Protecting Talisman Lands Association
Once it's Gone, it's Gone
Protect the escarpment in the Beaver Valley
Protecting Talisman Lands Association believes the Escarpment lands that are currently green and natural should remain that way.
The Escarpment should be protected as it is a significant environmentally sensitive area within a UNESCO-designated biosphere. This will also preserve agricultural lands, the Beaver River watershed, allow for low-impact recreational opportunities for the public, and support local businesses.
Our current campaign is focused on the lands surrounding the former Talisman Resort including:
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Lands around the Beaver River, including all of the former golf course
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The active agricultural land at the top of the hill, immediately north of Sideroad 7A
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The former ski hill and the brow of the Escarpment
We believe in revitalizing the former Talisman Resort buildings, but any further development would have massive repercussions for the character of the Beaver Valley, the environment, the water and sewage infrastructure and the overall quality of life for area residents. Read more here
Massive Development
Proposed and Opposed
The Beaver Valley Development Group has informally proposed a massive development for the upper and lower Talisman lands. The December 8, 2022, public presentation was met with overwhelmingly negative reactions for numerous reasons.
A quote from a meeting attendee:
The residents have followed the rules of the NEC for years and have been stewards of our land willingly, but a developer can come in and basically rape the land for profit at the cost of the environment and the community who lives there.
Size: 500+ units – only 15% smaller than all of Markdale! This population increases the size of Grey Highlands by more than 10% and increases the number of homes in Amik/Kimberley by more than 300%.
Taxpayer Costs: Many questions were not answered about who will pay the short-term and long-term costs to install and maintain the infrastructure: 7a road paving and improvements, water treatment plant expansion, sewage installation, maintaining the parks, subdivision road plowing, the effect on health care, etc.
Uncoordinated planning with no vision: These plans only address the upper and lower parcels and not the middle portion, including the former resort buildings. We need a municipality-coordinated plan for the entire site that reflects the values of all in Grey Highlands.
Environmental devastation: Putting a new town in the middle of the Niagara Escarpment, a part of the Greenbelt that should be protected, is nothing less than devastating.
Photo by Ingrid Remkins
2 Owners with 2 Goals - We Need 1 Community Vision
We need one plan created by our community and our government representatives and not leave it to developers to dictate the future of the site and the Escarpment.
Currently, there are two owners of the former Talisman resort and adjacent lands and two disconnected plans. The buildings, the former ski slope, and the brow of the Escarpment are owned by Brian Ellis and partners. He has stated that he wants to revitalize the resort to provide hotel accommodations, a restaurant, a conference centre, and a spa.
The second owner, renamed Beaver Valley Development Group (BVDG), owns the former golf course near the Beaver River and the agricultural lands immediately adjacent to the brow of the Escarpment and north of Sideroad 7A. The plan is to develop these two parcels as: "A mix of housing choices that will appeal to both end users that want to live and play in the area and investor units, with a professionally managed rental program,"
