Two organizations have teamed up with the goal of creating a greenhouse that would serve as a social enterprise and educational resource. Representatives from Sustainable Orillia and the Rotary Club of Orillia pitched the plan during Monday’s city council meeting.
The facility, which the proponents would like to see built on the Orillia Recreation Centre property, would be a net-zero hybrid conventional and hydroponic greenhouse. It would also include a training kitchen, meeting room and other community amenities. Sustainable Orillia president Stan Mathewson said the plan is for it to be a social enterprise with potential clients being disadvantaged youth, intellectually challenged youth, as well as restaurants, which could purchase fresh, organic produce.
He was seeking council’s approval, in principle, which would allow for a feasibility study to be completed. However, council wasn’t ready to commit to the recreation center as a location. “It’s a wonderful idea,” Coun. Mason Ainsworth said, though he wondered if there might be issues with geothermal heating on the site. When asked about the cost and timeline of the project, Mathewson could only guess, but he said it would likely be about $1 million and take two to four years. “None of us are experts in greenhouses and we need to learn more, but we have a good team and I think we are dedicated to doing that,” he said.
Council stopped short of supporting the project in principle and instead passed a motion that stated it be “supported as a community-based and -led initiative,” and that the proponents talk with the city’s real estate division about the location.
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