SWOX council spends $975,000 to buy land for new municipal office/daycare

Debbie Kasman, Tillsonburg Post Correspondent

At its regular council meeting on Nov. 5, South West Oxford Township (SWOX) council approved the purchase of land for the possible construction of a new 88-space child care facility and municipal office at 324058 Mount Elgin Road, the former Elgin Hall property.

According to the township, this will provide a more efficient and accessible space to deliver municipal services and support local families.

This is the same property that former MP, Minister of National Revenue and journalist Garth Turner offered to purchase from the developer as a community hub at no cost to taxpayers.

The developer rejected Turner’s offer, choosing to demolish the historic home instead. 

“While the current municipal office has served the community for 75 years, council recognizes that it is not meeting our needs very well now and that delaying action will only create further challenges in future,” said Township of South-West Oxford Mayor David Mayberry. “The new municipal office will provide a new, accessible central hub within our growing communities, address some of the space deficiencies that are impacting service delivery, and simultaneously offer a cost-effective opportunity to significantly improve child care availability for families.”

The township has agreed to pay $975,000.00 for all the land related to this project in the first quarter of 2025. Mayor David Mayberry confirmed via email that the $975,000 is for the former Elgin Hall property and for six additional lots (two to the south and four across the street to the west), which may be required for parking and outside activities for the child care facility.

When asked how SWOX is planning on funding childcare spaces for the potential 88-space childcare facility, Mayberry replied via email, “funding for the spaces…is agreed between the county and the contracted provider,” but the county “may have access to some funding to support furnishing/equipment within the facility. The building itself would be a SWOX responsibility and would be rented/leased to the contracted provider.”

SWOX was looking for “maximum flexibility for SWOX at the most reasonable price,” Mayberry said.

Mayberry also said SWOX did not reject any offer from Turner “as no offer was ever formally extended to the township.” 

Contacted after the decision was made to purchase the property, Turner was angry at the news and called it “a massive waste of public funds”.

“After all, I initially suggested buying the place for $1 million-plus and donating it for the community's use and preservation,” he said. “Yes, that could have made a wonderful child care centre, or a remarkable, memorable and appropriate municipal office. I was keen to hand it over for such uses on the understanding the historic and important structure would be held safe for generations to come for their utility and enjoyment.”

New park development on the southwest side of Mount Elgin

The Township of South-West Oxford has also entered into an agreement with the developer to exchange 2.9 acres of parkland at the Mount Elgin Community Centre for an equal amount of land along the south-west side of Mount Elgin Road to facilitate the development of a new, larger park on the southwest side of Mount Elgin.

This 2.9 acres, plus the purchase of the former Elgin Hall property and approximately three-quarters of another acre of land for additional parking, will bring the new park’s total area to around 3.6 acres.

The former parkland at the Mount Elgin Community Centre will be developed for residential housing, focusing on housing opportunities for seniors. In the interim, the township will lease back the exchanged land at the Mount Elgin Community Centre for five years to continue using the existing ball diamond and tennis court while planning the new park’s development.

Public input will be sought regarding the new park amenities at the future site on Mount Elgin Road.

Street naming

Mayor David Mayberry received a request from Marilyn Cooper to name a street in Phase 6 of the Mount Elgin Subdivision after her family to honour their historic farming contribution to the area. Council voted to change the name of Highland Avenue to Cooper Drive at its November 5^th meeting.