About

2. What is the current zoning of this piece of land?

The land is predominantly zoned as 'Future Development' with a small strip along the river that is zoned as 'Environmentally Protected'.

3. What will the development be?

At this time we have heard no official plans about what is being considered for the development of this property. As the Agreement of Purchase and Sale is with 'Cavanagh Communities', a housing complex is assumed but this has never been confirmed nor denied.

4. Why haven't I heard about this?

There has been little made public about this, and most of the information shared from the Galilee Center has been after the fact. The Town themselves were never consulted regarding the future of this land. Unless you are on the Galilee Center’s mailing list or know someone who is, you probably have not heard about this.

5. What stage is the sale at now?

At this time, Galilee Canter and Cavanagh Communities have an Agreement of Purchase and Sale with a due diligence period that was to expire on September 16th at 5:00pm. This is typically when a prospective buyer will do their due diligence to ensure that the property meets their requirements. No request to sever the land nor rezone it has been made as of yet. The title of this land is still under Galilee Mission Center of Arnprior Corporation. We are not aware what the closing date for the sale is, this information has not been made public. Recently we learned that the due diligence period was extended by Cavanagh for an additional 30 days.

6. Isn't this already a done deal?

As of this moment, the land has not been sold, it is still owned by Galilee Centre. There is a conditional sale agreement between Cavanagh and Galilee, which either party could walk away from with possible penalties. We do not have the specifics as to what those penalties might be. We have requested meetings with both Cavanagh and Galilee to discuss the terms of this so that another arrangement can be made, but so far neither will meet with us. The community of Arnprior does not want this deal and are willing to do what it takes to find another solution.

7. But, isn't this just a sale between two private parties?

This argument can be made for insignificant property changes, such as when property will not be altered in any substantial way. This becomes a weak argument when land is being changed dramatically. There are limits to what can be built where, especially when it comes to protecting environmentally and culturally significant lands. Town planning and community involvement must be able to help steer land alterations when those changes will affect the environment and the community in such a profound way. This is one of those times.

8. Why didn't the Hospital buy the land?

What we understand is that the Hospital was in negotiations with the Galilee Centre’s Board of Directors for the purchase of the land for many months. We were told that a verbal agreement had been reached. When the agreement was drawn up in writing by the hospital and submitted to Galilee, all communications ceased. It could be suggested that Galilee Center was no longer content with the terms of the agreement, however that was never brought to the attention of the Hospital's administration.

9. Why didn't the Nature Conservancy of Canada buy the land?

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has stated that they expressed an interest in buying the land, and that interest was expressed to the Galilee Center and to OMI Lacombe. The Galilee Centre Board of Directors never responded to this request and no discussions were had. Therefore, they do not know how much land the NCC was interested in purchasing, nor how much they were willing to pay for it.

10. Why is STGA not supporting the Galilee Centre?

STGA’s commitment is to protect Gillies Grove and the adjacent land. We were looking forward to working together with the Galilee Centre and OMI Lacombe to find alternative solutions to preserve this land for the future of the old-growth forest and for the enjoyment of the community. We are confident that if the Nature Conservancy of Canada is given the chance to purchase this land, in partnership with the community, that the alternative vision of expanding the Grove instead of diminishing it is the responsible solution. Unfortunately, STGA has not been afforded the opportunity to discuss such alternate possibilities with Galilee Centre or OMI Lacombe.

11. How can I help?

This is one of our most frequently asked questions! Right now we are looking for signatures on our petition, volunteers, and donations. We have devoted a whole page on our website just for this! You can find it here. While you are there, sign up for our mailing list so you can stay informed.