Fate of Talisman Resort property up in the air 10 years after closure
A decade after the Talisman Resort ceased operations, the fate of the once-popular 200-acre property is up in the air.
One group wants to preserve part of the land that years ago competed with Blue Mountain, complete with ski slopes, a golf course and lodging but now is home to vacant buildings as arrears pile up.
Still, the mayor believes it holds a special place in the hearts of residents.
"The Talisman sign shows the hay-day of the great place it was, the families that enjoyed it here. But it's time to move forward in a responsible way and in a way that works for our community," Grey Highlands Mayor Paul McQueen said.
The municipality owns two of the three properties after a bankruptcy auction, tax sale and foreclosures.
The town entered a joint venture agreement with the owners of the remaining resort property and brought in consultants to attract investors to try to find a way to move forward.
So far, town council has heard two proposals, one from the development firm Westway Capital and the other from the community group Friends of the Beaver Valley.
On Wednesday, the Escarpment Biosphere Reserve announced its interest. It submitted a letter of intent to purchase the property based on the principles prepared by Friends of the Beaver Valley.
"What is it you want to preserve for everyone into the future?" explained Friends of the Beaver Valley's Mary Ferguson. "Then, looking at the development, developing something that is really community-owned and community-led."
Much of the land has been deemed undevelopable in zoning terms, while the Niagara Escarpment Commission regulates other portions.
"We are trying to put together a proposal that would protect the important ecological areas, yet provide enough development tax revenue to satisfy the municipality," noted Robert Barnett, Escarpment Biosphere Reserve.
Meanwhile, Friends of the Beaver Valley are assembling a team of experts who will visit and assess the property next week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.