NDP and Greens take Wilmot land battle into the legislature
The cost and disruption of a land assembly, like the one underway in Wilmot Township, are worth the economic investments expected when shovelready sites are available, Ontario Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli says.
The Region of Waterloo and the Township of Wilmot sparked a widespread backlash when they started the assembly in February, targeting 770 acres bordered by Bleams Road, Nafziger Road, Highway 7/8 and Wilmot Centre Road.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles asked Fedeli Monday during question period about the secrecy, nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) and threatened expropriation of farms and homes in Wilmot.
Fedeli said when Ontarians see the big investments that follow the creation of large, shovel-ready sites, they will see the land assemblies are justified.
He did not answer the question about who is responsible for the NDA that has regional and township councillors saying they can’t talk about land assembly.
Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife said she is frustrated by Fedeli’s answers.
“A true lack of leadership. The Ford government couldn’t even say the words ‘farmland’ or ‘farmers,’ ignoring the economic value of this Class 1 agricultural land,” Fife said in an interview following question period.
“It makes one feel that the deal is done. Ford is driving this gravy train, someone is benefiting, but we will pay the price — a true betrayal of our community,” added Fife.
Kitchener-Centre MPP Aislinn Clancy feels the same way.
“Fedeli responded with his list of electric-vehicle plants across the province. My understanding is the land assemblies the province is calling for are likely for electric-vehicle investments,” Clancy said in an interview.
“But just like everyone else, the communities, the farmers, we are left wondering,” added Clancy.
Clancy and Green Leader Mike Schreiner of Guelph introduced a motion Monday calling on the province to permanently protect farmland, and roll back the provisions of Bill 162 that opened 6,400 acres of land to new development in Waterloo Region.
The Green motion comes as Bloomberg News and The Canadian Press are reporting an announcement will happen this week about a multibilliondollar investment by Honda in a new EV plant and assembly line near its existing plant in Alliston.
Any debate on the Green motion will occur many months from now after the land assembly in Wilmot is completed or cancelled.
“From the beginning, this process initiated by the Region of Waterloo at the request of the premier, has lacked transparency and it’s left farmers in the dark about the government’s plans for their land,” Schreiner said Monday at a news conference.
Less than one per cent of all the land in Ontario is classified as prime agricultural land, said Schreiner. The farms in Wilmot that fear expropriation are on prime agricultural land.
“Surely we can find 770 acres of land that we can assemble that is not prime farmland,” said Schreiner.
“Surely we can find land around the province to attract investment that does not require us to pave over the .5 per cent of land that is prime farmland.”