Caledon has nearly 200 illegal trucking yards, council looks to address zoning issues

Caledon council is looking to fix to a zoning problem after finding dozens of properties illegally storing trucks and tractor trailers.

Since July, some 300 locations across Caledon were inspected and approximately 180 properties had at least one tractor trailer or commercial vehicle was parked or stored.

Council said on Tuesday that there is a “lack of appropriately zoned lands to support the logistics industry,” and passed a motion directing illegal land use enforcement staff to work with industry partners to find solutions.

The motion was put forward by Coun. Johanna Downey who said the town and the trucking industry need to work together on the issue.

“We can enforce and educate, but then we need to find a greater solution to work with the logistics industry and establish a better relationship with our industry partners,” she said.

Under current town bylaws, a corporation can be liable to fines of up to $50,000 on a first conviction and $25,000 for additional each day, while individuals can face fines of $25,000 on a first strike and another $10,000 for every additional day.

Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson said the Region of Peel decides how much industrial and commercial land is allocated in Caledon, and that the shortage of areas strictly zoned for open storage and trucking is a larger issue across the Region of Peel.

“We need to find a place for those truck fleets…but we can’t have (them) in our residential communities or on our rural town roads,” he said.

Just last week, an illegal trucking and contracting facility in Caledon was fined $1 million for breaking town zoning bylaws.

The Ontario Superior Court found Darzi Holdings Ltd. was in contempt of court, and the town said the company illegally parked commercial vehicles and contracting equipment at a property on Coleraine Dr.

And last month, residents fed up with the noise and dust from alleged illegal trucking yards across the road in Caledon are asking the Region of Peel to help cover the cost of noise walls in the area.

Last month, Brampton residents fed up with noise and dust from an alleged illegal trucking yards across the road in Caledon asked the Region of Peel to help cover the cost of noise walls in the area.

Council voted to refer the motion back to Region staff for a report on how to move forward, including looking at additional health and safety measures besides noise walls alone.