Manufacturing “mega-site” on prime farmland is a mega-mistake

Farmers Forum

April 3, 2024

GUELPH – Converting 770 acres of prime agricultural land in Wilmot Township into a “mega-site” for an unspecified manufacturing operation is a mega- mistake. The forcible and undemocratic acquisition of this land will have profound implications for Ontario’s food security and for land use planning across the province.

The National Farmers Union – Ontario (NFU-O) stands with the half-dozen farmers and landowners being bullied into this farmland theft, as well as with members of NFU-O Local 340 (Waterloo, Wellington), Citizens for Safe Ground Water, Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife, MPP Mike Schreiner, and all those who are joining together to fight for farmland and for the immediate pause of land expropriation in Wilmot Township.

In the past couple of weeks, it has come to light that Wilmot Township, the Region of Waterloo, the provincial government (through the provincial agency, the Ontario Realty Corporation), have colluded with a US-based consulting company to threaten affected farmers and landowners with expropriation should they refuse to sell their land for a manufacturing mega-site. The 770 acres of prime farmland slated for industrial development are home to vegetable, grain, and dairy operations as well as two significant creeks that flow into the Nith river.

“We cannot stand idly by as our political leaders make decisions behind closed doors that will permanently destroy our finite prime farmland,” says Jenn Pfenning, an organic farmer in Wilmot Township and the President of the National Farmers Union. While Pfenning’s Farms is not directly affected by the proposed mega-site, Pfenning is keenly aware that it will wreak havoc on local food production and the community as a whole: “I encourage all Ontarians to fight back against this undemocratic assault on our food system by signing one or both petitions, writing letters to their local leaders, and joining us in our call to keep farmland for farmers.”

The NFU-O is an accredited farm organization representing thousands of sustainable farmers in Ontario. We have advocated for farmers across Ontario and Canada since 1969. Members work together to achieve agricultural policies that ensure dignity and income security for farmers, while protecting and enhancing rural environments for current and future generations. For years the NFU-O has advocated responsible development, smart densification, and the realization of complete communities in existing built-up areas, alongside the preservation of farmland and natural heritage areas.

“Just like the recent failed Greenbelt Grab, short-sighted decision-making is taking precedence over sustainable development,” says Max Hansgen, NFU-O President. “The complete lack of public consultation and transparency in Wilmot Township clearly shows that land use decision-making in the province still has not incorporated the lessons from popular opposition to Bill 23 and Bill 97. Ontarians agree that industrial development does not belong on farmland.”