Dresden landfill fight: What options are left if Bill 5 becomes law?

CTV Windsor’s Travis Fortnum on opposition to Bill 5, that would give the government power to suspend provincial and municipal laws for chosen projects.

With a controversial provincial bill expected to pass at Queen’s Park this week, residents of Dresden and municipal officials in Chatham-Kent are doubling down on their opposition to a landfill proposal tied to the legislation.

Bill 5, the “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act,” would allow Ontario to exempt select infrastructure projects from full environmental assessments.

Among them is a dormant landfill site on Irish School Road in Dresden that York1 Environmental Solutions hopes to revive as a construction and demolition materials recycling facility.

The community has long pushed back against the plan, and as the bill inches toward becoming law, many are now asking: what options are left?

“There’s not a whole lot that the municipality can do from a legal perspective,” said Windsor-based municipal consultant Melinda Munro. “But they seem to be doing a lot of useful things from a political perspective.”

Munro said the key now is sustained pressure — not just from Chatham-Kent council, but from residents and aligned groups across the region.

“Keep up the political pressure,” she said. “Join up with communities of interest. There are others besides the municipality — the community itself, local businesses and First Nations — who may be like-minded and have different legal tools available to them.”

York1 maintains the project has been mischaracterized.

The company says the site would not be a traditional landfill and would only accept non-hazardous construction materials, adding it has been transparent and previously received municipal support — a claim Chatham-Kent officials firmly deny.

A statement from Mayor Darrin Canniff last week said the municipality “does not support this project” and accused York1 of attempting to “dress it up” under a new brand, Sustainable Dresden, without addressing prior concerns.

“We will continue to fight to ensure Dresden is not used as a dumping ground,” Canniff said.

Wendy Vercauteren, a leading voice among residents opposed to the project, said there’s still hope Queen’s Park will revise the bill to remove the landfill clause entirely.

“I guess you could say the way I’m feeling right now is hopeful — that we’ve sent a strong enough message to Queen’s Park,” she said. “I’m hoping they’ll use their conscience and vote no to Bill 5 — or at least yes to amendments that remove our schedule from it.”

Vercauteren said she’s reached out to provincial and federal officials, including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Minister of Environment.

“We will not give up,” she said.

If the bill passes, Munro said the next phase is about close scrutiny and constant pushback.

“One of my favourite law professors said, ‘Make it sporting for them,’” she explained. “Every time the province takes an action, make sure they’re dotting their Is and crossing their Ts — and challenge them on every single minor flaw.”

She said even if the bill becomes law, it’s not a done deal.

“That landfill still has to get built. The minister has promised a thorough environmental review based on the previous assessment. The MPPs in the region are saying, ‘We’re going to hold you to that,’” Munro said.

Munro also noted that political overreach in Ontario has sometimes been walked back when public resistance becomes too strong.

“We’ve seen this before,” she said. “They make very aggressive moves and then pull back because they overshot or overestimated the community support.”

For now, the community of Dresden is leaning on unity — and resolve.

“This one situation has pulled everybody together,” said Vercauteren. “Different political views, different walks of life, all on the same page saying this cannot happen. That’s amazing, especially for a small community like this.”