A landowner, developer, and contractor are facing charges in Burlington, Ontario for cutting down 425 trees on a privately-owned golf course in May. The City of Burlington recently announced charges under its private tree bylaw against five parties, including the developer, landowner, and contractor, for allegedly causing or permitting the injury or destruction of trees without the required permits between April and June.
Additionally, the city has laid extra charges against the contractor for tree removal and damage under the public tree bylaw. The matter is now before the courts, and documents filed with Halton provincial offences court reveal multiple charges against Argo Development Corporation, Argo (Millcroft) Limited, Millcroft Greens Corporation, Timbertek Inc., and 2079610 Ontario Ltd., with a court appearance scheduled for Nov. 5.
Responding to the charges, a spokesperson for developer Millcroft Greens stated that they categorically deny the charges and look forward to resolving the matter in court. Despite attempts to contact Argo and Timbertek, there was no response before publication.
The controversial development pertains to redeveloping parts of a private golf course to build a series of homes across four land plots on the course and an adjacent apartment building. This development has faced opposition from a local group called Millcroft Against Bad Development (MAD), who strongly oppose the project due to the loss of green space and community disruption caused by the tree removal.
MAD member Cynthia Shanahan expressed satisfaction with the charges, emphasizing the emotional impact of the lost trees on the community. In response to the tree cutting, Millcroft Greens stated that all work was done with necessary approvals and that they plan to plant over 2,600 new trees in the developed areas.
While Environment and Climate Change Canada investigated the tree removal for potential violations of the Migratory Birds Convention Act Ontario, no enforcement action was pursued. MAD argues that the development of 90 homes will not significantly increase affordable housing supply in the city and is not worth the environmental destruction it entails.
Despite ongoing site work, MAD hopes the province will intervene to halt the development, which was approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal in 2024 after being initially denied by the City of Burlington. The city has outlined upcoming site preparation activities on the golf course construction site, including fencing installation and drilling, which may not require city permits.
