Removal of Highway 3 bypass designation to open up Elgin County housing, industry growth opportunities

St. Thomas, Ont. -

Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek joked that 'I wasn't even born yet' when a section of land in Elgin County was designated as restricted by the Ministry of Transportation.

Fifty-one years ago, in 1970, a section of land from the Highway 3 bypass in St. Thomas, Ont. to the east end of Aylmer, Ont. was given a Controlled-Access Highway designation.

"Anytime you mentioned the word easement on any piece of property, I think it's a detriment," says Tom Marks, warden of Elgin County.

After years of lobbying the province to remove the designation, Yurek successfully achieved his goal in June of 2021.

"It's when different levels of government work together we actually accomplish the good for the community," says Yurek.

"It held back so many acres of potential growth for our area, all the way from the edge of St. Thomas through Central Elgin, Malahide and Aylmer. So now it's time to set forth the plans, whether it's developing more industry or housing. It's going to be creating jobs and money for those municipalities through their their taxes in order to deliver the services they need."

The privately-owned properties in that stretch are mostly farmland. However previously restricted sections can now be developed.

"There are parts of land that could be a 100-acre farm and 14 acres were under this easement, and that that kind of put the hindrance there," says Marks.

"If you look between the edge of St. Thomas down past Aylmer, you have good roads, you have all the services, you have access to the 401 just up the road. You also have a good workforce there so I think just a win-win for so many people."

Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek at a news conference at the Elgin County building, Tuesday, August 24, 2021. (Brent Lale / CTV London)

One of the biggest winners is the town of Aylmer.

"The existing Industrial Park is now going to have a portion of land that has a big bite of it designated for the bypass available for development," says Pete Barbour, Aylmer town councillor. "We're running short of industrial land, so this is huge for us."

Yurek said his time as minister of transportation played a key role in starting the process. They needed the support of all the area mayors and that was what eventually put the wheels in motion. Malahide Township Mayor Dave Mennill was thrilled after hearing the announcement, as he's been trying for 30 years in office to get the restriction removed.

"Even when I was Warden, I was after this for years," says Mennill, who thanked Yurek. "So certainly appreciate all your efforts and it's a great day and now that was no longer exists."

Yurek is looking forward to potential opportunities.

"It's going to create jobs and taxes for the communities to be able to grow and support the services as they grow along," he says.

"The mayors of Aylmer and Malahide have said they've reached their limit in their ability to grow as a municipality in their industrial lands. I know speaking with Mayor Preston of St Thomas, they're also running out of industrial space as well they can stretch out working with Central Elgin to expand their foothold. There's a lot of people knocking on the doors that want to live and grow and work and raise a family in rural Ontario in Elgin County is the place to be."