Region snaps up more land for airport

The $5.1-million purchase, approved by regional council, sets aside 212 acres for expansion of crosswind runway

OOLWICH TOWNSHIP — The Region of Waterloo is buying a big farm beside its Breslau airport. Again.

This $5.1-million purchase, approved by regional council last week, will set aside 212 acres for future expansion of the crosswind runway, the shorter of two runways at the Region of Waterloo International Airport.

A lengthy crosswind runway is contemplated in the airport master plan and is required to recruit additional air service, regional planning commissioner Rod Regier said in an email to The Record.

The farmland is to the northwest, bounded by Fountain and Menno streets and the airport.

A year ago, the region spent $4.1 million to purchase a 144-acre farm near the airport to provide space for a potential new airport terminal.

Another purchase in the past year gave the region a 49-acre parcel on New Germany Lane, across from the operations centre, for $1.1 million.

That’s more than $10 million spent on three land purchases.

“We’ve spent more than a few million

dollars on land acquisition over the last 12 months at the airport,” Coun. Sean Strickland said Monday.

“I think, after this parcel, we should have all the land assembled that we will hopefully need to help get more traffic and more jets landing at our airport.”

The 20-year airport master plan adopted last year calls for new investment and infrastructure only as passenger numbers rise — but the plan allows for strategic land purchases with future needs in mind.

“The idea is not to purchase the land until it’s needed — unless the owners approach us,” Coun. Tom Galloway, planning and works committee chair, said when asked about the two big farm acquisitions. “So that piece and this piece, the owners approached us and we negotiated what we think is a pretty favourable price under the circumstances.”

Otherwise, the region might have to approach the owners or even expropriate the land in the future. That always costs more, Galloway said.

In both cases, the fields involved were rented by farmers, who were not the land owner. The region will continue that arrangement until the land is needed.

“We’re kind of over a barrel on these land acquisitions around the airport,” Strickland said. “These private land owners are approaching us . ... Even though we don’t need the land right now, it may cost us a lot more in the future. We’re kind of darned-if-you-do, darned-if-you-don’t.”

Strickland said the purchased farmland will still retain its value.

“If we don’t need it, we would be able to resell it,” he said.

The regional airport supports commercial, corporate and general aviation. WestJet offers daily non-stop service to Calgary year-round out of Breslau, while FlyGTA offers weekday flights to Toronto Island. Sunwing begins weekly service to the Dominican Republic on Dec. 19.