Glen Abbey heritage status subject of town council vote

OAKVILLE — Town council will vote Monday on whether to issue a notice of intention to designate the entire Glen Abbey golf course a heritage site, potentially hindering plans to turn it into housing and commercial space. The golf course, designed by legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, has been home 29 times to the Canadian Opens since 1977 and is due to host the tournament again next year.

Golf Canada has warned the town that designating Glen Abbey as a cultural heritage site could also affect the club’s ability to host future Canadian Opens.

Oakville’s heritage committee voted unanimously this week to recommend designating the entire golf course under the Ontario Heritage Act. Mayor Rob Burton said this is just one step in a long process to “identify and conserve heritage attributes” of the 229acre property. If council agrees, the club owners can appeal the decision through the Conservation Review Board.

A heritage designation could prevent plans to redevelop the property. Glen Abbey’s owner, ClubLink Corp., wants to build 3,222 residential units and 122,000 square feet of new office and retail space on the site, leaving 124 acres for public green space.

ClubLink first proposed the development in late 2015, after Golf Canada said it was looking for a new long-term home for the Canadian Open. The development has drawn protest from community members, who formed the “Save Glen Abbey” coalition last year. More than 7,000 people have signed an online petition to stop the development, which says it “will disembowel the proverbial heart of Oakville, scarring its cultural and natural legacy.”

The OMB has deemed ClubLink’s application complete, and Oakville town council has a meeting planned for Sept. 26 to consider the application and make a decision.

The development application is separate from the heritage designation, said heritage committee chair Drew Bucknall, who says the heritage process began before ClubLink publicly announced development plans.

ClubLink’s senior vice-president, Robert Visentin, said in an email the concern is how the golf course’s day-to-day operations will be affected by the heritage approval process and the “unclear” heritage attributes, saying it would bring “chaos and uncertainty.”

A heritage designation could affect Glen Abbey’s ability to host the 2018 Canadian Open, wrote Golf Canada’s Bill Paul, who said it may be too late for needed changes.