PUSLINCH LAKE GOLF COURSE LIMITED - Permit to take water

Instrument type: Permit to take water

ERO number
026-0162
Ministry reference number
1000406954
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
February 13, 2026 - March 15, 2026 (30 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
February 13, 2026
to March 15, 2026

Decision summary

Permit to Take Water No. P-300-9406955125 was issued to Puslinch Lake Golf Course Limited. Water will be taken from one pond and one well for golf course irrigation in Cambridge, Ontario.

Location details

Site address

6527 Ellis Road
Cambridge, ON
Canada

Site location map

The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.

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Proponent(s)

PUSLINCH LAKE GOLF COURSE LIMITED
6527 Ellis Road
Cambridge, ON
N3C2V4
Canada

Decision details

Permit to Take Water No. P-300-9406955125 was issued to Puslinch Lake Golf Course Limited. Water will be taken from one pond and one well for golf course irrigation in Cambridge, Ontario. Details of the water taking are as follows:

Source name: Irrigation Pond

  • purpose: golf course irrigation
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,839
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 12
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 1,022,040
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 214
  • earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): April
  • latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): October
  • period of taking: 10 years

Source name: Irrigation Well

  • purpose: golf course irrigation
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 682
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 982,080
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 214
  • earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): April
  • latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): October
  • period of taking: 10 years

Permits to Take Water include conditions that require the permit holder to:

  • collect and record the daily amount of water taken,
  • comply with the terms and conditions in the permit,
  • immediately report complaints or interference to the ministry,
  • report water takings each year to the ministry.

Issued Permits To Take Water can be viewed and downloaded at Access Ontario, by searching the approval number, P-300-9406955125, in the search field located at the top of the map, see "I want to...Search by Approval Number", here: Access Environment

Access Environment displays the following information:

  • business name
  • facility address and location on an interactive map
  • type of approval or registration from the ministry (view a PDF copy)
  • date of issue
  • status of the approval (approved, amended, revoked and/or replaced)
  • status of the registration (registered, suspended, removed).

Comments received

Through the registry

1

By email

1

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

Comments relevant to the water taking proposal were considered as part of the review of the application. The main concerns raised were regarding the following:

  • The location of the subject property within wellhead protection areas and its proximity to municipal supply wells, and consideration of potential impacts to the water resource
  • Consideration of appropriate terms and conditions, including monitoring and reporting, to address potential impacts
  • The inclusion of low water response conditions in the permit
  • The length of the permit term

The Ministry considered the above comments, including all applicable source water protection policies, during its review of the technical information associated with this taking. It was determined that the risk of adverse impacts from the taking is low. The application is for a renewal of the existing permit for the purpose of golf course irrigation, with no changes to the permitted water taking rates. No impacts to nearby water supplies or municipal systems are anticipated.

Monitoring and reporting conditions have been included in the permit to ensure that groundwater levels and site conditions continue to be monitored on an ongoing basis. These conditions include continuous groundwater level monitoring in the irrigation well, monitoring of water conservation measures, and the development and implementation of a monitoring program for a nearby wetland feature.

In determining the length of permit term and the associated permit conditions, the Ministry assesses a variety of risk factors pertaining to the surrounding environment and other users of a water resource. This assessment includes consideration of the nature of the taking, the hydrogeological setting, and the potential for impacts. The Ministry’s adaptive management approach, and the associated Director authority under the Ontario Water Resources Act, ensure that permits can be reviewed and amended as required at any time.

The Ministry has determined that the conditions of the Permit are sufficient to ensure that any potential effects can be identified and addressed through adaptive management, if necessary.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Client Services and Permissions Branch
Address

40 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 2
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2
Canada

Office phone number

How to Appeal

This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from September 11, 2026 to begin the appeal process.

Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.

How to appealClick to Expand Accordion

Start the process to appeal

If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.

First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.

If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.

Seek leave to appeal

To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:

  1. prepare your application
  2. provide notice to the minister
  3. mail your application to three parties

1. Prepare your application

You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:

  1. A document that includes:
    • your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
    • the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
    • a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
    • your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
    • the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
    • whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
    • the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
    • the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
    • the outcome you’d like to see
  2. A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
  3. Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered

The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:

  1. is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
  2. could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?

2. Provide your notice

You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.

In your notice, please include a brief description of the:

  • decision that you wish to appeal
  • grounds for granting leave to appeal

You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:

College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3

3. Mail your application

You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:

  • appellate body
  • issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
  • proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)

Issuing authority
Neil Taylor
Permit to Take Water Surface Water Specialist

Environmental Permissions Branch
135 St Clair Avenue West
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

416-388-0961

Proponent(s)

PUSLINCH LAKE GOLF COURSE LIMITED
6527 Ellis Road
Cambridge, ON
N3C2V4
Canada


Appellate body

Registrar, Ontario Land Tribunal
655 Bay Street, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca

About the Ontario Land Tribunal


Include the following:

ERO number
026-0162
Ministry reference number
1000406954

This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.

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Follow this notice

Original proposal

ERO number
026-0162
Ministry reference number
1000406954
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Proposal posted

Comment period

February 13, 2026 - March 15, 2026 (30 days)

Proposal details

This proposal is for a renewal to Permit to Take Water No. 6555-CUTKDL for PUSLINCH LAKE GOLF COURSE LIMITED. Water will be taken from one pond and one well for golf course irrigation in Cambridge, Ontario. Details of the water taking are as follows:

Permit type – Renewal

Source Name: Irrigation Pond

  • purpose: golf course irrigation
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 2,839
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 12
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 1,022,040
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 214
  • earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): April
  • latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): October
  • period of taking: 10 years

Source Name: Irrigation Well

  • purpose: golf course irrigation
  • maximum rate per minute (litres): 682
  • maximum number of hours of taking per day: 24
  • maximum volume per day (litres): 982,080
  • maximum number of days of taking per year: 214
  • earliest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): April
  • latest calendar date of taking (mm/dd): October
  • period of taking: 10 years

There are 3 categories of a Permit to Take Water:

  • Category 1: water takings are anticipated to have a lower risk of causing an unacceptable environmental impact/interference
  • Category 2: water takings are anticipated to having a higher potential of causing unacceptable environmental impact or interference
  • Category 3: water takings are anticipated to have the highest potential of causing unacceptable environmental impactor interference

The proposed water taking qualifies as a Category 1 permit.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Client Services and Permissions Branch
Address

40 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 2
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2
Canada

Office phone number

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from February 13, 2026
to March 15, 2026

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