In an email statement, submitted to Huntsville Doppler, Mayor Rod Ward, on behalf of Armour Council, outlined the reasons the municipality will not pursue further action against PowerBank at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).
PowerBank is the proponent of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at 219 Peggs Mountain Road.
At a January 2026 public meeting, Armour Council voted unanimously against planning applications that would have allowed the proposal by PowerBank to move forward.
PowerBank has since appealed the decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal, and council—citing a costly hearing among the reasons—has indicated it will not defend its decision at the Tribunal.
Opposition to installing the BESS has been steadily mounting since the proposal was first introduced in 2022. Petitions, comprising 901 signatures from ‘No Lithium Way Citizens United’ and 527 from ‘Change.Org,’ as well as letters from eighty residents worried about the site, were presented to the Township of Armour council in 2025. Residents were particularly concerned about the risk of an uncontrollable fire at the project site due to the lithium batteries. Concerned residents included firefighters.
“Based on expert opinion, costs associated with continuing to oppose this planning application at OLT would be the equivalent of putting a special tax levy on every single ratepayer in Armour of 5% for 1 or 2 straight years – in order to fight one battle. Which, again based on the opinion of our experts, is likely futile,” noted Ward.
Ward stated that the council has operational concerns related to the proposal, which he said PowerBank and the municipality are working to resolve.
Read Mayor Ward’s letter HERE.
Related
Armour council votes against planning approvals to allow a Battery Energy Storage System
Opposition mounts to Battery Energy Storage System proposed in Armour
Residents sound alarm bell over proposal
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What exactly is 5% in real dollars? If your tax bill is $3,000, then your bill would increase. by $150. Maybe the decision to fight/not fight should be left to the next council to decide. Put the question to the voters and see if they are willing to pay a bit extra to fight.