Follow the money when it comes to rezoning farmland
Questions continue to swirl around the massive Wilmot land assembly, while answers are still hard to find.
Some, though, we can uncover ourselves.
Like why the provincial NDP and Greens are inserting themselves into an issue that Ontario Premier Doug Ford has indicated is a matter for the municipal government, not provincial. The Greens are tabling a motion to protect Wilmot’s farmland, while NDP Leader Marit Stiles was in the region last week comparing the situation in Wilmot to the Greenbelt scandal.
Meantime, Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis tabled a motion last week at an agriculture committee meeting to protect the more than 300 acres of farmland that is lost every day in Ontario. Wherever there’s a political point to be gained, expect an elected official to try and score it, even if their level of government is not directly involved.
At the local level, we could ask why the regional government is eager to turn over 770 acres of land to industrial development in Wilmot while simultaneously recommending against the opening of 640 acres of land for development in southwest Kitchener. After all, both parcels of land impact the Waterloo Moraine, with the Wilmot assembly covering more of the moraine than what would be impacted by the development in Kitchener.
The answer lies in the “Regional Recharge Area,” which is the area of the region where rainwater filters down into the groundwater and becomes part of the municipal drinking water supply. The land to be developed in Kitchener impacts the recharge area, while the land in Wilmot does not. So, the region is being consistent in guarding against development that could threaten the sustainability of drinking water for future residents of our region.
Where the region is being less consistent, though, is in its willingness to move forward with development on agricultural land in Wilmot, but unwillingness to do the same in Cambridge.
Flag Raiders Paintball wanted to change the zoning for 12 acres of agricultural land that was also outside the regional recharge area. The hope was to convert the property to commercial-recreational so that the 40-year-old small business could continue operation, provide jobs for our kids and attract sport tourism dollars.
The denial of that application, but the willingness to move forward in Wilmot, hints that the massive corporate investment that could come to the township is a powerful incentive, while small business interests are of minimal concern to the region.
In other words, money talks. Now that Honda has affirmed its commitment to an electric vehicle future in Ontario (Alliston), along with Volkswagen (St. Thomas) and Stellantis (Windsor), the dots connect nicely for a potential Toyota plant in Wilmot.
If Toyota wants to be the fourth player in Ontario’s suddenly growing electric vehicle future, and our community is not ready to help make it happen, at whom will we point a finger when money walks from this region?