Hanover and West Grey say they've reached an agreement in-principle to adjust boundary lines between the two municipalities.
The proposed agreement would transfer approximately 1,600 acres of land in West Grey to Hanover. The lands considered for transfer are adjacent to Hanover, including lands to the north and east of Grey Road 28.
"Our region is an attractive place to live and do business," said Hanover Mayor Sue Paterson. "The Hanover area has tremendous pressure to grow, but a lack of available land for development has stalled major progress. Thanks to forward-looking collaboration with West Grey, we have identified a mutually beneficial path forward that can help unlock the economic power of this area for the benefit of Grey County residents and businesses for generations."
In return for the transfer of land, Hanover will pay West Grey $10 million over 20 years.
"It gives the Municipality of West Grey an up-front, the assessment on the development going forward, that's to Hanover," said West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles. "That was always the idea, it was a partnership. It wasn't for Hanover to win or Grey County to win or Hanover to lose and West Grey to win. After a lot of negotiation, this is the best way to make this growth happen."
Eccles said this move streamlines the process for potential developers, while aligning with provincial growth targets.
"For the development, having two municipalities, if Hanover is going to being supplying the service but it's in West Grey, we do the planning," he said. "That makes it a lot cleaner to be able to service the area, if it's one municipality, one bureaucracy dealing with a developer."
The transfer would affect around 55 properties, and notice of the proposed adjustment was sent to each of them this week. The municipalities say farmland within the proposed area may continue to be farmed indefinitely and there is no requirement for any property owners to develop their lands as a result of a boundary adjustment.
Not only will the proposed properties now pay taxes in Hanover, but they will also be service by the town's emergency services, when before it was West Grey that responded. When asked whether that might improve response times, Eccles said efficiency of those services didn't come up in discussions.
"Our policing and fire services have been seamless all along," he said. "That's not any driver in this, there has been times when West Grey has been responding to calls in Hanover when Hanover Police have been involved in something. That seems to be boundaryless and it shows great partnership between the two municipalities. What it might at some point in time, you ask, do we put together some of those services whether its fire or policing?"
The proposed agreement, still needs provincial approval from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.
Eccles said the next step of moving ahead with the agreement, is holding a public meeting in November.
"As we are creatures of the province, to be able to do this, it has to go for approval through the ministry. We'd like to have that by the end of the year, but part of the requirement under boundary adjustments through the Municipal Act is we shall have a public meeting. It's not a foregone conclusion, this is to inform the public here's what we've worked out."
That public meeting is set for Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at the Elmwood Community Centre, starting at 6:30 p.m.
To learn more about the adjustment in the meantime, visit here.
