Hold the Line Waterloo Region stands with Wilmot farmers
against the planned expropriation of 770 acres of farmland

Hold The Line Waterloo Region
Traditional territory of the Chonnonton, Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee

March 26, 2024

Hold the Line Waterloo Region stands in solidarity with our neighbours in Wilmot who have been faced with expropriation of their farms by the Region of Waterloo and the Ontario government.

By aiding a major land expropriation outside the Countryside Line, the Region of Waterloo has abandoned its values of smart growth, and of maintaining a balance of urban and rural areas in the Region. As we saw in 2023 when Regional Council refused to speak up against the Province’s forced urban boundary expansions, our municipal leaders have once again failed to stand up for the Countryside Line.

In 2023, we warned against Wilmot’s 328-hectare expansion of its urban area, which breached the Countryside Line and overshot Wilmot’s wastewater capacity by at least 1.7 times. Given this context, the plan to pave over another 311 hectares (770 acres) is utterly reckless.

We can invest in the rural economy and create local jobs without moving the Countryside Line. Prime farmland plays a useful role in value-added agricultural activities, on-farm renewable energy systems, farm gate retail, and other activities that build rural communities and economies. Our official plan, passed in 2022, included enough employment lands for the next 30 years of growth within the Countryside Line.

We support the demands of Fight For Farmland and encourage all Waterloo Region residents to sign their petition to stop the industrial development of 700+ acres of prime farmland.

Sincerely,

Hold the Line Waterloo Region