Work on the PowerCo EV battery plant began in earnest last summer with the pouring of concrete for the first pad of the gigafactory, and structural steel can now be seen reaching skyward.
But it doesn’t really give you a sense of just how massive this facility will become in the next couple of years.
Well, this eye-watering statistic may help clarify the picture.
The EV battery plant will require 380 megawatts of power when in production. That’s equivalent to the energy needed for a city the size of Windsor, according to Hydro One.
And that has necessitated construction of the St. Thomas Line, a 230-kilovolt, double-circuit transmission line that will extend from their existing transmission corridor north of Hwy. 401 in London to the new Centennial Transformer Station in St. Thomas.
Three routes were proposed, and in October, 2024, Hydro One announced Route 3 had been selected.
At the presentation, Kathleen McCorriston, Hydro One Vice-President, Portfolio Management, explained the path taken by Route 3.
“It starts in Innovation Park in London, crosses Hwy. 401 approximately 500 metres west of Veteran’s Memorial Parkway.
“And travels south beside Old Victoria Road and connects into the proposed Yarmouth Yards industrial park in St. Thomas, into our planned Centennial Transformer Station.”
McCorriston continued, “Route 3 impacts fewer environmentally sensitive areas, fewer at-risk species and fewer landowners than any of the other options.”
At a public meeting held this past Thursday (April 16) in Belmont, Hydro One staff advised that work on the St. Thomas Line will begin this spring.
Initial work through the summer will include construction of access roads, completion of foundations for structures, and building the lattice towers.
Beginning this fall and continuing into next spring, steel pole structures will be built and the overhead power line cables installed, and trees and vegetation will be trimmed or removed.
Next summer or fall, the line will be energized and construction areas will be restored.
The work will begin in St. Thomas and move northward for completion at Hwy. 401.
Crews will be on site Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Where temporary lane restrictions are required, crews will coordinate the timing of construction with municipalities and other projects that may be in the area.
In total, there will be 65 towers along the route and work on those structures will be undertaken by crews using cranes, aerial lifts and climbing techniques.
This will result in about 20 km of power line, with each span between 265 and 350 metres in length.
Hydro One has indicated that the cost of the line will be the responsibility of PowerCo.
At the 2024 announcement, McCorriston advised, “To build the proposed line, no one is required to leave their home. We will work with all landowners to collect information specific to their property.
“Where possible, we will make adjustments that allow for the safe operation of the line.
“Property owners will be reimbursed for project-related costs such as out-of-production cropland during and after construction.
“As well, we will take measures to minimize erosion and dust and remove temporary access roads and work areas after construction.”
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TREADING WATER ON BACKYARD SWIMMING LESSONS
Joy Dawdy had hoped to start taking bookings by the end of this month for another summer of swimming lessons out of her backyard pool at 21 Philip Street in St. Thomas.
To do so this year has required the drafting and adoption of a temporary bylaw, somewhat virgin territory for city staff.
At the March 2 meeting of city council, Michelle Knieriem, the city’s Manager of Planning Services, presented a first draft of the proposed temporary bylaw.
The bylaw included the following conditions:
- Up to six students are permitted per lesson.
- In addition to the swimming instructor, an additional person who does not regularly reside at the dwelling unit may also provide instruction.
- Lessons may run in June, July, August, and September on any day between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Leadership courses may be offered either inside or outside Dawdy’s residence, Monday through Thursday, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. in June and August.
- The bylaw will expire on a yet-to-be-determined date in 2029.
A second draft of the temporary use bylaw was presented to council and interested parties at a public meeting this past Tuesday (April 14), and it was substantially different.
- The bylaw would expire in two years, reflecting the additional year waiting for the submission of applications since the initial zoning notice was issued.
- The operation would be limited to swimming lessons only; leadership courses would not be permitted.
- The provision of lessons would be limited to the person who regularly resides at the residence.
- The swimming lessons would be limited to three students per lesson, down from six.
- The lessons would be limited to Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
During the discussion, Coun. Earl Taylor observed, “What we’re talking about here is a full-fledged commercial operation. In my mind, this is not a small business.
“I think by moving in this direction, we’re opening up a bit of a can of worms and setting a bit of a precedent in how many more occupations are going to then apply to us to have their business operating, whether it be woodworking, or mechanics or tire-changing or oil changing operating out of their home.”
Taylor continued, “The overall reason that this complaint (in the form of a letter to Dawdy several years ago) came forward is noise. And, I haven’t heard any discussion about noise at all in any of the presentations or in the temporary bylaw.
“That’s when I began to understand something powerful. That my nana hasn’t just been teaching swimming lessons, she has been shaping generations.”
“There are lots of people who are retired, living in the community, expecting to be in a residential community. This is a commercial operation in my mind that is operating here.
“I chatted with Southwestern Public Health in regard to pools and what is the requirement for commercial pools?
“They have to be inspected, and I haven’t heard any discussion about this pool being inspected.
“I’d rather see these lessons occurring in a public pool like the YMCA or the Jaycees Pool.”
One of Dawdy’s granddaughters approached the microphone in the gallery and observed, “Throughout my elementary and high school years, I was constantly asked by teachers, friends, and community members, ‘Are you related to Joy?’
“My grandmother’s legacy is measured, not in awards or recognition, but by the countless people who are alive today because someone like her devoted their life to teaching them how to swim.”
“And when I proudly said ‘yes,’ their faces would light up. They would tell me how she taught them to swim or their children, and now even their grandchildren.
“That’s when I began to understand something powerful. That my nana hasn’t just been teaching swimming lessons, she has been shaping generations.
“In Ontario, drowning remains a very real and very preventable tragedy. Across Canada, 400 to 500 people lose their lives to drowning every year.
“And behind those people is a family whose lives have changed forever.
“My grandmother’s legacy is measured, not in awards or recognition, but by the countless people who are alive today because someone like her devoted their life to teaching them how to swim.”
Staff will now incorporate the public input and concerns from council into an updated draft of the temporary bylaw for consideration at a future meeting, likely in May.
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PUTTING HIGHBURY AVENUE WIDENING IN MOTION
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack has made it clear on several occasions that Highbury Avenue needs to be widened to four lanes between St. Thomas and London.
And now, the move to do just that is gaining momentum.
On the agenda for Monday’s (April 20) meeting is a motion from Taylor Mooney, the city’s Strategic Initiatives Manager, that council endorse the transfer of responsibility for the City of St. Thomas’ 2.5 km portion of Highbury Avenue between Highway 3 and Ron McNeil Line to the province.
And that this resolution be forwarded to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, with copies to the City of London and the County of Elgin.
The roadway is now carrying up to 50,000 vehicles per day, according to Mooney’s report.
Highbury Avenue originally was Provincial Highway 126 when it was constructed in the 1960s and was downloaded to municipal ownership in 1991.
The City of St. Thomas, in partnership with the City of London and the County of Elgin, is requesting that the Province of Ontario assume ownership and maintenance of a 21-kilometre stretch of Highbury Avenue from the Thames River South Branch in London to its southern terminus at the Highway 3 roundabout in St. Thomas.
The report to council advises that discussions with the Minister of Transportation have indicated openness to considering this request.
“The financial requirements associated with maintaining and upgrading Highbury Avenue are significant and growing. Municipalities are currently bearing costs associated with infrastructure that was originally developed as a provincial highway.”
Certainly, there is no more eager proponent than MPP Flack, who has accompanied Premier Doug Ford down Highbury Avenue to afford him an up-close look at the major artery linking St. Thomas with London and which will only get exponentially busier with the increased activity in the Yarmouth Yards industrial park.
The County of Elgin has identified, through its Transportation Master Plan, that Highbury Avenue (County Road 30) will exceed its current two-lane capacity and require widening to four lanes between 2035 and 2040 at an estimated cost of $150 million.
Meantime, the City of St. Thomas has already invested in upgrades to Highbury Avenue as part of efforts to attract major industry, including improvements completed in 2023 to accommodate projected growth.
Mooney’s report concludes, “Highbury Avenue is increasingly functioning as a provincial-scale asset and should be treated as such.
“The financial requirements associated with maintaining and upgrading Highbury Avenue are significant and growing. Municipalities are currently bearing costs associated with infrastructure that was originally developed as a provincial highway.”
TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT FOR CENTRE STREET
The look and feel of the west end of Centre Street appears set for a significant transformation.
An application has been submitted to the city for a zoning bylaw amendment to permit the development of two townhouse blocks and one block of stacked townhouses, containing a total of 24 townhouse dwellings on the north side of Centre Street, between King and Church streets.
This is immediately east of the entrance to the St. Thomas Elevated Park, and the land is now used as informal parking by visitors to the park.
A public meeting was held on March 9, where concerns were raised regarding density, parking for the St. Thomas Elevated Park, parking for residents, loss of privacy, disruptions to electricity and water supply, traffic, property values, impact on quality of life, heritage conservation, lack of green space, reconstruction of Centre Street, maintenance of Centre Street, height, and parking access for properties to the north.
The land is owned by Matt Janes, who is affiliated with the St. Thomas Elevated Park through its ownership by On Track, a non-profit organization.
A report is on Monday’s (April 20) agenda recommending that council approve the townhouse development.
The report advises, “Provided recommended holding provisions for heritage preservation and environmental remediation are included in the bylaw, staff are satisfied that the proposal has regard to matters of provincial interest, is consistent with the relevant policies of the Provincial Planning Statement, 2024, conforms to the City of St. Thomas Official Plan, and is sound land use planning.
“Staff are of the opinion that the requested amendment provides a positive example of residential intensification of an underutilized, brownfield site, and appreciate the efforts the proponent has made to redevelop the site in a consolidated manner and remove driveways from Centre Street.”
A REMINDER
If you have given thought to running for mayor or a seat on municipal council, the city is offering a free candidate information session to point you in the right direction.
The session will take place on April 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Carnegie Room at the St. Thomas Public Library.
It will begin with a presentation from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, followed by a Q&A with election administrators.
For those unable to attend in person, the session will also be available through Zoom at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84431011977
Regular updates on the 2026 municipal election and access to election resources will be available on the city hall website: https://www.stthomas.ca/
Questions and comments may be emailed to City Scope
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And a reminder, I can be heard weekday afternoons as news anchor and reporter on 94.1 myFM in St. Thomas. As always, your comments and input are appreciated.
