Citizen Concerned About Truck Depot In Puslinch

Across the globe, local governments are slowing realizing the importance of natural assets as part of the infrastructure to support business and consumers not just today but for generations in the future. (see the Natural Assets Initiative, mnia.ca). The proposed location of a large trucking depot at the corner of Gilmour St and Brock Road S in Aberfoyle raises questions about Puslinch Council interest in the preserving our natural assets as a legacy for the future.

The concern expressed by a number of residents is the proximity of the proposed trucking depot to Mill Creek a natural cold-water stream. Mill Creek was at one time a key part of the business infrastructure of Aberfoyle. The Aberfoyle Mill, powered by Mill Creek, was first built in 1859 and functioned as a highly successful grist mill for over sixty years, winning a gold medal in 1867 at the World’s Fair in Paris, for its oatmeal. Today, it serves as a bell-weather for water quality in the area surrounding Aberfoyle and provides peaceful recreational and educational services to citizens of all ages.

While the proposed truck depot will meet all the guidelines related to septic systems and surface run-off, spills and septic overflows from extreme weather or equipment failure are a possibility. Here is a situation where the application of the precautionary principle should apply: while the likelihood of a damaging event to the environment is small, the damage could be catastrophic.

To avoid damaging this pristine asset in the future, the Township and Wellington Freight Motors should work together to locate an alternative site for the depot far removed from the Mill Creek area.

Douglas Auld, Puslinch, April 25 2023