Nestlé resorts to robo-calls to fight a development next to its chocolate factory

The battle over a stretch of industrial decay sitting next to the Nestlé chocolate factory in the South Junction Triangle is intensifying. To recap, Castlepoint Realty bought the land off Alcan in 2007, started the process of environmental remediation and proposed a mixed-use residential development that would include 45 townhomes, a few office towers and a public square. Residents are generally enthusiastic about the project, but Nestlé has been trying to block it because they fear the noise, trucks and smells from the 24/7 operation will make would-be residents unhappy, which could, in turn, force the factory to make changes. (We guess chocolate making isn’t all Oompa Loompa songs and edible gardens.) This week, the chocolate maker ramped up its efforts to thwart the development, dropping flyers at every house in Ward 18, sending people door to door and even using everyone’s favourite mode of harassment, robo-calls. Residents are already angry about the aggressive approach, which won’t help Nestlé’s case when the city’s planning and growth committee discusses the issue on November 8. [Toronto Star]