No more crops will be destroyed on Wilmot Township lands purchased by region: council

Councillors unanimously voted in favour of a motion Tuesday to ensure no more unharvested crops will be plowed over on purchased lands in Ontario's Wilmot Township. 

Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen brought the motion forward during the Region of Waterloo's sustainable, infrastructure and development committee meeting Tuesday. 

The region faced backlash last month as farmers say 160 acres (nearly 65 hectares) of corn were unnecessarily destroyed, weeks before they could have been properly harvested.

The land was purchased by the region as part of its plan to acquire 770 acres (nearly 312 hectares) in the area of Nafziger and Bleams roads for a future industrial site. 

Wilmot Coun. Harvir Sidhu also weighed in on the corn plowing via a Facebook post. 

During Tuesday's meeting, Salonen said the crop destruction violated the region's strategic plan.

Salonen added the act also conflicted with the goals in the province's own agri-food strategy called Grow Ontario.

The motion asked the region to commit to ensuring an assessment be done on any further farms purchased to see if the crop could be harvested.

All 14 councilors at Tuesday's meeting voted in favour of the motion. 

The decision made in committee is expected to be ratified at a later regional council meeting.