[All] Fight For Farmland Goes National, Alternatives to Conestoga Meats Forest Destruction, Upcoming Open Houses, And More!
Kevin Thomason
kevinthomason at mac.com
Fri Sep 13 10:00:10 EDT 2024
Good Day,
Lots of important things are happening across the Grand River watershed including the Fight For Farmland in Wilmot being in the news locally, provincially, nationally and internationally, alternative plans being developed to save the forest in the Conestoga Meats expansion, and many upcoming meetings, events, and open houses. Here’s the latest:
1) Fight For Farmland - Local/Regional - On Monday night Wilmot Council once again saw an unwilling community firsthand as more than 80 people with signs and banners as well as several tractors protested outside of Wilmot Township Hall in Baden and then packed Council Chambers to overflowing. For the first time ever, new General Interest Delegations were allowed. The inaugural speaker was 16 year-old Erin Jackson who delivered an amazing presentation on the impact of this absurd land assembly on her dream of becoming a farmer. She minced no words calling out Council on the lack of public consultation, lack of transparency, lack of information or studies and the need to protect - not destroy our prime farmland. Watch her amazing presentation in this video:
Erin Jackson - Wilmot Council Delegation - Monday, September 9th, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUPPkVMVs90
Her presentation was so powerful, it made the news the next day and parts if it were replayed on The Mike Farwell Show on 570News on Wed, Sept 11th. Listen on the audio below starting around the 5 minute mark:
https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2024/09/11/wednesday-september-11th-2024/
Provincial News - Citified blogger Melissa Bowman has posted the fourth segment in her excellent series Hush Hush In Wilmot to over 1,000 subscribers. It is an incredible recap of news and events over the two months in Wilmot. Kudos to Melissa for the great synopsis, photos, and getting all the details right in this complex and absurd proposed land assembly:
Hush Hush in Wilmot Part 4:
https://citified.substack.com/
National News - It was a pleasant surprise to learn that Calgary blogger Mocha Bezirgan had flown to Waterloo, filmed the Wilmot farmland with his drone and put together an amazing news segment that in just a few days has been watched by more than 70,000 viewers, liked by over 2,700 people, and shared by over 1,500 people. Watch this young journalist expertly report on things here in Wilmot Township and share it with his national audience:
Media Bezirgan - Ontario Farmers Protest Land Expropriation:
https://x.com/bezirganmocha/status/1832158192123703351?s=46&t=qkZc6IuDIA1Zwhno706xow
International News - Most recently the Fight For Farmland got some of its first international exposure on RealAg Radio on Sirius XM when host Lindsey Smith interviewed Kevin Thomason about the proposed mega-industrial land assembly and the very concerning process to date. Check out the interview:
RealAg Radio Sirius XM Ch 147 - Ontario Farmland Grab:
https://www.realagriculture.com/2024/09/farmers-landowners-are-unwilling-hosts-to-mystery-land-development-in-wilmot-township/
Or watch the video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMzg7CIlLCo
Letters To The Editor - There also continues to be great Letters To The Editor. Keep speaking up for the future you want to see!:
The Record - Companies Come And Go, But Fertile Land Lasts Forever:
https://www.therecord.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/sept-5-ford-wont-listen-to-expert-opinion-two-arguments-calling-for-the-region-of/article_fbfb3eae-4487-5abc-a467-d9f16ac8e8aa.html <https://www.therecord.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/sept-5-ford-wont-listen-to-expert-opinion-two-arguments-calling-for-the-region-of/article_fbfb3eae-4487-5abc-a467-d9f16ac8e8aa.html?source=newsletter&utm_content=a04&utm_source=ml_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=2DF5A405D6082D2C0C4FDB5202BCAE69&utm_campaign=wrop_2420>
New Hamburg Fall Fair - Show support for the Fight For Farmland and come out to the New Hamburg Fall Fair this weekend and visit the Fight For Farmland booth to sign petitions including a new Liberal petition and a new petition to the Wilmot Mayor and Council. You can get more lawn signs and there will be new stickers people can wear around the event stating that “We Are Unwilling”. More info about the fair can be found at:
https://www.newhamburgfallfair.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/newhamburg_fallfair_booklet_2024-WEB.pdf
If possible please join us for the Opening Ceremonies TONIGHT at 6:45pm. It is possible MPP Mike Harris Jr. may be there in his first known visit to Wilmot Township in over 5 months.
Lawn signs - Demand for lawn signs continues to be strong with over 150 distributed this past week. We have ordered more of both the colour and black & white signs yet again. Find a Sign Captain close to you at www.fightforfarmland.com and continue to show that our communities are unwilling!
Action Required: Keep calling, writing, and speaking up to Wilmot Township Council to urge them to declare that Wilmot is an Unwilling Host and to both Regional Council as well as the provincial government to abandon this proposed site.
2) Breaking News - Province Admits Timeline For Wilmot Land Assembly Far Behind Schedule - Kudos to Waterloo NDP MPP Catherine Fife who had a very heated exchange with Economic and Development Minister Vic Fedeli on Wednesday. It turns out she really grilled him and we are now learning more new details about the provincial deal and secret NDA with Waterloo Region - that the Region is extremely behind schedule, things aren’t going well, and they have been given several extensions from the province who continues to blame the Region for everything that has gone wrong despite the province calling all the shots.
Most interestingly it seems that the province is now against expropriation - ironically after they are the ones who insisted on including it right from the onset.
Kudo’s for Joan Faux for finding the transcript from Catherine’s and Vic’s heated exchange and Queens Park media reporting on it. It seems that Hamilton NDP MPP Sandy Shaw was also called out in a meeting yesterday for bringing up the Wilmot Land Assembly.
Attached below in Section C is the full transcript. It’s very long but very insightful and well worth reading.
Catherine Fife’s Twitter Post - Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife (Opposition Critic for Finance and Treasury Board) had an intense exchange with Minister of Economic Development Vic Fedeli at a Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs Sept 10th: MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) posted on TwitterX:
“The Wilmot land grab is not how democracy works. Kicking farmers off their land is un-Canadian... it is not the Waterloo way. It is downright disrespectful to farmers”.
Watch the video clip: https://x.com/CFifeKW/status/1833894345373810730
The Trillium - The daily inside newspaper of Queens Park had a fascinating article on Thursday about Minister Vic Fedeli blaming Waterloo Region for not buying up Wilmot farmland for development fast enough:
The Trillium - Waterloo Region Hasn’t Bought Up Wilmot Land Quickly Enough: Economic Development Minister:
https://villagemedia.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a02de51a7e7e1d45831d3f281&id=4a69481566&e=e9d3167688
Sandy Shaw’s Twitter Post - NDP MPP for Hamilton Sandy Shaw also raised concerns about the Wilmot land assembly and got shut down (point of order) in another committee hearing:
"This week at Committee, the government of Ontario used its power to SHUT DOWN an energy-related question on Wilmot and local governance. Class 1 farmland is priceless. #Wilmot #FightForFarmland #onpoli”
TwitterX post includes a video clip: https://x.com/shaw_sandy/status/1833890060665577929
3) Conestoga Meats Seeks To Clearcut Significant Forest - A decision on the expansion by Conestoga Meats near Breslau has been deferred until the end of September so that the Region of Waterloo Council can decide whether to permit the destruction of the significant 36 acres of forest on the property. There have been proposals to try to reforest other parcels and offset damages, however considerable issues remain with each alternative.
Kudos to so many people in our community speaking up with concerns and trying to find solutions. This is a local success story of 158 farmer Co-operative that is the only hog processing facility in Eastern Canada. It has grown from 200 employees to over 1,500 employees in the past 20 years with plans to grow further. If this plant is lost to the area, or closes, all hogs in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes will have to be sent to the USA for processing.
There is a considerable effort underway to find alternative layouts and designs for the new facility that will save and work around the forest with several options that look promising. A large challenge remains to convince company officials and elected officials to change plans and save this significant forest.
Action Required - Please take the time to learn about this situation, join with those speaking up, and help propose solutions to protect this significant forest.
4) Ford Government Continues To Fail On New Housing Starts Due To Flip Flops And Bad Decisions - Whether it is reneging on higher densities or pushing for more natural gas electricity leading to above guideline Nitrous Oxide emissions, the Ford government keeps messing up housing:
Ontario wanted massive density around transit projects - then it vanished...
Global News - Ontario Transit Station Housing Law Scrapped;
https://globalnews.ca/news/10742510/ontario-minimum-height-transit-station-housing-law-scrapped/
The Toronto Star - Portlands Gas Plant Emissions 7x Too High For New High Rise Developments:
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/port-lands-gas-plant-emissions-seven-times-too-high-for-new-development-at-mouth-of/article_2e297734-6ebb-11ef-9c54-9b4b5398b716.html
5) Kitchener Launches Dundee Secondary Plan - With Bill 162 forcing open over 6,400 acres of farmland in Waterloo for urban sprawl the City of Kitchener is wasting no time bringing some of these lands on stream for development. There will be upcoming public information sessions and other information posted to the EngageKitchener website:
https://www.engagewr.ca/dundeesecondaryplan
And read what the media is saying about the concerning development of these lands:
The Record - “Transformative Opportunity”: Public Input Sought On Contentious Development Lands In Kitchener:
https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/transformative-opportunity-public-input-sought-on-contentious-development-lands-in-kitchener/article_aaa0ac90-a5b4-5ede-a32e-9dc541966b89.html
6) Recent Articles - Include Doug Fords fading fortunes, Waterloo leading student housing, heat pumps, and new developments in Wilmot & Kitchener:
The Record - Federal Politics Could Derail Doug Ford’s Plans To Distract From His Fading Fortunes:
https://www.therecord.com/politics/political-opinion/federal-politics-could-derail-doug-fords-plans-to-distract-from-his-fading-fortunes/article_07697fb1-ab8c-599d-8950-e5b196550d3a.html
CityNews - City Of Waterloo Leads Country In Providing Housing For Students But Remains 5,000 Units Short:
https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2024/09/09/city-of-waterloo-leads-country-in-providing-housing-for-students-but-remains-5000-units-short/?
The Record - Get In Tune With Your Inner Bob Dylan And Go Electric:
https://www.therecord.com/opinion/columnists/get-in-tune-with-your-inner-bob-dylan-and-go-electric/article_862e769c-c1d6-52df-bcb8-f13b1f4b2f4d.html
The Record - Four-Storey Office Building Proposed For Snyder’s Road In Baden:
https://www.therecord.com/publications/waterloo_region_record/four-storey-office-building-proposed-for-snyders-road-in-baden/article_d7cd79db-ed54-53d1-b910-d0e0ae09b3fd.html
The Record - Proposed Kitchener Highrise Should Be Rejected, City Planners Say:
https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/proposal-for-kitchener-highrise-should-be-rejected-city-planners-say/article_4d39b999-ec09-5340-ac1a-e6eb9364af64.html
7) Public Health Care - Not Greenbelt Highways - Environmentalists and Public Health Care Advocates are joining together for a series of rallies/events in mid-September. As we know, Ontario is facing emergency room closures and shortages of nurses, family doctors and other health professionals. At the same time, our provincial government plans to spend tens of billions of dollars on two unnecessary highways through the Greenbelt.
There are in-person events in Hamilton, Mississauga, Burlington, Fort Erie, Newmarket, Toronto and more. Read more about it :
https://environmentaldefence.ca/healthcarenothighways/
Environmental Defence also created a rebuttal to the Premier’s odd comments at a press conference on Highway #413 including that “grasshoppers will be able to hop right across Highway #413”:
https://x.com/envirodefence/status/1833218150164304245
8) Greenbelt Party Sept 29th - Greenbelt Promise has announced a Greenbelt fundraiser on Sunday, September 29th from 12pm to 5pm with live music, barn dancing, local food, and family activities to further protection of the Greenbelt at the Bela Farm in Hillsburgh. There’ll be amazing food, local beverages, and contra dancing!
Learn more and purchase your tickets at:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/gather-barn-dance-at-bela-farm-tickets-970443391307
9) Watershed Security - The Ontario Headwaters Institute has created four amazing new posters to educate and promote Watershed Security. We encourage you to share with your networks:
https://ontarioheadwaters.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Four-Posters-on-Watershed-Security-June-2024.pdf
10) Cooperate For Canada - The Ontario campaign for Cooperate for Canada is gaining some momentum. Eyes on the riding of Belleville Quinte where there is a by-election on September 18th to fill the seat recently vacated by Todd Smith who left politics, and in a bold move for a former Minister of Energy, took a position at nuclear energy giant AtkinsRéalis - more details in article from The Energy Mix below. Recent polling indicates the race is extremely close which means that cooperation between the Liberals, NDP and Greens could be helpful to shift this riding away from the PCs.
Learn more about Cooperate for Canada’s Ontario plan:
https://cooperateforcanada.ca/ontario/
And please share with your contacts in the Belleville area.
The September newsletter was issued recently and includes mention of the Wilmot Fight For Farmland:
https://cooperateforcanada.ca/2024/09/12/september-2024-newsletter/
11) New PPS And Death Of The Provincial Growth Plan - We reported recently about the release of the new Provincial Planning Statement. Now as more people and groups get a chance to review what has been released we are getting a better idea of the implications and consequences. As expected it is not good as the province is further weakening farmland and natural protection that will make the housing crisis worse.
Interestingly there is an posting on the Environmental Registry of Ontario however rather than feedback apparently the Minister is seeking specific planning matters that need to be addressed by a transition regulation. It could still be worth commenting about concerns:
PPS ERO - https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-9065
12) Ford Fails On WasteWater Testing - The Ford government ended wastewater testing for COVID-19 and other diseases to significant public outcry. Now we are learning that the testing was ended two months early apparently without starting negotiations with the Federal government to take over the findings…. Yet another Ford Failure:
Ottawa Citizen Newspaper - Ontario Dropped Wastewater Testing Early, With No Plans For Feds To Step In:
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ontario-dropped-wastewater-testing-early-with-no-plan-for-feds-to-step-in-documents
13) Ontario Science Centre Letter Campaign - Support groups for the Ontario Science Centre have launched a letter writing campaign where you can write a letter with a few simple clicks to speak up for the Science Centre. They hope to get 100,000 and currently have over 89,000 letters sent. Speak up today at:
https://www.savesciencecentre.com/signtheletter
A new polls shows a majority of Ontarians want the Science Centre repaired and reopened:
CityNews - New Poll Shows Ontarians Want Science Centre Repaired and Reopened:
https://kitchener.citynews.ca/video/2024/09/05/new-poll-shows-ontarians-want-science-centre-repaired-and-reopened/
And do they or don’t they have jobs?
CityNews - More Layoffs Coming For Ontario Science Centre Employees:
https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2024/09/12/more-layoffs-coming-for-employees-who-worked-at-ontario-science-centre/?
The Toronto Star - Doug Ford Pledges Jobs For Uprooted Ontario Science Centre Workers:
https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-pledges-jobs-for-uprooted-ontario-science-centre-workers/article_072e06d6-7118-11ef-ac01-73e89739e8f5.html
14) ALO All Member Meeting - The Alliance for a Liveable Ontario is having an all-member meeting on Tuesday, October 1st at 7pm on Zoom. Register online and learn the latest election analysis, upcoming plans and provide feedback:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-ey01dY5Q3yveFnZh1xkSA#/registration
15) Plastic People Film - The Gorge Cinema is showing the film Plastic People about the effects of plastic and microplastics on our bodies on Sunday, October 6th at 2pm. Learn more and watch the trailer at
https://www.saveourwater.ca/
16) River Run 2024: Walk with Grassy Narrows - On September 18th hop on the free bus from either Guelph or Kitchener-Waterloo and join with others on the Grassy Narrows River Run:
https://www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca/bus_to_grassy_narrows_river_run
Guelph Bus - https://www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca/bus_to_grassy_narrows_river_run
Kitchener-Waterloo Bus: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_zdqBrm-VTdUQL_jOcQzzWbe37xOfHrYjtuxrO64ExPVrrw/viewform
17) Climate Emergency Vigils Resume! - Starting Friday, Oct 4, Faith Climate Justice Waterloo Region will be hosting public climate emergency vigils in Waterloo Public Square, free for all to attend. These vigils build on the power of the 16 vigils hosted last fall, and are designed to create sacred spaces to process complex climate emotions together, to reflect, and to share opportunities for action leading up to the Conference of the Parties climate talks, COP29 happening in November. Spread the word, and we hope you will join us. For more information visit:
https://www.faithclimatejustice.ca/climate-vigils.html
18) Other Articles - Include hallway healtchare, traffic cameras, NDP priorities, and beer in corner stores:
The Trillium - Hospital Data Shows Ontario Hallway Healthcare Problem Is Worse Than Ever:
https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/health/hospital-data-shows-ontarios-hallway-health-care-problem-is-worse-than-ever-9370235
The Toronto Star - Doug Ford Won’t Let Toronto Use Camera’s To Get Traffic Moving. The City Should Do It Anyway:
https://archive.is/tKZr2
The Star - Singh Fires Back At Ford Saying His Priorities Are Out Of Order:
https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-is-obsessed-with-alcohol-in-convenience-stores-instead-of-health-care-jagmeet-singh/article_d9d2f544-6f95-11ef-b70b-c3a9267569bc.html
The Toronto Star - I Toured Doug Ford’s $225 Million Bill Utopia:
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/i-toured-doug-fords-225-million-beer-utopia/article_0339b3ae-6f8d-11ef-ab36-fb5c5211bec2.html
19) Some Humour - Here’s a great video making fun of urban sprawl developers:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MLHn26qhGJw
20) Some Good News - New Nature Park Opens - Kudos to the folks outside London, Ontario who have worked for years to restore nature and create a new nature park that has just become a Conservation Area:
CBC - Land Donated By Restorer Not Destroyer Opens As New Nature Park Near St. Thomas:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/land-donated-by-restorer-not-destroyer-residents-opens-as-new-nature-park-near-st-thomas-1.7320348
21) Reminder - Next Meeting - Join us next, Friday, September 20th at 5:30pm online at the Zoom link below:
Topic: Grand River Watershed Bill 23 Bi-Weekly Zoom Meeting
Time: Every Other Friday at 5:30pm EST
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09
Meeting ID: 826 4469 5701
Passcode: 713374
Thanks for all the great efforts so far - please share any questions or ideas.
Cheers,
Kevin Thomason, Mike Marcolongo, and Joan Faux on behalf of all our community groups.
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A) Upcoming Events - Get out and get involved! And keep us posted on your events so we can share them:
Friday to Sunday, September 13th to 15th - Fight For Farmland at The New Hamburg Fall Fair - www.fightforfarmland.com
Saturday and Sunday September 14th & 15th - Healthcare Not Highways - https://environmentaldefence.ca/healthcarenothighways/
Saturday, September 14th - 9am to 11am - Bechtel Park Wildflower Planting - https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/community-programs-in-parks.aspx
Wed, Sept 18th - Grassy Narrows River Run with buses from Guelph and Waterloo - https://www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca/bus_to_grassy_narrows_river_run
Friday, September 20th at 5:30pm - Next group update meeting on Zoom - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09
Saturday, September 21st - 9am to 11am - RIM Park Wildflower Planting - https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/community-programs-in-parks.aspx
Tuesday, September 24th at 6:30pm - GRCA Virtual Strategic Plan Consultation Meeting - Pre-registration required - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pt-5FMBhT9m_wJXAzSbeZA#/registration
Saturday, September 28th - 9am to 11am - Laurelwood Park Wildflower Planting - https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/community-programs-in-parks.aspx
Sunday, September 29th from 12pm to 5pm - Greenbelt Party in Hillsburgh - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/gather-barn-dance-at-bela-farm-tickets-970443391307
Tuesday, October 1st - ALO All Member Meeting - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-ey01dY5Q3yveFnZh1xkSA#/registration
Tuesday, October 1st - Seniors Day Of Action On Climate - https://actionnetwork.org/forms/join-the-seniors-for-climate-mailing-list
Wednesday, October 2nd - Build The Ontario We Need - EFTO Town Hall Meetings Across Ontario - https://ofl.ca/event/town-hall-kitchener-waterloo/
Friday, October 4th - 8pm - Climate Emergency Vigils - Waterloo Town Square - https://www.faithclimatejustice.ca/climate-vigils.html
Saturday, October 5th - 9am to 11am - Waterloo Park Woodland Garden Planting - https://www.waterloo.ca/en/things-to-do/community-programs-in-parks.aspx
Sunday, October 6th at 2pm - SaveOurWater.ca <http://saveourwater.ca/> presents Plastic People At Gorge Cinema - https://www.saveourwater.ca/
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B) Wilmot Land Assembly - Melissa Bowman - Hush Hush In Wilmot Part 4:
https://citified.substack.com/

https://citified.substack.com/
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C) Wilmot Land Assembly - Media Bezirgan - Ontario Farmers Protest Land Expropriation:
https://x.com/bezirganmocha/status/1832158192123703351?s=46&t=qkZc6IuDIA1Zwhno706xow

https://x.com/bezirganmocha/status/1832158192123703351?s=46&t=qkZc6IuDIA1Zwhno706xow
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D) Wilmot Land Assembly - Full Transcript Of MPP Catherine Fife and Minister Vic Fedeli:
Even the start of this meeting is fascinating to read the transcript as the Conservative government announces the Bill is unamendable (no changes possible - something quite unprecedented) and then tries to move to secret in-camera meetings so there will be no public record or information on Bill 190. Quite alarming. They are in a closed secret meeting for several hours. They then resume the public hearing when Wilmot comes up. The section on Wilmot starts around 15:20 and again at 16:40 continues until the end of the meeting:
https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/committees/finance-economic-affairs/parliament-43/transcripts/committee-transcript-2024-sept-10
Here’s the transcript:
Ms. Catherine Fife: Okay, that’s great. Thanks to the Clerk for that verification.
And thanks to Minister Fedeli and Associate Minister Tangri for being here. It will not surprise you, I’m sure, that I’m going to be asking about the Wilmot land assembly, because this pertains to vote item 902 and then 902-13. You’ve indicated that there’s a 144.3% change in economic development and investment, according to estimates, so my question pertains to—this section is allocated towards the province’s growth. If we want to focus on growth, it should be noted that according to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, agriculture is one of the largest sectors in Ontario, generating more than $47 billion in economic activity every year and supporting 750,000 jobs, or about 10% of the province’s workforce. A lot of people don’t know this, and I will also admit that my learning journey on this has been profound.
In Wilmot township, millions of dollars are being spent on buying hundreds of acres of farms for industrial purposes, with thousands more acres of prime farmland being targeted for unplanned development that was never part of the regional official plan—or any municipal official plan, for that matter.
So my question is to you, Minister Fedeli. You did put out a statement about this issue. Why are farmers not being regarded as business owners when there’s such a significant GDP contribution here? And how is the destruction of our local food sources helping Ontarians, which include Ontario’s farmers and farming families?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you for the question. My quick answer before my longer version is that we understand Ontario’s farmland is very critical to the success not only of the agri-food industry, but the success of the province and our entire economy. That’s why we are taking a balanced approach to ensure the agri-food industry continues to thrive, as does the rest of the economy.
We know that the agri-food sector has grown incredibly rapidly since we took office. That’s why they’re at $50 billion added to our GDP every year, employing a million workers, exporting $26 billion worth of product. We will always support our farmers and create those conditions for business in every sector to succeed—
Ms. Catherine Fife: I’d like to reclaim my time.
Thank you very much for that answer. I specifically, though, want to talk about Wilmot, Minister Fedeli. You and MPP Harris put out a statement saying that you were not supportive of the way that the region of Waterloo has conducted themselves with regard to the forced expropriation by hiring a third party, Canacre, to go to those farmers, offer them $35,000 an acre and say to them that if they do not accept the $35,000, their land would be expropriated. When you did put out your statement, it was of interest to me that the regional chair—and I want to thank you for this: You did clarify that the province is funding the purchase.
I will note that around six months ago, when this issue first came up, I did note that the region of Waterloo had said they don’t have the money to expropriate this farmland. That was through their budget process. And you had said, “While the province is supporting the region of Waterloo with funding to help” because of the land, “it is the sole responsibility of the region to assemble” that.
However, in response to your press release, Chair Redman was very clear. She said it’s disappointing to see recent events unfold from the government because the government was driving the process. You established the terms of reference with regards to the expropriation timelines. The region had asked for some additional time to meet with farmers. The government has said that you are not driving the process. The region of Waterloo, the chair there, has said, “I’m surprised and I’m confused because from the very beginning of this project, we worked in lockstep with the province,” specifically around these 770 acres, which is roughly 311 hectares.
Chair, you’ll understand this, because you’ve been in politics a long time: The people of Wilmot, the people of the region of Waterloo—there’s been no public meeting about this expropriation or sale or purchase of the 770 acres for the land assembly. There’s been no transparency and, really, no accountability.
As it stands right now, the region has purchased, with your assistance, about 160 acres at about $100,000 an acre. So we’re looking at a substantive amount of money. Is that contained in the vote item on 902? Has the region already flowed the money to purchase this land? Because there is a need for us as politicians, as legislators, but also for the public at large to know why the government is pursuing this land purchase, given the fact that there is no identified purchaser for the property or anchor company, as has been described. There’s been no transparency around how much money has flowed already. And there are competing stories here. The region says this is your process. You put out a press release with Mike Harris Jr. saying, “We do not support this process.”
So, I just want to give you an opportunity to clarify for the people of Waterloo region what actually is going on with regard to this massive industrial land assembly on class 1 farmland.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you. I look forward to answering. You have a lot of questions in there; I’ve written a couple of them down. It was kind of wide-reaching.
But I do want to correct one thing: You had said the province set the expropriation timelines. That’s absolutely false, just plain and simple. The province is not involved in setting an expropriation timeline. That was just something I wanted to clarify right off the bat.
Now comes my longer answer. The short answer, it was exactly where I had ended. But I can tell you, you need to look at the why. Your last question is, why are you pursuing land? In my first opening of 10 minutes, I talked about a couple of billion dollars being invested in Port Colborne, almost a billion dollars being invested in Napanee, $4 billion from a Korean company, $15 billion going into Alliston and other areas. The list goes on and on. All the communities in Ontario understand that we are literally on fire in Ontario. We have more prospects than we have land that’s readily available, and so Premier Ford put out a call to municipalities and said—
Interjections.
The Chair (Mr. Ernie Hardeman): Order.
Ms. Catherine Fife: We didn’t—I’m sorry. What’s going on? Are you okay? Okay.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Premier Ford put out a call to municipalities right across the province and said, “Get your shovel-ready sites assembled. We need land. You want the jobs,” and so municipalities all over Ontario began.
You asked why. It is the region pursuing land. It’s not the province—
Ms. Catherine Fife: Because you asked them.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: It’s not the province pursuing the land purchase; it is the region. The Premier asked all municipalities in a blanket statement, “Do you see what we’re doing? It could happen in your community if you want.”
Ms. Catherine Fife: Did you put any parameters on what that land—like, is class 1 farmland up for sale? Is that a part of your parameters of this deal?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: I still have about 10 of your other questions, so I’ll get to that one.
Again, there are more prospects who want to come to Ontario because, as you’ve heard, this is the number one jurisdiction now in Canada. The Premier put out a call and said, “Get your shovel-ready sites assembled,” whether it’s a municipality that owns it or whether there are businesses that own land that want to put that land available for smaller prospects, as well—
Ms. Catherine Fife: These are not willing partners, though. These are not willing farmers.
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Hon. Victor Fedeli: The municipality has the option to come to the province and say, “We would like some help on this site.” We are supporting the region of Waterloo with funding to help purchase the land, period.
Ms. Catherine Fife: No expropriation? You did not indicate that you are supportive of expropriation?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Look at what we did at Volkswagen—
Ms. Catherine Fife: Just say no.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: But you have to look and see. I’ll speak by example. Look across the highway at Volkswagen. We acquired 1,500 acres with zero expropriation.
Ms. Catherine Fife: That is not what’s happening, though, in Wilmot. And with respect—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: This is the sole responsibility, though, of the region.
Ms. Catherine Fife: And with respect, though, the chair of the region, Karen Redman, says the “expropriation was an obligation in the partnership agreement they signed with the province.” So they signed an agreement with you, and I’m just trying to get a sense of, if you don’t have eyes on this deal, if you don’t have hands on this deal, is there a deputy minister, is there an ADM that is directly dealing with this? Because the non-disclosure agreement that also the region tells us was a condition of your funding—I’m trying to get to the fact that, you know, this is out of character for the region. We have a long-standing tradition; we have a countryside line. I know the previous Minister of Municipal Affairs said someone took a crayon. No, it was done by planners. It was based on our capacity and sustainability around water and around the environment.
And so I want to get a sense from you, Minister Fedeli, did you insist that the region of Waterloo sign this NDA and also start with the expropriation mode? Because this is a tale of two—it’s a tale of two stories, actually, but at the end of the day, it’s causing chaos for farmers in Waterloo region and Wilmot, and I just want you to answer clearly: Did you obligate the region of Waterloo to start with expropriation?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: So, between the deputy and I, we’ll answer your question, but again, I will point to an actual example across the highway—
Ms. Catherine Fife: I’m not interested in what’s happening across the highway. With due respect, Minister Fedeli, I’m only interested—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: What I’m trying to say to you, though—
Ms. Catherine Fife: —in Wilmot.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: —it’s the same process.
Ms. Catherine Fife: It is not the same process. What happened across the highway was without contention. There was no conflict. What’s happening in Waterloo region right now, particularly in Wilmot, is that whether you admit it or whether you intended, the destabilization of farmers in that region—this is a real issue. And I know that you care about farmers. I know that you care about the GDP that these farmers are generating. But right now, they are stalled, and they are fearful that the government will come in, take their land and upset their family businesses and also upset the economic development potential of Waterloo region. This is what’s happening in my community, which is why I’m bringing it to you in this committee.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: So, why I refer to the one across the highway is because exactly the same scenario was presented to the region of Waterloo. It is the sole responsibility of the region to assemble the land. It is their sole responsibility to work collaboratively with all of the stakeholders. I look at our role much the same as any other infrastructure project in your community: a sewer and water project or a land acquisition. The province funds these things, but the municipality—in your case, the region—does all of the work.
I’ll ask the deputy to talk specifically to that.
Mr. JP Cadeau: My name is JP Cadeau. I’m the Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. I would reiterate and echo that the province is supporting the region of Waterloo with funding to help support the purchase of the land, and it’s the responsibility of the region to assemble the site and work collaboratively through that process. It is, as the minister said, no different than any other land assembly project the government supports across the province and the same approach that was used for St. Thomas’s land assembly.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Thank you very much for that answer, but it is not the same, and that is my point, Deputy Minister. My point is that the region has said publicly now, in response to the joint statement that was put out by the Minister of Economic Development and the minister of red tape—the local member, MPP Harris—that these terms and conditions were set by the province. In fact, I would say to you, and I would argue, and I would win the argument, that if the province is funding the project, then you have set the terms and conditions for this land assembly. Did you set out these terms and conditions for the region of Waterloo to go about initially trying to expropriate and now purchase 770 acres of class 1 farmland for a large industrial land assembly? Did you set out these terms and conditions? That’s the question.
Mr. JP Cadeau: Again, just to reiterate, we are providing the region with funding to support the purchase of the land and we’re supporting them in that local effort. It is the same process that we’re using and we have used for previous land assembly projects.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Okay, but clearly, as the deputy minister, you’re watching how this is unfolding in Waterloo region. The 160 acres that have thus been purchased at almost $100,000 an acre was recently—the corn on that field was recently destroyed at a huge cost.
We’ve learned some lessons from the pandemic around having a reliable food source, around food security, and yet—I mean, the region actually had to bring in farmers from outside Waterloo region because no farmer would ever plow over a viable corn crop just to make a point. They would not do that. And the rumoured cost for the destruction of that crop was $370,000. Is the ministry funding the destruction of these crops in Waterloo region, yes or no?
Mr. JP Cadeau: As with any land transaction, the agreement with the owner includes conditions around due diligence, including archaeological work and to ensure that the parcels are suitable for future work. Archaeological assessments required that we go through that process according to standards. We understand that the region is working through that work on that parcel and due diligence activities like archaeology, like environmental assessments are standard processes as part of that process.
Ms. Catherine Fife: So this is so time-sensitive that the region, with the province’s support, couldn’t wait three more weeks for the harvesting of this crop? I mean, you would have seen the news today: One million additional people are visiting food banks in Ontario.
I’m trying to get a sense of what your control is with regard to this deal, right? Because the $16 million that has thus been expended—this was not in the budget, per se. This is new expenditures. Regardless of the call for a large industrial land assembly in Waterloo region, this has genuinely caught the community off-guard. This is a very engaged democracy in Waterloo region. They have, traditionally, a very open and honest and transparent relationship with the regional level of government.
Just to remind you, these farmers were actually approached, before this land assembly was even rumoured, by a developer offering $65,000 an acre. So somebody knew something was going on, right? This doesn’t instill confidence. This is not the way government should operate. After that happened, then Canacre was employed by the region to go to these farmers and offer them $35,000 an acre, and of course, those farmers turned it down. To date, the 160 acres have been purchased at great cost, and this is, as I would remind you, class 1 farmland.
But farmers want to know right now, is this going to continue? Is this bullying of farmers going to continue, and is the province going to continue funding it? Because if I were the government—
The Chair (Mr. Ernie Hardeman): One minute.
Ms. Catherine Fife: —I would recognize that this is class 1 farmland that creates great economic value for the entire region and provides great food security.
So my question to you, Deputy Minister, is, is the province going to continue down this road and disrespect farmers in Wilmot township? Because it sends a cooling effect to all farmers across this province.
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Hon. Victor Fedeli: I would say to you that it’s the region who’s running the ground game. We are completely reliant on the region to take a responsible and measured approach. We are here to support the region. We rely on their local judgment, their local expertise and their local knowledge, and all of those decisions are made by the region. They’re supported financially by the province for the purchase of the land, but it is completely and utterly up to the region to run the ground game and make those individual decisions—
Ms. Catherine Fife: Mountainoak Cheese has said they’re not going to sell—
The Chair (Mr. Ernie Hardeman): Thank you very much. That concludes the time.
We now go to the government side. MPP Hogarth.
Part 2
We’ll now go back to the official opposition. MPP Fife.
Ms. Catherine Fife: I think it’s wonderful that you mention Waterloo, their IT sector and how productive—and the overall GDP value to the province of Ontario. As I pointed out in my original comments, though, the agriculture and agribusiness in Waterloo region is also very profitable—in fact, fairly comparable to the value around job creation and goods and services for the region as a whole.
So I have to go back to Wilmot because, I must tell you, I’m not very satisfied with the answers that I received. I think that this comes down to the expropriation question because, Minister and the deputy minister, you’ve been very clear that you have a hands-off approach to what’s happening in Wilmot, whereas the regional chair has said, and this is a direct quote, “We have been transparent with landowners who said ‘if I don’t want to sell, would expropriation be an option?’ Expropriation is one of the tools that is in the kit, when we made an agreement with the province. We have never said we want to expropriate, we want fair and equitable negotiated settlements with all the landowners, but when people ask, is that a possibility,” they had to say yes because the province indicated so.
I think, if we’re looking at financial transparency on what’s happening in Wilmot, I guess my question to you, Minister, or to the deputy minister is, are you going to continue to funnel and flow Ontario taxpayer dollars to fund the expropriation of class 1 farmland in Ontario for what at this point is an undisclosed large industrial land assembly in Wilmot township? Do you agree that this is a mechanism that you’re willing to fund to the tune—if everything happens as it has thus far, this would be $77 million to decommission class 1 farmland, kick farmers off of their land for an undisclosed large industrial project. Is this something that the province will move forward with?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Let me talk about expropriation. First, when you say “undisclosed,” I don’t know what you mean by that.
Ms. Catherine Fife: I’ll clarify. So to date, all of this has been proceeding without the knowledge of what actually is going to be going onto that land, which also increases the stress and anxiety of the community as a whole.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Yes. There is no client or customer.
Just give me latitude for one second when I talk about Volkswagen’s site again because—just so we’re very clear—we bought the Volkswagen site before we ever heard the name “Volkswagen.” So this was a project that we worked on with Elgin county—again, no expropriation. The land was assembled, because if any company around the world wanted a site that was a thousand acres, we had nothing in Ontario. The previous government did not buy any land, so that’s why, when we bought that land, there was no customer. “If you build it, they will come” was the thinking back then, because we had no sites, so the same scenario would exist.
But expropriation, MPP Fife, is a very serious tool.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Yes, I agree.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: It is a tool that is available to municipalities. It is available. So when we work with municipalities, we want to make sure this very serious tool is wielded very carefully and with appropriate plans and approvals.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Thank you for that. What I would say, though, is if—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: I’m not finished. I’m not finished yet.
They don’t get wielded without the province’s approval, and that approval has never been granted for Wilmot, nor were we consulted when the suggested use of expropriation was made.
Ms. Catherine Fife: That’s a very interesting point that you’re making, because the expropriation and the purchase of the 770 acres of class 1 farmland would not be happening without the province’s funding. Do you agree or disagree?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Well, the province is funding it, but we’re not managing the project.
Ms. Catherine Fife: With all due respect, Minister Fedeli, you are funding the expropriation, because you are the funder—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: No, no, no.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Yes, yes, yes.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: No, no, no. The approval for expropriation was never granted for Wilmot—
Ms. Catherine Fife: In fact, actually, it was mentioned by the chair of the region—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: —nor were we consulted.
Ms. Catherine Fife: No, it was actually said by the chair of the region—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: But I am saying to you, we were not consulted.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Well, let’s take a step back. This is another thing that Chair Redman said: “One of the things that was really evident from the beginning was that the timelines provided from the province were very, very tight” and not negotiable. You set the timelines. You asked the region of Waterloo to sign an NDA. Is this correct? This question is for the deputy minister. Did the province of Ontario ask the region of Waterloo to sign an NDA?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: I would say that the NDA is involving the dollar value. I’ll leave it to the deputy to verify what I’m talking—
Ms. Catherine Fife: That’s a key point that you’ve just said. These are not your dollars. They’re not my dollars. These are Ontario taxpayer dollars, and Ontario taxpayers are not in support of kicking farmers off their land.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: In the fullness of time, when all is said and done, everything will be public record. But right now, what’s under the NDA is the dollar value, because we want fairness for the taxpayer and fairness for the sellers. But they can’t know what our top-line dollar is; that’s not how business is done. I understand you might not be aware of that.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Actually, this is not how democracy is done, I would say to you.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: But in the fullness of time—
Ms. Catherine Fife: Kicking farmers off their land is un-Canadian—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: But this is managed by the—
The Chair (Mr. Ernie Hardeman): One at a time.
Ms. Catherine Fife: —and it is absolutely disrespectful to what’s happening here.
I just want to say, Minister, you and I served for many, many years together. If the Liberals were trying these shenanigans in Wilmot township, you and I would be on the same page, because there’s not one public meeting, not one financial statement or budgeted item for the cost of kicking these farmers off their land. It is un-Canadian. It is not the Waterloo way. And it’s being driven by the province, because it would not be happening if you didn’t fund it.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: I said, much like any other sewer and water program, they’re funded by the province, and they’re managed locally. We’re reliant on the region to take responsible, measured steps to manage this program. We’re here only to support the region financially. They’re the local experts. They’re running the ground game. They make all the day-to-day decisions.
Again, to your earlier point, expropriation was not an approval that has ever been granted for Wilmot, nor were we consulted when it was brought up.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Okay. Let’s take a step back here, because this entire process has been completely flawed. Even before the region approached the six main farmers, a developer went to those farmers and offered them $58,000. It was Stephen Litt from Vive industries. Was it a red flag or a blue flag for you that a developer knew that this was all happening? We all know that once the land is purchased, it goes from $58,000 to potentially $1 million per acre. Who is tracking this in your ministry?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Again, we’re here to fund the region. The region runs the entire show. All of the day-to-day decisions, all of the ground game—all of those local decisions are made by the region.
Ms. Catherine Fife: I’m hearing that the province has set the terms and the framework for this farmland grab in Wilmot, but I’m not hearing anybody taking any responsibility for the funding of this expropriation and the purchase of this land.
I would just go back to the chair’s statement. She said, “I was surprised, and I am confused,” when you and Mike Harris put out that press release. She said, “I am confused because from the very beginning of this land assembly process, we have been lockstep with the province. So I didn’t see this coming and I guess I would say, I’m pleased the province is now lifting the confidentiality obligations and I hope this will now allow greater transparency as we move forward with our land assembly partnership.” I would say that the farmers don’t view is as a partnership, right?
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Hon. Victor Fedeli: Well, I can say to you that you read my statement. I said, and Minister Harris said the same thing: We’re disappointed in the way the region has handled this. Again, we didn’t get into the specifics, but I’ve said it to you today with respect to the word “expropriation”—because you’ve used it so many times that I wanted to answer that—it was not something that was granted by the province or approved by the province, nor with our knowledge, plain and simple.
Ms. Catherine Fife: But can you acknowledge, at least, on a very transactional basis, that none of this would be happening in Wilmot township if you were not funding it? So even though you say you have a hands-off approach, at the end of the day, you’re driving the process because you’re funding the process.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: We’re not driving the process. Again, I’m going to point across the highway at St. Thomas and Elgin county. We were approached—
Ms. Catherine Fife: It’s completely different.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: No, they’re absolutely identical. It’s the same contract.
Ms. Catherine Fife: No, they are not identical.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: It’s the same contract. They’re absolutely identical. One handled it differently than the other, who chose to use a different approach without the understanding or knowledge or previous knowledge of the province, and so this is where they find themselves, but they’re the ones who are running the ground game. They’re the ones making these decisions. We want it to be—we want them—in my statement, we said, we want a respectful process. We want to see fairness for the sellers and fairness—
Ms. Catherine Fife: You can create a respectful process. You can. You can create a respectful process by stopping the funding of this purchase of this farmland grab.
And I want to say, there has to be some transparency and accountability of where the funding is actually going. I do want to say, the province is not in a good financial position. I will say that as the finance critic, but I’m actually backed up by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, who just on Friday addressed the finance minister’s “serial overspending,” arguing that he’s exceeded his own spending plans by $66 billion since taking the job in 2020. The statement also takes aim at your government’s Ontario Place parkade and the cost overruns on transit projects such as the Ontario Line.
So the fact of the matter is—and this goes onto say: “In just four short years,” Minister “Bethlenfalvy will have added $56 billion of debt to the province’s bottom line. By any metric, that’s a lousy record.”
My job as the finance critic is to follow the money. So what have you budgeted, your ministry specifically—because we are looking at estimates. What have you budgeted for the Wilmot farmland grab?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: First of all, in six short years, we’ve also seen our revenue increase by $64 billion a year. But when you think about the fact that we are in a fierce competition US-wise and across the country—there are 40 states who have land assembly programs. We need to have these sites assembled to complete our investments and to compete with all of those investments around it. But—
Ms. Catherine Fife: Very good. That’s a very good clarification, because it seems to me that given the fact that $47 billion in economic activity is generated by farmers across this province and the agribusiness, you are making a decision. You are a choosing a large industrial farmland grab over the fact that this is—it defies logic, Minister, that we are kicking farmers off class 1 farmland and choosing a large industrial project, undisclosed, without having some even fiscal responsibility or even fiscal transparency. What have you budgeted?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: It’s a decision of the region, and again, all of the dollars that are to be allocated will come out in fullness of time. We can’t tell the buyer what we’ve got available for them to buy.
Ms. Catherine Fife: There’s nothing to hide here. It’s fully open. These six farmers—so the 160 acres that have been purchased at $100,000 an acre, plus the destruction of the farmland, which, I want to say—the region of Waterloo just passed a motion saying they do not want to destroy farmland, because they were appropriately and responsibly noting that the destruction of that farmland was equal to half a million dollars that could have gone to food banks.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: But they’re also the ones who told us they want these anchor investments to create these healthy communities and jobs for generations to come. They’re the ones who want us to backstop this, but the process is done exclusively by them.
Ms. Catherine Fife: However, you have set the timelines. Can you deny this?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: No, but I will add to it. I will tell you that the timelines for them have been extended several times, so—
Ms. Catherine Fife: So they’re not meeting your objectives as the region—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: They’re not meeting the joint objectives of time.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Because even the region of Waterloo has—as part of their strategic plan, expropriation will only happen if there is a willing host. Wilmot residents have said they are not a willing host.
What will it take for you to stop funding this farmland grab, which is fiscally irresponsible? I would argue, in 2024, we should know better about growing our own food and having sustainable practices from an agricultural perspective.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: I think that’s a question you would pose to the region and to the municipalities, because they’re the ones looking for these anchor investments.
Ms. Catherine Fife: I want to ask you, Minister, what is it going to take? What would it take for you to say, “This farmland grab is inappropriate in 2024. It’s irresponsible”? Not having this anchor company that everybody talks about and not knowing what’s going to be happening on that land, especially given our aquifer needs in Waterloo region—this is a high-risk project, and no one can tell the taxpayers of Ontario or Wilmot what the return on investment is and what the risk management plan is that the province is asking for.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: I know you won’t like my answer, but I would only direct you to the unbelievable success just across the highway at the VW site in Elgin county and St. Thomas, where 30,000 new spinoff jobs are going to be created—3,000 direct. In St. Thomas, they will be building the fourth-largest building on planet Earth to employ 3,000 people.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Is that plant happening on class 1 farmland? Can you answer that question?
Interjection.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: We’re uncertain.
Ms. Catherine Fife: You’re uncertain.
So I would argue that these are very different deals. You clearly had willing hosts and willing partners with the Volkswagen deal. I can tell you, based on the 40 tractors that came to downtown Kitchener a couple of Wednesdays ago, based on the region of Waterloo’s motion where they said that they are not supportive of the destruction of more farmland, that the opposition to this undisclosed anchor project is real.
Hon. Victor Fedeli: But you can’t keep calling it an undisclosed—there is no anchor. Just like across the highway, there was no customer; there was no prospect. We wanted to see that project develop—and yes, we did purchase farmland, by the way. I just don’t remember class 1 or—but if my memory serves me correctly, there were 17 farms. They were all willing sellers. There was no expropriation. The land was cleared. The building is about to be erected, and 3,000 people are going to work on that site, and 30,000 are going to be employed to supply goods and services to the site.
Ms. Catherine Fife: I just want to say, the reason, Chair, that I keep asking about this particular issue is that there is going to be a cost to the local taxpayers because Waterloo region is one of the only municipalities in the province of Ontario that relies on groundwater—80%, actually, of our water. It’s built on the Waterloo moraine, which is where this plant is supposedly going to be. There is going to be a cost to build a pipeline to Lake Erie, there is going to be infrastructure costs to the township of Wilmot to connect with the city of Kitchener, and there has been no financial plan or transparency. It’s like rolling the dice at the risk of actually moving—the farmer, Mountainoak Cheese, said that he’s not going to sell. Are you going to support the expropriation of his land? Are you going to fund it?
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Again, I go back to—you say that there’s no customer or there’s no client. It’s the same across the highway. We have no large industrial mega-sites in Ontario. If we’re ever going to continue to compete with the 40 US states, who are envious of the success that we’ve seen in Ontario and envious of the tens of thousands—and hundreds of thousands, actually—of jobs being created, you have to have a site, much like you did—
Ms. Catherine Fife: I would argue that food and water is also important—
The Chair (Mr. Ernie Hardeman): One minute.
Ms. Catherine Fife: —for the people of Ontario, Minister. And what we did learn during the pandemic is that having the food security issue for Ontario to be sustainable is also very important. It’s like the importance of social infrastructure to draw investment into the province of Ontario. Kicking farmers off their land is un-Canadian. It is not the Ontario way, and it certainly isn’t the Waterloo way. What I wanted to get—
Hon. Victor Fedeli: Well, that’s something you should take up with the chair of the region.
Ms. Catherine Fife: The expropriation would not be happening without your funding. That’s—
The Chair (Mr. Ernie Hardeman): Thank you very much. That concludes the time, and that concludes the time for the presentations.
The time has expired for the committee’s consideration of the estimates of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Standing order 69 requires that the Chair put, without further amendment or debate, every question necessary to dispose of the estimates. Are the members ready to vote?
Shall vote 901, ministry administration program, carry? All those in favour? All those opposed? Carried.
Shall vote 902, economic development, job creation and trade program, carry? All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is accordingly carried.
Shall the 2024-25 estimates for the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, carry? Members ready to vote? All those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
Shall the Chair report the 2024-25 estimates of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade to the House? All of those in favour? All those opposed? The motion is carried.
The committee is now adjourned until September 17, 2024, at 3 p.m. I thank both ministers for your presentation, and we thank the committee for the participation this afternoon. Have a great evening, folks.
The committee adjourned at 1702.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Chair / Président
Mr. Ernie Hardeman (Oxford PC)
Vice-Chair / Vice-Présidente
Ms. Catherine Fife (Waterloo ND)
Mr. Deepak Anand (Mississauga–Malton PC)
Ms. Patrice Barnes (Ajax PC)
Hon. Stephen Crawford (Oakville PC)
Ms. Catherine Fife (Waterloo ND)
Mr. Ernie Hardeman (Oxford PC)
Hon. Mike Harris (Kitchener–Conestoga PC)
MPP Andrea Hazell (Scarborough–Guildwood L)
Ms. Christine Hogarth (Etobicoke–Lakeshore PC)
Mr. Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre / London-Centre-Nord ND)
Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos (Oakville North–Burlington / Oakville-Nord–Burlington PC)
Substitutions / Membres remplaçants
Mr. Aris Babikian (Scarborough–Agincourt PC)
Mr. Sheref Sabawy (Mississauga–Erin Mills PC)
Mr. David Smith (Scarborough Centre / Scarborough-Centre PC)
Clerk / Greffière
Ms. Vanessa Kattar
Staff / Personnel
Mr. Alex Alton, research officer,
Research Services
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E) Plastic People - Gorge Cinema Sunday, Oct 6th at 2pm:

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F) Climate Emergency Vigils every Friday, 8-9pm - October 4th to November 29th
https://www.faithclimatejustice.ca/climate-vigils.html

https://www.faithclimatejustice.ca/climate-vigils.html
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G) City of Waterloo Community Planting Events:

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H) Seniors Day Of Action For Climate - Tuesday, October 1st:

https://seniorsforclimate.org/
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I) Some Humour:

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J) Speak Up and Ensure Your Voice is Heard:
Wilmot Township Council
Natasha Salonen, Mayor, Wilmot, natasha.salonen at wilmot.ca <mailto:natasha.salonen at wilmot.ca> or 519-634-8519 x 9351
Stewart Cressman, Councillor Ward 1, Wilmot, stewart.cressman at wilmot.ca <mailto:stewart.cressman at wilmot.ca> or 519-807-1496
Kris Wilkinson, Councillor Ward 2, Wilmot, kris.wilkinson at wilmot.ca <mailto:kris.wilkinson at wilmot.ca> or 519-807-4173
Harvir Sidhu, Councillor Ward 3, Wilmot, harvir.sidhu at wilmot.ca <mailto:harvir.sidhu at wilmot.ca> or 519-807-2521
Lillianne Dunstall, Councillor Ward 4, Wilmot, lillianne.dunstall at wilmot.ca <mailto:lillianne.dunstall at wilmot.ca> or 519-807-4975
Steven Martin, Councillor Ward 4, Wilmot, steven.martin at wilmot.ca <mailto:steven.martin at wilmot.ca> or 519-807-5214
Region of Waterloo Council
Karen Redman, Regional Chair, kredman at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:kredman at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor, Kitchener, berryv at kitchener.ca <mailto:berryv at kitchener.ca>
Dorothy McCabe, Mayor, City of Waterloo, dorothy.mccabe at waterloo.ca <mailto:dorothy.mccabe at waterloo.ca>
Jan Liggett, Cambridge Mayor, Cambridge, liggettj at cambridge.ca <mailto:liggettj at cambridge.ca>
Sue Foxton, Mayor, North Dumfries, sfoxton at northdumfries.ca <mailto:sfoxton at northdumfries.ca>
Natasha Salonen, Mayor, Wilmot, natasha.salonen at wilmot.ca <mailto:natasha.salonen at wilmot.ca>
Joe Nowak, Mayor, Wellesley, jnowak at wellesley.ca <mailto:jnowak at wellesley.ca>
Sandy Shantz, Mayor, Woolwich, sshantz at woolwich.ca <mailto:sshantz at woolwich.ca>
Doug Craig, Regional Councillor, Cambridge, dougcraig at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:dougcraig at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Pam Wolf, Regional Councillor, Cambridge, pwolf at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:pwolf at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Colleen James, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, CJames at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:CJames at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Michael Harris, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, MHarris at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:MHarris at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Kari Williams, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, KariWilliams at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:KariWilliams at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Rob Deutschmann, Regional Councillor, Kitchener, RDeutschmann at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:RDeutschmann at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Jim Erb, Regional Councillor, Waterloo, JErb at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:JErb at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Chantal Huinink, Regional Councillor, Waterloo, CHuinink at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:CHuinink at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Province of Ontario
Premier Doug Ford - doug.fordco at pc.ola.org <mailto:doug.fordco at pc.ola.org> or 416-325-1941 - available 24/7 - all calls confidential
Paul Calandra - Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing - paul.calandra at pc.ola.org <mailto:steve.clark at pc.ola.org> or 416-585-7000
Andrea Khanjin - Minster of Environment, Conservation and Parks - andrea.khanjin at pc.ola.org <mailto:andrea.khanjin at pc.ola.org> or 705-722-0575
Todd Smith - Minister of Energy - todd.smith at pc.ola.org <mailto:todd.smith at pc.ola.org> or 613-962-1144
Michael Parsa - Associate Minister of Housing - michael.parsaco at pc.ola.org <mailto:michael.parsaco at pc.ola.org>
Local Conservative MPPs:
Mike Harris Jr - Minister of Red Tape Reduction, MPP Kitchener-Conestoga - mike.harris at pc.ola.org <mailto:mike.harris at pc.ola.org> or 519-669-2090
Brian Riddell - MPP Cambridge - brian.riddell at pc.ola.org <mailto:brian.riddell at pc.ola.org> or 519-650-2770
Jess Dixon - MPP Kitchener South - jess.dixon at pc.ola.org <mailto:jess.dixon at pc.ola.org> or 519-650-9413
Will Bouma - MPP Brantford-Brant - will.bouma at pc.ola.org <mailto:will.bouma at pc.ola.org> or (519) 759-0361
Ted Arnott - MPP Wellington-Halton Hills - ted.arnott at pc.ola.org <mailto:ted.arnott at pc.ola.org> or (519) 787-5247
Ernie Hardeman - MPP Oxford - ernie.hardeman at pc.ola.org <mailto:ernie.hardeman at pc.ola.org> or (519) 537-5222
Matthew Rae - MPP Perth-Wellington - matthew.rae at pc.ola.org <mailto:matthew.rae at pc.ola.org> or (519) 272-0660
Local NDP MPPs:
Catherine Fife - MPP Waterloo - cfife-qp at ndp.on.ca <mailto:cfife-qp at ndp.on.ca> or 519-725-3477
Local Green Party MPPs:
Mike Schreiner - MPP Guelph - mschreiner at ola.or <mailto:mschreiner at ola.org>g or (519) 836-4190
Aislinn Clancy - MPP Kitchener Centre - aclancy-co at ola.org <mailto:aclancy-co at ola.org> or 519-579-5460
Independent MPPs:
Bobbi Ann Brady - MPP Haldimand-Norfolk - babrady-co at ola.org <mailto:babrady-co at ola.org> or (519) 428-0446
Federal Members of Parliament
Local Liberal MPs:
Bryan May - MP Cambridge - bryan.may at parl.gc.ca <mailto:bryan.may at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 624-7440
Tim Louis - MP Kitchener-Conestoga - tim.louis at parl.gc.ca <mailto:tim.louis at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 578-3777
Valerie Bradford - MP Kitchener-South Hespeler - valerie.bradford at parl.gc.ca <mailto:valerie.bradford at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 571-5509
Bardish Chagger - MP Waterloo - bardish.chagger at parl.gc.ca <mailto:bardish.chagger at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 746-1573
Lloyd Longfield - MP Guelph - lloyd.longfield at parl.gc.ca <mailto:lloyd.longfield at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 837-8276
Local Conservative MPs:
Michael Chong - MP Wellington-Halton Hills - michael.chong at parl.gc.ca <mailto:michael.chong at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 843-7344
Larry Brock - MP Brantford-Brant - larry.brock at parl.gc.ca <mailto:larry.brock at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 754-4300
John Nater - MP Perth-Wellington - john.nater at parl.gc.ca <mailto:john.nater at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 273-1400
Local Green Party MPs:
Mike Morrice - MP Kitchener - mike.morrice at parl.gc.ca <mailto:mike.morrice at parl.gc.ca> or (519) 741-2001
-----------------------------------
Kevin Thomason
Vice-Chair, Grand River Environmental Network
www.gren.ca <http://www.gren.ca/>
Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com <mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>
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