The Decibel podcast

The conflict over a luxury hotel firm that came to a small Ontario town

4/11/2026
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In the last several years, the village of Elora, Ont. has undergone a renaissance. Its picturesque downtown has welcomed more than 750,000 visitors annually which is up from 500,000 visitors just a few years prior. A number of Elora’s 19th century buildings have undergone restoration. Many of Elora’s recent real estate developments have been led by Kat Florence, a hotel company that has bought up historic properties and is now one of the village’s largest landlords.

But not everyone in Elora is happy. Some residents have criticized Kat Florence and say the company wields too much power in the village. Kat Florence has pushed back issuing defamation lawsuits and cease-and-desist letters against its loudest critics.

Greg Mercer, investigative journalist with the Globe, reported from Elora. He’s on the show to explain the tensions between residents and developers over a core question: who gets to decide how a community grows and changes?

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