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20 THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce salutes the businesses of Acton on their preservation of our tanning history. From the hard work of the Acton B.I.A. in creating the successful Leathertown Festival each year, to the many businesses that have incorporated our tanning history in their names - Leathertown Lumber Inc., The olde Hide House, Tanners Pub & Grill, The New Tanner to name a few. The Chamber also recognizes Superior Gloves for their 96 years of operations in Acton they began making gloves with Beardmore Leather in 1910. Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce 328 Guelph Street, Halton Hills (Georgetown) 905-877-7119 www.haltonhillschamber.on.ca As your Member of Parliament for Wellington-Halton Hills I want to congratulate the residents of Acton past and present for your determination and character. Acton - a proud Canadian community, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Acton not only survived the closure of the Beardmore Tannery in 1986, but the people of the town rose to the challenge and overcame. This speaks volumes about those who call Acton home. That spirit is alive and well in Acton - the same spirit, the same determination that the first settlers brought with them to this area. This is why I am so proud to say that I represent the community of Acton in the House of Commons. The Hon. Michael Chong, M.P. Wellington-Halton Hills 1-866-878-5556 Chongm@parl.gc.ca www.mikechong.ca 542 YEARS OF SERVICE: This photo of old timers and the executives of Beardmore & Co. was taken in June of 1936. In front, left to right, are W.J. Beatty, John Kennedy, G.H. Kohl, J. McIntosh, Col. A.O.T. Beardmore, John Dunn, E.H. Smith, J. Wilds, W.J. Gould. In back are J. Gibson, Tom Gibbons, J. McArthru, T. Marshall, W. Mainprize, W. Hall, John Mellon, Georgeo Benton and George Chapman. The 18 men represented 542 years of service to the company. What now for cleansed Beardmore land? By Frances Niblock Swiss Chalet, Home Dept, RONA, 800 houses. The list of rumoured uses for the former Beardmore tannery fuelled recently by swarms of earthmovers on the site - is long, but just fantasy at this point as no redevelopment plans have been filed with the Town. The earthmovers were completing an environmental cleanup or decommission- ing of the 160-acre property by capping, seeding and sodding a small landfill site. While the expensive environmental work initiated by Maple Leaf six years ago to Ministry of Environmental standards, all but erased the decades of tanning op- erations on the property, redevelopment is constrained by the environmental issues and general lack of water and sewer capac- ity in Acton. The Towns current Official Plan, ap- proved in 1985, says new development would be limited to industrial uses on private water and sewer services. Recognizing that the lands are located in a key area of Actons urban area, plan- ners now say a number of land uses are considered appropriate. The draft update of the Official Plan now before Council for debate and approval creates a South Acton Spe- cial Study Area to study redevelopment including residential, industrial, public open space and recreational uses like a golf course. Before any development, the Official Plan calls for completion of a comprehen- sive development plan completed to deal with issues such as servicing, protecting natural heritage and ecological functions, density, road improvements, urban design and remediation of potential site contami- nation. The development must also have a positive impact on the quality of life in the community. For now, the property sits vacant and new no trespassing signs have been posted at the site. As to future plans, Maple Leaf Foods spokesperson Jeffrey Miller, director of properties, dashes all speculation. There is nothing currently proposed for the site, other than continued monitoring as required by the regulatory requirements. 20 years ago, September 12, 1986, the Beardmore tannery, an employer in Acton since 1865, when George Lissant Beardmore bought a pre-existing tannery originally built and operated by Abraham Nelles about 1832. Nelles was a surveyor who received 1,400 acres in compensation for his work in Esquesing Township in 1819. The events of 1986 ended 167 years of tanning in Acton and many thought teh closing signalled the end of Acton as a significant community. However, the community wasnt about to be crushed by decisions made elsewhere. It survived and two decades later is a vibrant expression of small town living. The New Tanner is proud to be part of the community and to share in its growth and continuity which has last nearly 200 years.