November 17, 2020 5:00am
Stratford residents got an opportunity to ask questions to a China-owned glass company on Saturday that has proposed building a sprawling 173-acre facility in the city’s south end.
The online meeting, hosted by Xinyi Canada Glass, featured one company representative saying “Xinyi will be a good corporate citizen in the future, and they will be held to the provincial and Canadian standards with regard to health and safety of all residents in Stratford”.
Many comments during the online meeting dealt with water consumption, as the company is set to use approximately 2,500 cubic metres per day, as well as the facility’s impact on the city’s wastewater treatment capacity.
Reps with Xinyi were adamant that “there is no risk to Stratford’s water supply”, saying the city’s existing water-taking supply is 12 million cubic metres per year.
Other concerns included a proposed 300-foot emissions tower, increased vehicular and rail traffic, noise level and the impact to surrounding farm land, with the company consistently responding they would meet provincial and federal regulations.
