June 6, 2007 (Barrie, ON) - A lengthy legal battle has come to an amicable end now that the County of Simcoe has purchased the 300-acre Hardwood Hills recreational facility. The popular mountain biking and Nordic skiing destination will continue to operate as usual at least for the 2007 season.
The $2 million sale, which includes 300 acres of developed trails and the Hardwood Hills Nordic Ski and Mountain Bike Centre infrastructure, ends a five-year legal dispute between co-owner Kim Viney and the County of Simcoe.
The site is located in Oro-Medonte Township near Barrie and sits next to a county-owned landfill. In 2002, Hardwood filed a lawsuit claiming the landfill was having a negative effect on its business because of pollution in its water tables and bad smells that were driving customers away.
The county is said to have spent around $10 million to clean up the 60-year-old landfill site, making it safe.
“Basically the landfill site was started on sand and gravel, pretty much the worst place you can put the site,” county environmental services manager Rob McCullough told the Barrie Examiner. “Now that we’ve purchased Hardwood, we’ve purchased the property that was being impacted.”
With a court trial pending to address Hardwood’s claim of the lost business, the sale was a way to avoid expensive legal expenses and efforts on both sides.
For the 2007 season, the county will lease the 300-acre recreation site back to Viney’s Hardwood Hills company so it can continue to function without disruption. The Trek Store Canada Cup scheduled for June 16-17, as well as all other scheduled events, will go on as planned.
“I’m delighted to reach this resolution with the County of Simcoe,” Viney said. “It is very important to me that Hardwood Hills will be able to continue as an important tourism site for the County.” (click here to read Hardwood's statement on the sale)
In the long-term, Viney and the county are looking for investors or new owners that will continue to operate the 300-acre section under a long term lease so it can continue as the popular mountain biking and skiing facility that it is currently.
Hardwood Hills features six trail systems ranging from a 2km Sprockids Trail up to a 15km Radical trail full of steep climbs, drop-offs and man-made obstacles. The facility is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. The trail fee is $12.50 for adults with discounted rates for students and kids.
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