On the first day back to Queen’s Park after a 19-week break from the legislature, Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife criticized the provincial government for their role in the region’s plans to purchase land in Wilmot Township.
“The Wilmot land assembly is this government’s next Greenbelt scandal. Wilmot has become ground zero for farmers across this province,” Fife said during question period on Monday morning.
Fife said Premier Doug Ford had criticized the region for not being more transparent about the process “but we now know that it was this government that set the terms for sale, forced the non-disclosure agreements and are fully funding the purchase and/or expropriation of farmland.”
In March of this year, 12 property owners in Wilmot township near the intersection of Nafziger Road and Bleams Road were told the Region of Waterloo wanted to purchase their land. The region has said the 770 acres (roughly 311 hectares) is not for a specific project, but the land would be used for future industrial purposes.
In July, the region announced it had purchased one-third of the land it wanted to acquire in the area. But some landowners in the area and advocates have criticized the region’s plan, saying it would remove prime agricultural land. Other politicians have also criticized the move, including Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles and township councillors Harvir Sidhu and Kris Wilkinson.
The project has been supported by local business and tech leaders, who have advocated for it to move forward as part of a group called BESTWR.
In August, Kitchener-Conestoga MPP and Minister of Red Tape Reduction Mike Harris and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli confirmed the province is providing the region with funding. But in a joint statement, the two criticized the region for a “lack of transparency” in the process.
That criticism was a surprise to regional Chair Karen Redman.
“I’m surprised and I’m confused because from the very beginning of this project we worked in lockstep with the province,” Redman said in a phone interview at the time.
‘No different’ than other assembly projects: Minister
On Monday, Fife also said the plans to purchase the farmland go against a new set of planning rules — called a provincial planning statement — which came into effect on Sunday.
“Will you stop funding and driving this industrial site on class 1 farmland, which overrides local democracies and fails rural communities in Ontario?” Fife asked of the premier.
Agriculture Minister Rob Flack responded to say the land assembly is the “sole responsibility” of the region.
“Our expectation is that the region treat farmers fairly and respectfully in assembling the land. It is no different than any other major investment or assembly project,” Flack said.
He likened it to the 2023 land assembly needed to bring Volkswagen’s first North American electric vehicle battery plant to St. Thomas, Ont., which Flack said the NDP supported.
“We believe in the delicate but important balance between a thriving farm and agri-food sector, while supporting growth, new investments and good paying jobs also in the agri-food processing sector,” he said.
In her second question, Fife said the government was “funding the displacement of farmers” and the province is “ultimately responsible” for that.
Fedeli responded to Fife’s second question and said the region lacks shovel-ready sites and the province is “doing our part” to help “massive job creating investments” come to the region and province.