The company that owns Oakville’s Glen Abbey Golf Course says it has formally filed notice of its intent to demolish the site, despite a recent move by the town council to designate it a heritage site.  

ClubLink has been locked in a battle with the municipality over a proposal to redevelop the site into a mixed use commercial and residential site.

On Aug. 21, town council unanimously voted to support a heritage designation for the golf course in order to block the redevelopment.

In a letter to the town clerk Monday, ClubLink declared its intention to proceed with a demolition application and requested a pre-consultation meeting to discuss next steps with town staff.  

In a news release Monday, ClubLink also accused the town of being broad and overreaching in its designation effort and of trying to use the Ontario Heritage Act “to mandate land use.”

The company said it would not bother to oppose the designation “in part because any future recommendations by the CRB (Conservation Review Board) would not be binding on the Town of Oakville, and the Town has made its intentions clear with regard to the property.”

The company says it is filing an application to demolish the golf course and all buildings on the site, except for those which it plans to include in its redevelopment plan.

Members of Save Glen Abbey – a group created to stop the redevelopment of the site – have argued that it is an integral part of Oakville’s heritage, having played host to the Canadian Open 29 times. The site also hosts The Canadian Golf Museum and Hall of Fame and the offices of Golf Canada.

ClubLink said in its release that it is unreasonable for the town to try and force them to continue to operate the site as a golf course.

“The Town’s insistence that the entire golf course has heritage value and that the removal of the golf course cannot conserve the heritage resource might mean that ClubLink would be required to operate and maintain the golf course in perpetuity – that’s simply not how the Ontario Heritage Act works,” ClubLink CEO Rai Sahi said in the release.

A demolition application would still have to be approved by council. If council rejects the demolition application, ClubLink could then appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board.

The issue is set to go before town council again in a town hall meeting Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.