Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

Owners of the Enniskillen Pepper Company will getting a tax refund and it will cost the rural Lambton municipality a fairly large amount of money.
Enniskillen Township council approved the change in assessment for the former Enniskillen Pepper property at 4352-4376 Lasalle Line at its Nov. 6 meeting.
The building had been taxed as an industry. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) recommended to the township the industrial assessment be changed to an agricultural designation.
A MPAC inspection has confirmed that the building previously used for industrial purposes – when Tilray’s High Park Farms produced cannabis products there – is now being used for agricultural storage. Tilray closed up shop in September 2021.
Enniskillen agreed with MPAC’s assessment which said the industrial assessment should be removed from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022 and the entire year is 2023.
Enniskillen Pepper Co. will receive a total refund of $39,875. That includes $14,639 in Enniskillen Township taxes plus another $2,820 in taxes for their fire coverage.
The County of Lambton will need to refund $11,283 and and the local school board will refund $11,131.
While Enniskillen Pepper has won the tax appeal, it is still working on zoning appeal. Recently the municipality passed new zoning rules regulating how close cannabis operations can be to homes.
Enniskillen Pepper was looking for an exemption, although that did not happen.
The company and lawyers for Ennskillen will be part of a video conference Nov. 12 at the Ontario Land Tribunal as a first step in the company’s appeal to the rule.

• The Independent