Elected Council’s consultation team is asking the community if they agree with a one-million square foot Amazon warehouse going up on Six Nations land in Cambridge.
Six Nations will get $200,000 in compensation, a promise of a 10 to one tree-replacement project, and long-term protection of a nearby wetland if they agree to the project.
Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council agreed to the project in October with Broccolini Real Estate subject to community engagement.
The warehouse is slated to be built on Old Mill Road with Amazon as the sole tenant.
The land is zoned for a business park.
Broccolini decided to consult with Six Nations but only after the City of Cambridge was threatened by the Minister of Housing, said Peter Graham, consultation supervisor for the Six Nations of the Grand River (SNGR) elected council during a live Facebook meeting this week.
“Broccolini agreed to do the right thing and consult with the CAP team about the project,” said Graham.
SNGR’s CAP team (Consultation and Accommodation) negotiated financial and environmental benefits, he said.
He said both Broccolini and Cambridge reversed course and took consultation seriously eventually.
The relationship between Six Nations and the City of Cambridge continues to grow, said Graham, and Broccolini now regularly meets with the CAP team with its other developments on The Amazon warehouse will sit on land within the Haldimand Tract, and consists of 25 hectares of mostly agricultural land and a few buildings, which included an old barn, an old house and a trailer.
The CAP team said its major ask was that a nearby wetland was not impacted by construction.
Four more meetings are planned to continue community engagement, including another meeting via Facebook live on SNGR’s Facebook page on Jan. 12 at noon, in addition to two in-person engagement sessions and one more virtual meeting.
The first in-person meeting is scheduled for Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. at The Gathering Place.
Archaeological monitors from SNGR were present during archaeological digs, the CAP team said.
