Veggie industry says new Lakeshore greenhouse rules will limit jobs and food productivity

Lakeshore plans to enact new rules to discourage greenhouses in the municipality, including that they have to be at least half a kilometre from houses.

But a leader in the vegetable-growing industry says those rules are "limiting the opportunity to feed" people.

Council voted Tuesday for a suite of bylaw changes to restrict greenhouses before they even arrive at the municipality.

Those changes include stronger restrictions on where greenhouses can be located, including that they must be set back 550 metres from residential properties, and 5,000 metres from the Hallam Observatory in Comber. 

Coun. John Kerr was the lone opposing vote in the 7-1 decision — mainly because he wants to ban greenhouse operations altogether. 

Deputy Mayor Kirk Walstedt says greenhouses have created problems in other municipalities. Earlier this month, for example, Leamington laid 88 charges against 12 greenhouse companies for allegedly violating new rules restricting lighting.

"People don't want them," he said, because of "the night lights, odour, noise, all those type of things."

Walstedt said Lakeshore is learning from their neighbours in Kingsville and Leamington and preventing any issues before any greenhouses arrive at Lakeshore. 

He said if it was up to residents and most of council, they'd choose to ban greenhouses altogether. However, provincial law prevents them from doing so and allows greenhouses on agricultural land. 

"Our only way to deal with them is to put bylaws in place for when they do come here to control them," he said.

The new rules have more restrictive language regarding odour emissions, and prohibitions on light escaping from commercial greenhouses and more. Administration will prepare the necessary bylaw changes for adoption at a March 7 council meeting.

Walstedt said he hope the bylaw will discourage large greenhouses from moving into town.

'They're limiting the opportunity to feed Canadians' 

He cited high water consumption, few jobs and low farm taxes as reasons why Lakeshore would see little economic benefit from greenhouses.

"They bring very little to the table," he said.

Richard Lee, executive director of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers, disagrees with that statement. Greenhouses mean jobs, he said. 

"For every worker that we employ at a farm — and it's approximately one and a half to two people per acre, we have 3,800 acres of greenhouse in Ontario — creates over seven to eight spin off jobs. And I'm being conservative here."

He said the bylaw doesn't surprise him, but he's disappointed.

'We're getting there'

"They're limiting the opportunity to feed Canadians," he said. Greenhouses are efficient, he said, and can grow more produce in 20 acres of land than a large-scale farming operation

The industry is "not perfect," Lee said, but is aiming to do better. He cited a supply chain issue as the reason why lights are not being properly blocked.

"We're getting there," he said. "And we need some time to ensure that we can get the proper equipment in dolled to ensure that those irritants are minimized."

Lee said if people visited greenhouses, their opinions could change.

"If people understood what we're trying to achieve, and how sustainable these operations are, they may be a little bit more receptive to some of the irritants that come with it."