City of Kitchener approves Colt Canada expansion request

The Colt Canada factory in Kitchener is pictured on Tuesday, June 23, 2015. (Marc Venema / CTV Kitchener)

A gun manufacturer in Kitchener will be expanding its facilities.

At a meeting on Monday, council approved a request to amend the official plan to redesignate properties near 1036 Wilson Avenue from low-rise residential use to business park employment use.

Documents submitted to council show Colt Canada plans to build additions onto their existing facility and relocate employee parking.

The company has already purchased the 1084 and 1092 Wilson Avenue properties, immediately south of the existing Colt Canada building. Empty single detached homes still sit on the property but the majority of the land is covered by woodlot and natural features, as well as a steep slope to the Grand River.

“The two dwellings that exist now are currently vacant and have been vacant for some time,” Kitchener’s Director of Housing Approvals Garett Stevenson said. “We did review those buildings. Our senior heritage planner reviewed them and they are not historically significant and they are vacant so no one is being displaced.”

The request passed by a vote of 6 to 4.

Opposition

Several community delegates appeared before council, expressing their concern with the manufacturing of weapons.

Councillor Debbie Chapman said council received hundreds of messages expressing concerns about the nature of the manufacturing activities at the Colt factory.

“The City of Kitchener’s bylaw does not regulate weapons manufacturing or manufacturing as separate uses. The manufacturing, distribution, sales and use of weapons is all under federal jurisdiction. So that is not within [council’s] jurisdiction under the Planning Act,” Stevenson explained.

“A denial of the application could potentially trigger an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal,” Stevenson said when asked what would happen if council decided to deny the application based on the products that are manufactured at the facility instead of focusing on legitimate planning concerns.

Delegates also worried about potential environmental impacts of the expansion. Stevenson said those issues would be addressed at a later stage in the development process.

Colt Canada responds

In a statement sent to CTV News on behalf of Colt Canada, CEO Sean Congdon said: “Colt Canada is proud that the City of Kitchener approved our expansion plan yesterday. In light of this, we want to address recent claims about our supposed deliveries to Israel. Colt Canada has never delivered any products or parts to Israel, and there are no such contracts in place.”

He went on to say: “Our expansion will primarily support the needs of the Canadian military and law enforcement, thus reinforcing Canadian national security. As a significant local employer, we are committed to contributing positively to Kitchener's economy and the broader community.”