Sep 02, 2008 - 05:52 PM

By Jillian Follert

OSHAWA -- Six months after it was completed -- and three days before a federal election call is expected -- Transport Canada has released the highly anticipated Crombie Report.

And it's just what the City of Oshawa was hoping for.

The report -- written by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie in the hopes of ending decades of dispute over the future of Oshawa's port -- says ownership of the port and surrounding lands should be vested to the City.

Mayor John Gray is out of the country this week, but deputy mayor Brian Nicholson said council is thrilled with the outcome.

"This is virtually everything we asked for," he said. "If this is adopted by the federal government and supported financially, it means the people of Oshawa can finally develop a waterfront that is what they want. For the first time our waterfront will be totally controlled by the people of Oshawa."

However, Coun. Nicholson stressed nothing can go forward without financial and technical support from the feds -- something he said has been in short supply thus far.

At a media conference Tuesday, Oshawa MP Dr. Colin Carrie said his government is committed to getting the lands cleaned up and returned to the City, calling the release of the report "an exciting day for Oshawa."

Specific funds haven't been earmarked yet, because the cost of the work isn't known, he said, noting there is a lot of negotiating, studying and analyzing that still needs to be done.

"This is not something that will be resolved overnight," Dr. Carrie said.

Mr. Crombie was appointed by the federal government a year ago this week to mediate a bitter, decades-long dispute over what should be done with Oshawa's waterfront lands.

There are several competing groups pushing for their visions to prevail and Mr. Crombie spent months interviewing and compiling written submissions, submitting his recommendations to Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon on Feb. 21, 2008.

The report says all stakeholders agree the port needs to be revitalized and that "mixed use" is the way to go, but most are at odds when it comes to how that should be accomplished.

Mr. Crombie's report is based on three fundamental concepts: that the waterfront must be shared by all stakeholders in a mixed use environment, that the port lands and surrounding areas need a single owner, and that any surpluses from the sale or development of waterfront properties should be dedicated to and used exclusively for the further improvement of the harbour and waterfront.

In looking at the port lands in greater detail, the report makes specific recommendations for individual areas.

For example, it suggests the City and marina users develop a business plan for the establishment and operation for a marina/public boat launch, which should be presented to the federal government for the purposes of a joint initial capital contribution.

And while it does not specifically address the proposal by FarmTech Energy to build an ethanol plant on the Gifford Farm Lands, it does say those lands provide a valuable physical barrier between the industrial area and the environmentally sensitive Second Marsh.

"The City should be mindful of the importance of that buffer-zone role in preserving a balanced waterfront, when considering the possible benefit of future development of these lands," the report reads.

Bernie Morton, a consultant for FarmTech, noted the Crombie report also said one of the conditions for the port lands to be transferred to the City is the municipality's "recognition of all existing leases, business contracts and undertakings" -- which he said includes FarmTech.

Officials with the Oshawa Harbour Commission and other stakeholder groups could not immediately be reached for comment. Watch Oshawa This Week and newsdurhamregion.com for further Crombie report updates.

The full text of the report is available at www.tc.gc.ca/programs/ports/crombie.htm.