By Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
A proposal by a Knowlton citizens’ group to buy a four-acre stretch of vacant land behind St. Paul’s Church and transfer it to a nature reserve has come too late, according to the church’s pastor, Rev. Tim Wiebe.
In 2020, Wiebe signed the land over to Bromont-based development firm IMKOR. The company originally intended to build a four-story, 20-unit, 38,000-square-foot condominium complex on the land. The initial plan was scaled back amid public opposition, and IMKOR now intends to build three compact two-story buildings with a total of six units, further away from the nearby marsh. While the project has yet to receive final approval from the city, the agreement between the church and IMKOR effectively gives IMKOR control over the land.
The citizens’ group, Knowlton Concerned Citizens, outlined its proposal in an open letter addressed to “members of the congregation and the neighbours of St. Paul Anglican Church” and dated Oct. 23. According to the letter’s six signatories, Jacques Beauchamp, Alan Eastley, Tony Rotherham, Kirk Lynn, John Lawson and Ken Smarzik, “a multi-unit residential complex in the heart of the historic core of Knowlton would be a tragedy. Nothing short of a money grab exploiting the millions of dollars invested by the Town of Brome Lake, the Brome County Historical Society, and private citizens, trying to keep this historic and cultural area pristine for the use of the public, both current and future.”
“Our [proposal] was to lead a public fundraising campaign to purchase the land in question, and then transfer it to a nature reserve, forever protecting the land from development. The proceeds of the sale would be used to support the operational expenses of the church for the foreseeable future,” they write.
They say they made a counter-offer to the church and the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, under whose jurisdiction the church falls, “about a month ago” and received an acknowledgement of receipt.
Wiebe and Sauvé appeared to give the proposal short shrift. “The most important thing is that we are under contract with IMKOR – we can’t have any more proposals and they know that,” Wiebe told the BCN, weighing his words deliberately. “I want to be as generous as I can [to the citizens’ group]. I think they are trying to be creative and find a solution, but what they need to do is contact IMKOR – our hands are tied. A conversation did take place [between a representative of the church and the citizens’ group] with IMKOR’s permission, but what they are offering at present is not a serious offer. If you have an offer, you have a number [attached], not just ‘somewhere down the road, we’re going to raise some money.’”
“It would be [IMKOR’s] decision whether to give the land to anyone else or not,” Sauvé said. “Legally they would have to pass by us, and no one has done that yet. There has been no offer made to us.”
He added that IMKOR has tabled a request for a zoning change with the Town of Brome Lake in connection with the project, although he couldn’t say when the final proposal for the project itself would be tabled for council approval. If and when council approves the project, it will be subjected to a register, and potentially to a referendum of area residents. The signatories worry that a referendum would cause unnecessary division and expense, “tearing apart the community .. and endangering the future prosperity of the congregation.”
“In preparation for this eventuality, the Knowlton Concerned Citizens have already accumulated a majority of the signatures within the referendum zone against the development,” they write. The BCN contacted or attempted to contact several of the letter’s signatories, but no one was available to speak at press time.
Sauvé, for his part, said he was “very optimistic” that the current IMKOR proposal would clear the social acceptability hurdle, “Before we submit [a proposal], we have to show social acceptability. We presented the new project in June and we have conducted smaller meetings ever since. There are people who are ill-informed or who are not in favour of the project, and that’s normal, but they need to understand the differences between this project and the previous one. We won’t destroy the woods…and we’ve committed to building no more than six units.”