Fate of Talisman Resort Property

FATE OF TALISMAN PROPERTIES STILL UNKNOWN

If you think you know what’s going on with Beaver Valley’s Talisman property, you’re probably wrong. No one seems to know. And that’s the problem.

What’s commonly known as the Talisman property (named for the former resort) is actually three. There’s the property that encompasses the buildings and the majority of the ski hill. That one’s owned by 2420124 Ontario Inc.

Then there’s the property out front of those buildings—the old golf course. The Municipality of Grey Highlands owns that one.

The third property is at the top of the hill, where the parking lot and the Bruce Trail are. That property is also owned by Grey Highlands.

In March of 2021, the municipality entered into a partnership with 2420124 Ontario Inc. to “collectively market and promote” the property for future development. There was a lot of concern from locals about what that development might look like. And many worried it would simply go to the highest bidder.

So they started organizing.

On May 21, the Talisman Property Action Coalition made a special presentation to Grey Highlands Council. (This coalition included the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, the Friends of the Beaver Valley, Sustainable Livelihood, Elephant Thoughts and the Kimberley Safety Group.) They proposed a sustainable, income-producing development and a variety of uses for the land including community gardens, publicly funded outdoor education schools or a wellness hub to support local practitioners. They asked Council to delay any sale of the three parcels of the Talisman property in order to develop an appropriate and realistic plan for the land.

One week later, Westway Capital had a special meeting with Council. Their PowerPoint presentation included goals to “re-vitalize, re-envision and re-establish the Talisman Lands as an important destination and an economic driver within Grey Highlands and Southern Ontario.” They also touted “the integration of a health and wellness facility, coupled with a re-established resort and complementary residential development.”

So who is Westway Capital? Their online footprint is nonexistent, but one of the presenters, Paul Mondell, also happens to be the senior VP of development at Skyline Investments, the same company that owns (until October of this year) Deerhurst and Horseshoe Valley Resorts as well as development sites within Blue Mountain Village, where it also manages all retail properties.

Then, much to the surprise of the citizens’ groups, on July 29 Grey Highlands announced they entered into a conditional sale agreement with Westway for the properties. And that’s all we know. The municipality hasn’t filled us in on anything more, despite ongoing requests from the action groups.

While awaiting any news on the finalization of the sale, the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy put in a bid to purchase the two properties owned by Grey Highlands. The EBC is a land trust protecting more than 17,000 acres of land in Ontario. They would preserve the land as a nature reserve and for community recreational use.

But there is no decision made yet that we know of. And it’s that lack of transparency that has really upset locals.

“This is a very precious resource,” says Robert Leverty, the president of the Niagara Escarpment Foundation. “People are desperate for public access and public space. That’s why it’s unconscionable that municipal land, owned by the people, is sold to a private developer.”

If you want to learn more about the future of the Talisman land, check out protecttalisman.ca. Scroll down for a look at the meetings presented by both Westway and the Talisman Property Action Coalition. –Colin Field

The outdoors is our playground.