As questions come up or we anticipate them, John Reid provides some answers.

What caused you to get involved?

The properties had been for sale for about a year and the price had just dropped. I knew that if they did not find a buyer the next step would be to sell off the parcels individually. This would mean the opportunity to capture the entire lake would be lost.

Is the property still for sale?

The property has been taken off the market and is still owned by Primex Investments Ltd. I have an option to purchase a percentage of the property. If the rezoning is successful I’ll exercise my option and become partners with Primex. I’ll be the active developer of the project.

How long do you have to rezone the property?

I have until Oct 2016.

In broad strokes what do you want to do with the land?

My primary goal is to create the Nature Preserve as the centerpiece of the islands park and trail system. I can’t think of a more important piece to that puzzle.

Secondly, about 50 acres of the property is designated Agriculture Land Reserve. The majority of those lands are bordering the lake and should be left in the Preserve, but there is about 5 to 6 acres on the opposite side of the main road that I would like to bring back into use. It would be a gathering place for everyone and would make a great entrance to the development. Kind of like the way Collins Farm is developed.

I would also like to make room for some retreat centres that are focused around wellness. It’s a theme that resonates well with most islanders. I have always liked the phrase “Island of Walks and Wellness”. We need to set aside room for this economy to grow before we run out of those quiet spaces.