Sale of a Portion of Collingwood Regional Airport Lands (deferred July 8, 2013)
RECOMMENDING THAT Council enact and pass a by-law to authorize the execution of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale and Operating Agreement for a portion land approximately 7.57 acres in size located at the Collingwood Regional Airport between Winterland Developments Ltd. and the Town of Collingwood.(In camera) Items for Discussion: a) Airport Property
January 17, 2014
(from the Enterprise Bulletin) Council notes: Move turbines away from Airport
April 28, 2014
(In camera) Items for Discussion: a) Pipeline update
BY-LAWS – THAT By-law No. 2014-034, being a by-law to repeal By-law No. 2013-066, a by-law to authorize the sale of a 7.57 acre parcel of land located at the Collingwood Regional Airport, be enacted and passed this 28th day of April, 2014.
May 21, 2014
(from the Airport Services Board minutes)
The Director of Engineering and Public Works confirmed that Winterland Developments would not be proceeding with the land purchase at the Collingwood Regional Airport.
The Chair welcomed and introduced Mr. David Gascoine, spokesperson, Mr. Dave Hughes and Mr. Dave Michalenko, partners in Genesis Flight Centre. Mr. David Gascoine, advised the Board that he and his partners developed Genesis Flight Centre and are in the process of making an offer to purchase the property adjacent to the Collingwood Regional Airport in which they wish to develop a high end aviation business park with aircraft management.
Genesis Flight Centre has been working with the Director of Engineering and Public Works and the Deputy Clerk on developing an operating agreement to access the taxiways and runway. Mr. Hughes expressed concern with the reticence and the seemingly slow movement of progress and explained that in order to capture market share for the business park and complete the offer to purchase the property they request prompt response from the municipality and seek the Board’s endorsement of their proposal.
Deputy Mayor Lloyd and Councillor Edwards expressed that ‘Collingwood is Open for Business’
Clearview Property Acquisitions
The Chair explained that some of the property adjacent to the Airport is apparently about to be purchased with the proposal to develop airside related business.
June 4, 2014
(from the Airport Services Board minutes)
NEW BUSINESS – Clearview Airside Development Proposal
The Chair explained that some of the property adjacent to the Airport has been purchased with their proposal to develop airside related business.
June 9, 2014
(In camera) Items for Discussion: a) Land Sale; b) OMB Settlement and c) Collingwood Regional Airport
June 12, 2014
E-B Company pitching business park beside Airport
Connection Land near Collingwood Airport proposed for development
June 16, 2014
THAT the Airport Services Board minutes of May 21, 2014, 2014 and June 4, 2014 be hereby received and the recommendations therein be approved
RECOMMENDATION: THAT the Airport Services Board recognizes that the contract with North 44 ends on June 30th, 2014 and recommends that it be extended for a period of up to 12 months with the existing terms and conditions. (As amended)
PW2014-14 Use of Collingwood Regional Airport RECOMMENDING THAT
Council approve the recommendations herein and enact and pass a by-law to authorize the execution of necessary Agreement THAT By-law No. 2014-054, being a by-law to authorize the execution of an Operating Agreement for access to the Collingwood Regional Airport, be enacted and passed this 9th day of June, 2014
There have been many rumours going around about the use of the land, the source of money behind the sale, how the land was purchased etc. Unless someone has proof, they are just that….rumours.
There is little doubt however, that the optics of this story are a little unsettling. I wrote a blog just under a year ago, called The Optics of Politics in Collingwood.
It doesn’t look like much has changed since then. Consider…..
1. that the Mayor’s brother (Paul Bonwick) is a consultant on this multi-million-dollar project, which requires the municipality to go along with it.
Remember this… “The mayor seemed surprised to learn her brother was even involved in the project.” (from the CBC report on the Casino)
and this… “I can assure… Collingwood taxpayers that there has been accountability and transparency” (Mayor Cooper talking about the Sprung deal)
I hope we are not in for more of the same.
2. the entire project seems to be based on speculation (“blank canvas”)
I hope this turns out to be the amazing opportunity that the people involved have told us it will be, but as I commented to someone on Facebook,
Even if this deal is the greatest thing to happen to the region in X number of years, we have been so abused by the powers to be in this area, that we can’t help but feel like everything they do has an ulterior motive.
enough is enough 
An ulterior motive? There may be a aircraft related business somewhere in this potential development but I hear the din of a casino in the background. Do you want to wager? No pun intended.
Who knows Rick, but like everything else these guys do, we’ll be the last to know.
I am finding these airport goings-on a bit suspicious. First the Airport Committee says they are talking to Genesis Aviation about sale of lands adjacent the airport, next we hear the deal has been signed with CACC Holdings, under the guidance of Paul Bonwick-Compenso. The principal, Remo Niceforo is vague about proposed uses. Remo used be on the Board of Directors of Diamond Discoveries International Corp. engaging in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in Canada. It has mineral rights in the Caribou property located in the Thetford Mines area, Quebec.
As you may know, the Collingwood-Blue Mountains area is named as a shale-gas rich area of Ontario, and Mooncor Corp, owned by Dundee is buying up large tracts of shale rich land in our area. And of course gas is extracted from shale through a highly controversial and environmentally questionable process called fracking. It is rumoured that a successful test well has been dug in the area.
I may be dreaming in technicolor but I will also be watching developments closely here.