Some residents in Deloraine have been gathering signature on a petition against a proposed hog barn project and any future proposals.

Canada’s leading pork producer has started the process of possibly establishing production barns south of Deloraine. That has some area residents worried.

Ken McMorris has been working through pandemic rules as he tries to knock on a few doors to gather signatures. “The petition says I the undersigned being an elector in the Municipality of Deloraine Winchester hereby oppose any intensive swine livestock operations within the Municipality of Deloraine Winchester.”

HyLife wants to build four barns south of Deloraine that would house 3,750 nursery pigs and 7,800 finishers. The project would cost roughly $8 million and the barns would employ four full time workers.

“My concern is the air quality for the Town of Deloraine, the airport, our golf course which is about five kilometers straight southwest of it. I’m also concerned for the dam at the golf course which is a popular fishing spot” said McMorris.

There are about 30 signatures on the petition but McMorris plans to keep up his efforts to get more names on the petition and present it to council. “There’s about 1,600 people eligible to sign but we won’t be able to get everyone because this time of the year a lot of people are down south.”

Ken McMorris and other people behind the petition plan to meet this week to plan how they want to get more signatures to present to council.

In early January HyLife held an open house that allowed people to find out more about what the project means for the community, industry standards and environmental protection. The information session was a way of informing people about the environmental impact of the proposed barns in the area.

Hylife’s staff took people through various information stations to outline everything from location and production to odour control.