Wilmot landowners head into 2025 with uncertainty about region's plans to buy their properties
'As far as offers from the region, it's been radio silence,' Alfred Lowrick says
While reflecting on 2024, many landowners in Wilmot Township say their lives were turned upside down and they're now playing the waiting game heading into the new year.
In March, 12 township landowners of six farm properties and six residential properties were approached by Region of Waterloo representatives and told the region planned to purchase their land.
In total, the region has been trying to acquire 770 acres of land (312 hectares) near the intersection of Nafziger Road and Bleams Road, for future industrial projects.
The region says shovel-ready land is necessary because "over the last several years, Waterloo region has lost potential investment opportunities from major employers" due to not having appropriate sites available.
WATCH | Premier Doug Ford answers question about Wilmot land purchase:
At the time when the landowners received their compensation offers from the region, they say they were told if they refused to sell, their land could be potentially expropriated. The region had planned to have all land purchased by August.
Despite the region announcing in July it had purchased almost one-third of the sought land, as 2024 comes to a close, negotiations have not wrapped up.
"As far as offers from the region, it's been radio silence," explained Fight for Farmland spokesperson Alfred Lowrick.
He adds the advocacy group's lawyer anticipates the situation won't be dealt with until after a possible provincial election next year.
"I think this is something that [Premier] Doug Ford does not want to deal with prior to [a possible elction] and he's probably going to walk away from this for the time being," Lowrick said.
While the region is in charge of assembling the land, it was confirmed that the province is funding the project.
CBC K-W reached out to the region for comment on the latest in negotiations. In the past, the region has said negotiations are confidential and it continues to work with landowners.
Business as usual
Despite calls for more transparency about the project, the landowners — especially the farmers — are entering the new year with uncertainty, Lowrick says.
He adds farmers have begun purchasing seed for next year's crop season and have resolved themselves to the fact that they will be planting as usual.
"This is life-long work for these farmers. The cultivation of the soil to ensure that it is adequate to grow crops, it's a year-round process," Lowrick said.
"Having contiguous parcels of land is important, too. Two of the farmers have this as land that they need for their nutrient plants and feed for their livestock."
Farmers have questions
Stewart Snyder is a dairy farmer who has 100 acres of the total 770 the region is trying to purchase.
His family has owned that land since 1976.
"I am actually a fifth generation [farmer] in Waterloo County that's been shipping fluid milk since 1918. My forefathers settled in Waterloo in 1866. We dealt with the progression of the City of Waterloo back in the 70s and that's where we sold out here and moved out here, I thought to an area where it wouldn't happen again in my lifetime," he told CBC News.
Mountainoak Dairy farm is also one of the farms affected which has been there since 1996.
"I don't know where we can get land and we need it to feed our cows," said farm owner Adam Van Bergeijk.
"Can we [grow] crop this year? When is it all going to happen? We don't know."
WATCH | Wilmot tractors travel to Kitchener for farmland protest:
Opposing opinions
While the situation in Wilmot has seen opposition from farmers and provincial and federal elected politicians, some groups see the land acquisition efforts as a positive for the region.
A group made up of the presidents of local chambers of commerce, economic development, Communitech and Explore Waterloo Region have penned an open letter supporting the Region of Waterloo's plans to purchase farmland in Wilmot Township for an industrial project.
The group, dubbed BESTWR, wrote in its April 5 letter that "this is a critical time" in the region "that requires bold action."
"We are on the path to one million residents and this inevitable growth requires investment and, most importantly, jobs," the letter said. "Preparing shovel-ready land is critical and will be pivotal to the ongoing success of our future economy and communities across Waterloo region."
According to Lowrick, he understands that point of view but believes the bulk of the population have issues with the project.
"It's either the loss of farmland, the food aspect, the water issues that may have an effect here," he said. "We have the [Indigenous] focus that we're finding that there's some artifacts on this land and where I have the biggest problem, is the lack of process."
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