The war of words over the Hamilton Conservation Authority’s move to limit public access to a popular Ancaster artesian well is boiling over, with hints of legal action against a group of diehard opponents.

Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson raised the possibility of getting a restraining order against Save Our Spring at the Dec. 7 board of directors meeting, objecting to “slanderous comments” about his role in the dispute.

These include describing him, in a letter and on the group’s website, as a “champion of only one solution, privatization” and as an opponent of reclassifying the well “to allow free continued access,” he said.

“I don’t know where that comes from. It’s not true,” Ferguson said before agreeing to defer any discussion of legal action to a private session later in the meeting.

If my councillor wants to take me to court for challenging his decisions, then I’m up for that.“I think all of you know I’ve never once raised selling this to Nestlé or any other private operation,” he said. “They’re not telling the truth.”

Contacted afterwards, Ferguson said the authority is taking action but he can’t divulge details because they remain confidential.

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