Grey County staff are recommending council support a boundary adjustment proposal between Hanover and West Grey.
County council will review a report at Thursday’s meeting outlining a boundary arrangement Hanover and West Grey are working on.
It will see the Town of Hanover acquire about 1,634 acres of land from West Grey for $10-million, which will be paid out in $500,000 installments over 20 years.
A 2019 growth management strategy prepared for Hanover projected the southern Grey County town would run out of residential, commercial and employment lands by 2046.
Since 2023, municipal representatives from Hanover and West Grey, as well as Grey County, have been engaged in discussions around a possible boundary adjustment.
“The lands proposed to be added to Hanover go beyond the growth needs of the current planning horizon, and these additional lands will allow Hanover to plan for the long-term growth and infrastructure needs,” a report prepared by Grey County’s CAO Randy Scherzer and Director of Planning Scott Taylor says. “This boundary adjustment will benefit both municipalities and the region as a whole.”
Both Hanover and West Grey councils have supported the boundary arrangement in principle, but they have not yet formally approved it. They could sign off as early as next week, a staff report to Grey County councillors explains.
“Should both councils approve the agreement, the next step will be to prepare and submit a formal restructuring proposal to the (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing),” a report to Grey County council explains. “This submission is anticipated by the end of 2025 or early 2026.”
Ministerial approval would be the final requirement before the proposed boundary adjustment between Hanover/West Grey is implemented.