You probably have noticed the pyramid pile of earth on the old Petro Canada site at St. Clair & Bathurst. This is contaminated soil removed from the section of the property on which a condo sales office is to open this summer. The sales office will be for a 3 tower condo project to replace the original 3 tower rental project for the site.
The Environmental Group had the opportunity last week to speak to Canderel’s Director of Development and Investment Dana Roebuck regarding the 1467 Bathurst Street site.
We discussed many of the concerns the Environmental Group has regarding the remediation of the property and ongoing remediation. Presently, thanks to City Council Motions passed with the help of Councillor Matlow in July, the City has granted the developers a building permit for a sales office only which she says will go up this summer. Pending a completed risk assessment, they will get a Record of Site Condition (RSC) to develop the property with the intention of building 3 towers of condos.
It is my opinion that the development of a 3 tower, each of 30+ stories, condo tower project with its resulting traffic congestion, use of heavy machinery equipment, overshadowing and wind tunnel effects will environmentally impact Nordheimer Ravine already in poor condition.
What is concerning now is that large mound of contaminated soil on the 1467 Bathurst Street site which cannot be moved due to a provincial trucking strike. This means that it will sit there until the strike is over. There are two options available—One is to truck the contaminated soil away privately so that the soil does not remain close to the street and St. Mike’s School. Heavy rains will also affect its spread. The other option is to stop excavation until there is a reasonable expectation that the soil will be hauled away to an appropriate landfill in a timely manner. If you also have concerns, please contact me I have contacted the Ministry of Environment in the hope that they will deal with this swiftly.
