Armour Township Council voted unanimously against planning applications to permit a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at 219 Peggs Mountain Road, in Armour Township.
The meeting was held at the Katrine Community Centre, Tuesday, January 13, 2026. Armour Township council held a vote on two applications received on November 18, 2025: an Official Plan Amendment and a Zoning By-Law Amendment, submitted by PowerBank Corporation and landowner David Creasor. The purpose for both amendments was to include a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) as a permitted use in the rural community.
Council heard delegations from Sam Soja, Senior Planner, Tulloch Inc., Connor Wright, Planner for PowerBank, and Barry Burton, No Lithium Way Citizens United Inc.
Sam Soja, acting on behalf of the Township as their planning consultant, restated his findings from November 18, 2025. He said the proposal met with the Provincial Policy Statement and that the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario supports the amendments. He proposed an amendment to his original recommendations, limiting the rural land use area to the containerized, fenced-in site for BESS and restricting its land use to a specific area within the eighty-acre land parcel to address concerns raised by ratepayers opposed to the project.
The project has been met with increased apprehension and public advocacy since its initial public meeting announcement in 2022.
Delegate Barry Burton, of ‘No Lithium Way Citizens United Inc.’, reiterated the main potential risks to the area, foremost of which is a propensity of uncontrollable fire with these kinds of systems.
Mayor Rod Ward, in his summation prior to the votes, voiced his reservations and considerations to the public of about thirty attendees.
“The fact of the matter is we recognize that there has been significant opposition to this applicant, and we have certainly listened. We take the concerns around safety, especially of our firefighters, extremely seriously. We take concerns related to the environment extremely seriously. At the same time, this is a planning application, and the applicant has every right to apply. As you heard this evening, the applicant from what we’ve seen so far, has done what they needed to do from the provincial standards point of view and from the Planning Act in order to try and get this application.”
Ward further explained that the Township had investigated the application with an incredible amount of effort and resources, and that it is unusual for council to disregard the detailed recommendations of their own planner. He also fully endorsed the landowners’ right to benefit from the use of his land. During the Public meeting held on November 18, 2025, many issues were read into the record, including “pecuniary issues” on the part of council. Mayor Ward debunked these notions, stating, “Pecuniary interest means that somebody on council is related to the person that owns the property and can make a decision that will positively impact that person.” He emphasized that no council member had any personal or legal relationship to the applicant.
Ward continued in his statement, recapping that council’s job was to, “review this from a planning perspective and work within the limits that we have,” and pointed out that “most of the concerns have actually been raised from outside our township, but we are sensitive to the fact we are all part of the Almaguin Highlands that we have neighbours that we deal with.” The shared fire department between the three municipalities (Ryerson Township, Village of Burk’s Falls, and Amour Township) was a clear central aspect of concern for financial resources, proper training, and potential for leaving fire departments short-handed in the event of a crisis.
Council members each stated positions, echoing Ward’s, with all council members on record voting against the amendments.
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Simply specify sodium ion not lithium batteries so no fire issues.
China has also started high volume production of sodium ion batteries that are hardly affected by cold at all. Half the price, can charge faster and last for millions of kms. Same or higher energy density than LFP used in many EVs and BSS projects in the world. Should be the default for Canada.
Watch the video “The World’s Biggest Sodium-Ion Battery is HERE (Lithium’s WORST Nightmare?)”
Glad to see at least their local government has some common sense.