Opposition parties are throwing their support behind residents of Wilmot who are trying to save farmland that the Region of Waterloo wants to buy for industrial use.
"Why are they trying to keep this so secretive?" NDP Leader Marit Stiles said at a press conference at a farm in Wilmot on Friday morning. "(Residents) deserve answers and we're here to make sure that they get them. The community is united against this decision."
Stiles is scheduled to host a town hall on the issue on Friday evening.
She said it started in March when some landowners were told the Region of Waterloo wanted to buy their land "with no explanation given, no respect given to the people whose homes and livelihoods and families have relied on these lands."
The residents were told they could either sell their land or it would be expropriated.
But residents have been "left in the dark about what the plan is," Stiles said, echoing what landowners have stated.
"Obviously we are deeply concerned about what the impact is going to be. We're trying to prevent this, but more than anything, we want to know what we're dealing with here and the people of the community deserve to know," she said.
Stiles placed blame on the Ford government, likening what is happening in Wilmot to the Greenbelt controversy.
"Doug Ford and the conservatives have a habit of forcing unilateral decisions on people without any consultation. We saw this same story play out with the Greenbelt ... and there's no way that I want to see it play out again here in Wilmot," she said. "Wilmot farmers will be the first ones impacted by this plan, and honestly, I think that's why they haven't been consulted."
The NDP also pointed to government legislation that they said would make the expropriation of land across the province easier. Bill 162, the Get It Done Act, is currently making its way through the house and would clarify the ability of the province and municipalities to expropriate land before an environmental assessment for a project on the land is completed.
"I think that what's happening here, it's the canary in the coal mine," said Stiles.
Ontario Greens said they'll be introducing a motion at the legislature to save the farmland in Wilmot and preserve urban boundaries.
Green Deputy Leader Aislinn Clancy said the province and the region should work with the community to "find a more suitable development location that does not jeopardize our vital food and farming economy."
Clancy said she's concerned the province is losing hundreds of acres of farmland each day and that "once that land is gone, it’s gone forever."
Asked about the Wilmot farmland issue at a press conference in Kitchener on April 11, Premier Doug Ford said the province has asked municipalities to "assemble land" in response to companies looking to set up shop in the province.
"We have no one in the back area waiting to jump in there, but there's so many requests through Invest Ontario ... we've sent some forms out, I think it was about a year ago, and saying if you want to assemble land, we'll be there for you, and if you don't, I understand that," said Ford. "But we're trying to do it across the province, and anyone who assembles it, we're pretty confident companies are going to come and put a facility there, employ people, stir economic development, create great jobs, and just help out the economy."
A government official explained that municipalities were given a template so they could provide information about available land to add to a "land bank" used by Invest Ontario to match companies with potential sites across Ontario. The land would be vetted by Invest Ontario before it is offered to a prospective investor or company, the official noted.
"There are a lot of smaller towns, like for instance, Wilmot, they need money," said Ford. "So what better way than clear some land and create some development. And I'm all for it, by the way, but there has to be a willing host."
But on Friday, Eva Wagler, who owns St. Jacobs Foods Inc. with her husband and runs a cabbage farm in Wilmot, said "there's absolutely no willing hosts here."
Wagler said while she did not receive a purchase offer, their property is nearby and she's worried not only about the impact of an industrial site, but also if their farm will be next.
When she came to Canada from the Czech Republic nearly 16 years ago, she started working on a couple's cabbage farm, renting the farm when the couple decided to retire some years later and eventually buying it from them two years ago.
"And now we don't even know what the future holds. We have expanded our business and now we also sell into other provinces ... how do we even plan and keep growing our business when we do not know if our land will be taken away? If they can do this across the road, they can do it here too," said Wagler, adding that she's also worried about how development could affect water supply, and in turn their business.
The Wilmot resident got emotional as she spoke about what she would do if forced to relocate.
"To be completely honest, I would not do it," said Wagler. "I think I would just give up on my future plans and on the business, it would be so devastating that I would just not have the energy to do it again. How would I know that in few years, the same thing won't happen again?"
Kevin Thomason, vice-chair of the Grand River Environmental Network and a Wilmot resident, said agriculture is an economic driver in the Region of Waterloo and that an industrial site would affect all farmers in the area given the lack of transit and an influx of traffic due to new workers.
"You impact every farmer for a 10-kilometre radius because, at shift change, you can't get a combine down a road if there's hundreds of workers racing late for their shift down that road," Thomason said. "So the impact isn't just on these lands. It will punch a hole in the heart of the agricultural fabric of the entire community."
In response to questions about the issue, the Region of Waterloo shared a previous statement made with Wilmot Township that the two government bodies are "partnering on land readiness to create shovel-ready sites to attract economic investments and create jobs."
"Land assembly is underway to create shovel-ready sites for large-scale economic investment to further support Waterloo Region’s economic vitality as it grows to one million residents by 2050. Recent engagement with over a hundred local and global businesses highlighted the availability of shovel-ready lands was a significant need when evaluating locations for future investment or expansion," the statement said.
A spokesperson also pointed to the region's official plan, which mentions efforts to identify "mega-sites" of 200 to 400 hectares for employment-boosting projects.
The township, meanwhile, pointed to an April 10 statement from its mayor and council saying that Wilmot is not "involved directly" in the negotiations between the Region of Waterloo and landowners.
"That said, we know there is considerable concern about the absence of information available in the public domain," they said. "As your government representatives at the local level, we continue to advocate on behalf of landowners, ensuring that the process is fair and equitable."
