Talisman Lands: Open for Business?

words :: Ned Morgan

The saga of the former Talisman ski resort shows no sign of winding down. More than one development has been proposed over the last 15-plus years, though new ground remains unbroken. But as the abandoned resort buildings at the base of the escarpment hill continue to moulder, a plan from the Beaver Valley Development Group (BVDG) seems to be gathering steam.

BVDG recently submitted a plan of subdivision to the County of Grey for 370 townhouses/apartments and commercial buildings on and adjacent to the long-closed Talisman golf course, not far from the banks of the Beaver River and a tributary creek.

The Escarpment Corridor Alliance (ECA), a registered charity with a mandate to preserve the Niagara Escarpment across southern Georgian Bay, believes this plan is inappropriate both for the site and the greater region.

Why? It’s a long answer that begins with Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment Plan (NEP). Since 1985 the NEP, overseen by the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC), has dictated land use on and around its namesake landform. While the plan has successfully protected many areas, development has been allowed on some land originally zoned recreational to encourage ski and golf developments (e.g., Blue Mountain Resort). And though Talisman hasn’t operated as a resort for 13 years—and in all likelihood will never reopen as such— the property retains its recreational use designation. Developers or land speculators may interpret this designation as less stringent than others (for example, natural or protected) thus allowing development without the original recreational uses. The

ECA fears that if the BVDG’s application is approved, a domino effect will ensue, and developers will rush to open up more escarpment recreation land.

But in its recently released comment letter, the NEC asserted primary jurisdiction over the proposed BVDG development, rejecting the latter’s argument that this is a matter for Grey County and the Municipality of Grey Highlands alone, and identifying a number of policy issues.

“This proposal is for a large-scale, high-density development in the heart of Beaver Valley. This would open up the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO Biosphere Region and a critical part of the Greenbelt, to further large-scale development outside of existing urban settlement areas. Talisman and the Beaver Valley are also critical linkages of the emerging south Georgian Bay escarpment ecological corridor,” said Jarvis Strong, ECA executive director.

The NEC’s requirement of a development permit is in line with the public statement of Minister of Natural Resources Graydon Smith on the Talisman proposal. “Ministry officials will continue to work closely with the relevant municipalities and partner authorities to ensure that the policies of the Niagara Escarpment Plan are duly considered during the review process,” Smith told CBC News last May.

“ECA applauds the NEC for undertaking a thoughtful policy analysis rooted in upholding the core objectives of the Niagara Escarpment Plan. The NEC’s feedback aligns with the position that the ECA has publicly taken since the application was received,” said Stephen Griggs, ECA chair.

In an environmental impact study submitted to the County, the BVDG claimed that their proposed development “is consistent with the applicable natural heritage policies of the Provincial Policy Statement, Niagara Escarpment Plan, County of Grey Official Plan, Municipality of Grey Highlands Official Plan and Grey Sauble Conservation Authority [regulation 151/06].” They added: “Our impact assessment has given full consideration to the habitat requirements of all Species at Risk (SAR) assumed and documented to occur in the area….[And] there will be no direct impacts to the wetland features located within the Significant Valleyland associated with the Beaver River.”

The ECA takes issue with these and other elements of the assessment. In the summer of 2024 the ECA submitted several expert peer reviews and letters taking aim at the BVDG documentation to the county.

“Our experts found many deficiencies in the BVDG submissions,” said Griggs. “It is clear that as proposed there would be serious environmental impacts to the sensitive Beaver Valley Wetlands and River.”

And, separate from the BVDG proposal, the owners of the defunct Talisman hotel and ski hill property have applied for a bylaw amendment to permit a 500-room condostyle hotel and the largest Nordic spa in North America. Few details were known at press time.

“The ECA supports the revitalization of the Talisman site at a similar scale to the original. However, the proposed scale is extreme—nearly a tenfold increase in size— and is not appropriate for this location,” Griggs added. “ECA will be following this application closely and making submissions as the regulatory process proceeds.”