Ottawa, May 26, 2016 – Windmill Development Group and Dream Unlimited Corp. (TSX:DRM) welcome the Ontario Divisional Court’s ruling to uphold the Ontario Municipal’s Board’s decision to allow the rezoning of the Chaudière and Albert Islands and make way for the development of the highly anticipated Zibi community.
“We are looking forward to delivering on our vision to create the world’s tenth One Planet Community in the heart of the Nation’s capital,” said Rodney Wilts, Partner, Windmill Development. “We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback on our plans for this new community. Not only will Zibi become a focal point of the city’s eco-district, but with nearly a quarter of the site designated as parks and public spaces, Zibi will restore access to the islands’ waterfronts and the Chaudière Falls for the first time in almost 200 years.”
“With this ruling, we can proceed confidently with our plans to transform a large part of downtown Ottawa’s under-utilized lands into the world’s most sustainable community,” said Jason Lester, Senior Vice President of Urban Development at Dream.
Demolition on the Quebec side of the site has already begun to prepare the site for construction. Windmill signed an agreement to purchase the lands from Domtar in December 2013. The private transaction marked the beginning of the transformation of the lands into a mixed-use waterfront community and sustainability showpiece.
“It’s very unusual for a private developer in this part of Canada, which is all unceded Algonquin territory, to voluntarily consult and engage with the Algonquin-Anishinabe community,” said Josée Bourgeois, member of the Memengweshii Council, an Algonquin advisory body guiding the project on issues of Algonquin-Anishinabe interests. “It’s been refreshing to work collaboratively with the developers to ensure Zibi would not only provide economic opportunities for our people, but reflect our culture in a tangible way. I can’t recall another instance where this has been possible.”
The developers are committed to developing Zibi in friendship with the Algonquin Anishinabe.
To view the Court of Appeals’ full decision click here.
