Sign online petition urges Save Glen Abbey coalition

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The fight to save Glen Abbey Golf Course continues with calls to sign an online petition ahead of the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) hearing in August 2021.

In 2015, ClubLink, which has owned Glen Abbey Golf Course since 1999, proposed to build a new residential development in place of the 229-acre golf course. ClubLink applied for a zoning change that will allow it to build 3,222 residential units, including nine apartment buildings between nine and 12 storeys. The project would also include 121,000 square feet of office and retail space. 

Designed by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, Glen Abbey Golf Course has been a landmark site for over 30 years, hosting The Canadian Open more than 30 times and serving as a dedicated space for celebrations and special events for residents.

ClubLink previously stated that about 124 acres of the Glen Abbey property would become publicly accessible green space through this plan, but residents are still fighting to stop the demolition before it begins. 

Bill McKinlay, a spokesperson for the Save Glen Abbey coalition, says he became involved in preserving the site back in 2017. 

The golf course is a heart of Glen Abbey and a heart of Oakville

“We believe that there are certain attributes that make where you live a home. For people in this neighbourhood, the golf course is a heart of Glen Abbey and a heart of Oakville,” says McKinlay, who has been an Oakville resident for nearly 30 years. “We’ve got environmentalists who are concerned about the trees, animals, and species surrounding the golf course. Other people just don’t want to see this development in the middle of Oakville, which has no infrastructure to support it.”

In December 2017, city council officially designated Glen Abbey Golf Course a property of cultural heritage value or interest, attempting to preserve the site from ClubLink’s proposed development. 

“This bylaw is the end result of a very comprehensive process in which town staff, heritage experts, and members of the community all put forth compelling evidence of the significant cultural heritage value and attributes of the Glen Abbey property,” Mayor Rob Burton stated. “Council remains committed to conserving our cultural heritage.”

However, ClubLink served the Town an application to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to reject the Heritage Designation bylaw, and in the end, Supreme Court Justice Edward Morgan quashed the bylaws, along with the conservation plan that was put in place.

In an associated case, the Court of Appeal ruled that the golf course is under provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act, which means there are implications in the routes ClubLink will take when redeveloping the course. 

ClubLink did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Ray Chisholm, Ward 2 city councillor, says he understands why residents are concerned about the potential impact this development could have on the neighbourhood.

“People of Oakville are very astute individuals. They are well-informed and well-organized, and we’ve seen this on other occasions,” Chisholm says. “When you look at the development, you have to look at the infrastructure and how we accommodate that in the municipality. Roadways, utilities, development, water. At the end of the day, it’s a big build. It now comes down to LPAT.” 

On August 3, 2021, the Glen Abbey development application and other appeals will proceed to an LPAT hearing for approximately 20 weeks. The hearing was originally scheduled for July 6, 2020 but was postponed due to COVID-19.

In the meantime, McKinlay is encouraging people to sign the online petition before next August to support the preservation of this space. One petition that started three years ago now has more than 11,000 signatures. McKinlay also says residents can send written submissions to specify their reasonings for keeping the course. 

“We want to respect the livable plan. It’s something that seeks to protect the character and sense of community of our neighbourhood. This is setting a precedent for developers being in control instead of democratically elected officials,” McKinlay says. “I would hope concerns are heard loud and clear and that there’s a decision made that Glen Abbey Golf Course will remain a recreational greenspace.”