Brampton residents file complaints over proposed golf course redevelopment in flood-prone Churchville

A proposal to convert the Streetsville Glen Golf Club into warehouses and other commercial enterprises has drawn the ire of Churchville residents who are warning City officials the proposal will only worsen flooding across the area and decimate part of Levi Creek, a vital natural corridor. 

“Over the past few years, with the addition of new commercial developments in the area, residents have already observed noticeable changes in the nearby stormwater pond, including expansion and rising water levels closer to residential properties,” neighbourhood residents Nancy and Maxim Mendes wrote in a letter to council. The pair warned that any additional impervious surfaces added in the floodplain—where this proposed development sits—is a “serious concern”. 

“Residents are therefore deeply concerned that further intensification in this area will exacerbate an already evolving drainage issue and put surrounding homes at risk.”

Kaneff Properties has submitted an application to rezone 1876 and 1990 Hallstone Road–approximately 17 hectares of land–to allow four industrial buildings and parking lots. The proposal would replace the existing golf course and the gas station at the northern corner of Mississauga Road and Hallstone Road. The majority of the property sits within the “regulated area” of the Credit Valley Conservation Authority, which signals it is vulnerable to erosion and flooding. 

(Top) The proposed site location and site plan. Bottom: The majority of the site is covered as a  “regulated area” meaning it is vulnerable to flooding and erosion.

(City of Brampton/Credit Valley Conservation Authority)

The flood risk in Churchville is well documented. The City’s website explains the low-lying neighbourhood “has a long history of flooding, including at least 34 floods between 1922 and 2022”. 

In February 2022, 22 homes were damaged by flooding, and at least 50 homes were evacuated so their owners could escape the danger posed by significant rain on a dense snow pack. The combination created a massive ice jam on the Credit River. The resulting overflow quickly overwhelmed municipal infrastructure and led to widespread flooding. 

Churchville flooding in 2022 caused at least 50 homes to be evacuated. The proposed development by Kaneff sits west of the Credit River where this flooding occurred, but abuts Levi Creek, which residents say is already in a state of overflow, even before all the paved surfaces the warehouse proposal would bring.

(City of Brampton)

According to a flood assessment commissioned by Kaneff, each of the sites on the north and south of Hallstone Road would be equipped with underground stormwater tanks to gather runoff. Tilt-grit separators would be used to catch certain contaminants before the stormwater is eventually discharged into Levi Creek. The study concludes this plan would be sufficient to prevent further flood risk. The developer studies related to the site can be found here. 

The developer’s work did not satisfy the concerns of residents, who live in an area where flooding has been documented for years. 

“As of today, March 17, 2026, the creek behind our properties is currently in a state of overflow due to recent [rain/melt]. This is happening before any industrial ‘hardscaping’ has been added to the area,” local resident Kamran Qayyum detailed in a letter to elected officials. “We believe decision-makers must see the reality of this flood plain in person before relying solely on the theoretical 'satisfactory' ratings provided in the proponent's reports.” 

Qayyam invited the local councillors to visit the area and see the elevated water levels for themselves. 

“We are not merely ‘data points’ in a study; we are the families who live here. We ask the City to mandate enhanced protection measures that go above and beyond the minimum legal requirements. We request ongoing post-development monitoring (flooding, noise, traffic) with publicly accessible reporting and a clear process for residents to resolve issues,” the letter concludes. 

According to a staff presentation at the March 23 Planning and Development committee meeting, the proposal would require amendments to the City of Brampton’s existing policies to allow it to move forward. While Brampton’s official plan anticipated “employment uses” for the area, the existing secondary plan and the “Brampton Plan” approved in 2023 do not allow the heavy industrial uses proposed by Kaneff. 

The rezoning request would permit “prestige industrial”, along with a number of other uses, including data storage facilities, self-storage facilities, and medical laboratories. The proposed zoning bylaw has no restrictions on building heights. Residents called for council to deny the request.

Several residents and businesses argue the proposal is not compatible with the nearby homes abutting the natural corridor surrounding Levi Creek. 

“This specific location serves as an entrance to our residential area, and dropping a massive industrial complex here is entirely incompatible with the surrounding family-focused neighborhood,” wrote Michael Nashat, a resident living in the immediate vicinity of the site. “A development of this scale and nature belongs in a dedicated industrial park, not pushed right up against a family community and a sensitive environmental corridor.”

The path of Levi Creek which runs directly through the proposed site.

(City of Brampton)

The Environmental Impact Statement commissioned by Kaneff details the effect the proposal will have on this piece of sensitive watershed. Currently, 203 trees stand on the property; 189 of them will be cut down. The property is listed as “critical habitat” for the redside dace, an endangered species. This means a permit from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) may be required due to the impact the development will have on the creek. Whether a permit is required remains uncertain as the redside dace has not been spotted in the area since 1954 and are “presumed” extirpated. 

There is significant habitat for amphibians and migratory birds that will be destroyed. Studies identified 46 different species of birds in the area. 

The industrial development will encroach on a provincially significant wetland. Kaneff’s report claims the majority of the green corridor will receive a 30 metre buffer, which will assist in keeping the long-term impacts "negligible". 

The report also claims the proposed plan will actually provide a “net benefit” to the area. This is despite the encroachments into environmentally-sensitive lands, the loss of trees and the impact it will have on numerous species, including at least one species at risk (barn swallow).

“These areas are currently highly disturbed as part of the golf course and restoration would provide a net benefit for the NHS (natural heritage system) associated with Levi’s Creek,” Kaneff’s report claims. 

This is a misleading statement, and flies in the face of basic science. It appears to conflate the impacts of a golf course, which is mostly green, open space filled with shrubbery, trees and water features that accommodate numerous species that have adapted to urban life—with the presence of a massive warehouse development that paves over much of the existing grassland. 

The lost greenspace and trees will have a direct negative impact on migratory birds and other species that rely on them for nesting and feeding. The light pollutants, noise, contaminants running off the site, increased traffic and human activity, will all negatively impact the surrounding ecosystem and the wildlife that currently inhabit it. 

A similar claim was made ahead of a massive warehouse proposal in Caledon, which was criticized for ignoring basic scientific principles. One councillor at the time lambasted the proposal and its associated studies, saying it looked like the developer was simply “writing their own ticket”. 

Several residents in the area also question the claims made in the impact report. 

“While the proposal mentions conveying the valley lands to the City, building massive industrial structures and parking lots immediately adjacent to the Natural Heritage System will severely disrupt local ecosystems,” Nashat detailed. “The light pollution, continuous noise, and potential stormwater runoff from these facilities will degrade the habitat for the wildlife that relies on the Levi Creek corridor, pushing displaced animals into our residential streets.”

Officials with Zelinka Priamo Ltd, land use planning consultants for Loblaws, which currently has its headquarters nearby at 1 President’s Choice Circle, also raised concerns about the proposal’s impact on the neighbourhood. 

“Loblaws has concerns about the scale and intensity of the industrial development…specifically as it relates to the functional capacity of Mississauga Road and potential negative impacts on the surrounding lands and road network,” the letter details. “High-intensity warehousing generates significant heavy truck traffic, which differs greatly from the existing traffic patterns. Large trucks require wider turns, often slowing down all lanes of traffic, potentially creating negative impacts for employees and visitors accessing Loblaw's headquarters.”

The officials claimed the size of the proposal “appears to exceed what the current infrastructure can support without causing undue adverse impacts on Loblaw's Headquarters.”

The letter also raises concerns with the Traffic Impact Study (TIS) commissioned by Kaneff, claiming certain elements were overlooked.

“The TIS does not include the Highway 407 off-ramp and on-ramps at Mississauga Road. Given the proximity of the Hallstone Road and Mississauga Road intersection to the 407 interchanges, it is expected that the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (‘MTO’) would require the interchange to be included in the analysis,” the Loblaw’s officials explain. “Additionally, there is concern regarding the projected operations at the intersection of Mississauga Road and Hallstone Road/Hereford Street, which provides access to (Loblaw’s). The analysis does not consider left-turning traffic from Hallstone Road onto Mississauga Road, which must cross three lanes of traffic to access the Highway 407 westbound on-ramp. This oversight may lead to an underestimation of delay, increased queue lengths, and potential safety issues, which could impact the reliability of the study’s conclusions and the adequacy of the recommended mitigation measures. This may also contribute to increased congestion and operational constraints at the Highway 407 ramps.”

Council should demand a peer-reviewed study of the TIS, Loblaw’s said, as the consultants the grocery giant commissioned concluded the results of the Kaneff TIS  “appear to be optimistic, potentially underestimating actual delays and queueing, which may lead to increased congestion and operational constraints at the Highway 407 ramps.”

Melissa Cass, a representative from MDA Space, an aerospace company with its headquarters abutting the property, also voiced opposition to the current development proposal. She said the company moved its previous headquarters after it became surrounded by trucking and warehouse operations. Prior to signing the current lease, Cass said the City of Brampton “pledged” the area was reserved strictly for offices, corporate headquarters and research and development centres. 

“We believe the rezoning is a conflict to the long-stated strategy of this area to foster innovation-led growth and attracting premium investments by mixing this prestigious business zoning with the logistics areas,” she said. “This corridor has become the showcase of companies in the forefront of technology, healthspace, aerospace, transformation and other sectors. Truly world leaders in these areas”. 

No decision was made at Monday’s planning meeting. The information provided will be reviewed by staff with a report to return to council at a later date. 

During the planning and development committee meeting, Raj Lamichhane, a development planner with the City of Brampton, said staff expected to bring forward the final recommendation report after getting further feedback from technical staff and residents.

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected]

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