On Oct. 1, members of the Fight for Farmland Group alongside Wilmot farmers and community members attended the International Plowing Match (IPM) in Lindsay, Ontario. They approached Premier Doug Ford who was in attendance and asked him about the Wilmot land expropriation.
Ford went on to blame the Region of Waterloo for the mishandling of the Wilmot Land Assembly. Many members of Fight for Farmland are confused about Ford’s statement because the Region of Waterloo has pointed to the provincial government’s heavy hand in the project.
The provincial government enforced an unprecedented Non-Disclosure Agreement that restricted all municipal politicians and prevented the region from holding public meetings on the issue. Due to the lack of transparency and the government’s unwillingness to take responsibility, efforts from Fight for Farmland are only doubling.
“While we’ve been pressing both the province and the region for accountability, Premier Ford directly blamed the region for mismanaging the land acquisition,” Alfred Lowrick, spokesperson for the Fight for Farmland Group, said in a press release.
“This statement only amplifies our call for transparency and the need for the Township of Wilmot to state they are an unwilling host as well as the region to abandon this fiasco altogether,” he said.
Ford’s comments specifically called out Karen Redman, the regional chair, for the mishandling of the land expropriation. He encouraged Fight for Farmland members to get the region to abandon the site. The Region of Waterloo has told Fight for Farmland members that it is on Ford and MPP Mike Harris Jr. to cancel the land expropriation.
Fight for Farmland is urging members and concerned citizens to keep up the pressure on all levels of government. A primary goal is to keep the Planning Authority with the Region of Waterloo while also restoring the Regional Official Plan to provide essential long-term planning certainty.
“We will continue our fight against this mega-site and to protect farmland, and with growing support from the public and political leaders, we are hopeful that we can secure a better future for Wilmot Township and beyond,” Lowrick said.
Twenty Fight for Farmland volunteers marched in the IPM parade to raise awareness of the Wilmot expropriation. They handed out “We Are Unwilling” stickers to attendees and engaged with multiple politicians about the impact of the expropriation.
Notably, Fight for Farmland received support from Senator Rob Black who carried a “Fight for Farmland” sign in the march. Black promised to bring the issue to Ottawa. Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario, echoed Fight for Farmland’s message and emphasized Wilmot as one of the most important agricultural lands in the country.
Fight for Farmland members are pleased with the engagement from the public and politicians alike because they feel their movement is gaining momentum. The Wilmot expropriation story is continuing to gain significant provincial media coverage and educating more people about the impacts of the proposed mega-industrial site on prime farmland in Wilmont.
Leave a Reply