Armour is stepping back from a legal battle over a proposed battery storage site, with the mayor warning continuing could have triggered a five per cent tax hike for homeowners.
In a letter sent to residents and neighbouring municipalities, Mayor Rod Ward confirmed the township will no longer oppose PowerBank Inc.’s appeal at the Ontario Land Tribunal.
While council originally rejected the “BESS” project in January over safety and environmental fears, Ward says new legal advice and expert reports have changed the reality of the case.
In an interview with Almaguin News, Ward said the township’s own experts and peer reviewers actually supported the project’s technical plans, leaving the municipality with no “ammunition” to win in court.
“It’s one thing to sign a piece of paper in opposition,” Ward wrote, referring to public petitions. “It’s another thing entirely to sign a cheque on behalf of every single taxpayer in Armour, which effectively imposes a full five per cent tax levy over the course of one to two years.”
Ward estimated a full legal fight could cost between $150,000 and $300,000. For a small municipality with a $3-million tax base, he said spending that much money on a case they were “highly unlikely” to win would not be prudent.
“You don’t throw that kind of money away when there’s a pretty good chance it’s not going to get you anywhere,” Ward said.
However, the local opposition group No Lithium Way Citizens United Inc. has characterized the township’s pivot as “damage control.”
President Barry Burton said residents are dismayed by the decision to back down.
In the group’s statement to Almaguin News, Burton challenged the mayor’s financial figures, writing that a five per cent increase would amount to approximately $80 to $200 per household depending on property values.
“Some residents have indicated it would be a small price to pay considering the property devaluation for neighbouring residents of the BESS site,” Burton said in an emailed statement.
In the statement, Burton and No Lithium Way raised questions regarding council’s initial due diligence, stating the township passed a resolution in 2022 to support the project before investigating the specific risks of the lithium iron phosphate batteries planned for the Pegg’s Mountain Road location.
He added his team has performed “relentless research” on battery fires and explosions globally, which they have presented to the township at public meetings.
Despite the U-turn, Ward insisted the township isn’t giving up its ability to protect citizens. He said the focus will now shift to “site plan control,” which he said is the next step in the planning process where the township can negotiate for specific safety measures.
“That’s when we have an opportunity to say, ‘Look, we need training for our fire department. We need this kind of equipment in order to protect ourselves,’” Ward said. “Whether it’s controls around protecting the environment, controls around protecting the security of the site … those are all things that can be negotiated.”
Ward compared the fear of battery sites to the common presence of gas stations, suggesting that as people learn more about the technology, they will become more comfortable.
“Nobody looks twice at a gas station that has a 30,000-litre tank underneath the ground in the middle of a city or town,” he said. “We’ve become accustomed to certain things, and then when something new comes in, we can’t imagine in our mind how this is going to work.”
While the Township of Armour and PowerBank Inc. move toward a settlement, No Lithium Way remains the final hurdle in the project’s path. The group has been granted “participant status” at the tribunal, and according to Burton, they have no intention of retreating.
“We are so dismayed that Armour council would back down from the appeal fight, ignoring their residents’ concerns and objections,” Burton stated. “This left No Lithium Way Citizens United Inc. as the standalone organization opposing the Battery Energy Storage System.”
PowerBank Inc. (formerly known as Solar Bank Corporation and Abundant Solar Energy Inc.) did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
The settlement hearing is slated for July 9.
Sarah Cooke is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering the Almaguin Highlands for the Almaguin News. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
By Sarah Cooke, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on May 08, 2026 at 10:15
Recent Comments