Action Champlain asks township help with appeal costs

Action Champlain has reached out and asked Champlain Township to help with funding some of the costs for its appeal against a rezoning request for Colacem Canada’s proposed cement plant project.

“It’s a David versus Goliath scenario for us,” said Charles Despins during the February 13 session of Champlain Township council. Despins is the founding director of Action Champlain,

The community activist group is campaigning against Colacem Canada Inc.’s plan to build a cement plant near the Village of L’Orignal. The proposed site is adjacent to one of Colacem Canada’s existing quarries. The quarry would serve as a supply source for the cement plant.

Colacem Canada’s rezoning request has gone to the Ontario Municipal Board for an appeal hearing later in the fall. Township council had rejected the rezoning request and that decision is under appeal by the company. Action Champlain is appealing the United Counties of Prescott-Russell’s approval of the rezoning request.

Action Champlain has funded both its lobby campaign and appeal so far through public donations. The group has raised about $100,000 on its own and spent some $70,000 on legal costs and consultant fees. Despins indicated, however, that the final cost could be much higher. “We are opposing a large multinational company intent on going ahead with the project despite the opposition of council and the (local) population.”

Despins asked the township to commit to helping cover half of the anticipated costs for its appeal or “at a very minimum $200,000”. The township’s contribution, Despins stated, would go towards the fees of technical experts and consultants for Action Champlain as part of its appeal preparation.

Council received Action Champlain’s request for later discussion. Mayor Gary Barton asked for the group to provide a writ-

ten summary, with figures, of its fundraising and appeal expenses to date. He also noted that the township is already dealing with the costs of its own legal defence in the cement plant issue.

“We spent $7000, roughly, last year and have budgeted $15,000 this year,” said Mayor Barton, “and we don’t think that’s going to be enough.”

—photo Gregg Chamberlain Action Champlain a demandé au canton de Champlain de contribuer financièrement à son appel contre une demande de modification de zonage pour le projet de cimenterie de Colacem Canada, qui serait situé près du village de L’Orignal. Charles Despins, directeur fondateur d’Action Champlain, a suggéré au conseil municipal lors de la réunion du 14 février qu’il devrait couvrir jusqu’à la moitié des frais juridiques.