About  the time the pumping station servicing Phase 1 of Cork & Vine finally comes online, 225 new homes will be under construction at the new subdivision just north of Wellington.

That was the message from Kaitlin Corporation’s Devon Daniell at Planning last week, where councillors voted to extend a lifeline to the developer after a clerical error put the development in jeopardy.

Without much debate, councillors voted that the Cork and Vine subdivision Draft Plan for the first phases of the new development be deemed not to have lapsed. 

The decision allows Kaitlin to satisfy the remaining conditions of draft approval and proceed to final approval without having to restart the planning process.

Due to an oversight by the developer, the draft approval lapsed November 25, 2025, as five years had passed since it was first granted. Provisions in Ontario’s Planning Act, however, allow Council to deem an approval not to have lapsed, provided the applicant has fulfilled certain conditions.

County Planner Samantha Deck noted the developer has met the majority of  the conditions. First among these was a deposit of $12.7 million to hold allocation for required water and wastewater servicing. Mr. Daniell personally brought the large cheque to Shire Hall late last year.

“When can we anticipate building permits being applied for?” asked Councillor St-Jean. “Will you be starting construction this summer?” 

“Will the pumping station be up and running this summer?” Mr. Daniell jokingly shot back.

The County’s engineers said the finishing touches would be put on the pumping station before the fall.

“As soon as we possibly can, the designs are complete, the job is tendered, we are ready to go,” Mr. Daniell confirmed.

With federal and provincial home-buying assistance programs coming online, the market in the Quinte area is starting to move. The Central Lakes Association of Realtors reported that Prince Edward County recorded 40 sales in May, up from 33 in April.

In partnership with the federal government, the province is giving buyers of most new homes in Ontario up to $130,000 in HST relief on purchases made between April 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027.

The Ontario government estimates the HST rebate program could stimulate an additional 8,000 housing starts in Ontario, create up to 21,000 jobs, and boost Ontario’s GDP growth by $2.7 billion.

In addition to tax relief, the federal government and Ontario also announced this spring a cost-match agreement worth $8.8 billion over 10 years, focused on housing-enabling infrastructure projects. The fund will support the Ford government’s reduction of municipal development charges by up to 50 percent.