Business leaders get behind Waterloo Region's plan to buy up Wilmot farm land
A group of business leaders are weighing in on the Region of Waterloo’s controversial proposal to buy farm land in Wilmot Township – and they’re in favour of the plan.
The Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region, also known as BESTWR, shared an open letter Friday endorsing the region’s efforts to consolidate 770 acres of land between Nafziger Road, Bleams Road and Wilmot Centre Road.
The proposal has, so far, been met with fierce opposition from property owners and other concerned residents.
One farmer told CTV News about the region’s “lowball” offer.
“There’s no way I can buy any other farm land in this area for the money that they offered me,” Arjo Van Bergeijk said Thursday.
No details have been released about possible plans for the property but the regional chair responded to concerns in an email to EcoBoosters earlier this week. In it, Karen Redman said having available land is critical to securing future investment and jobs that support community growth.
“Since 2021, Waterloo Region has received numerous inquiries seeking large-scale parcels for development, speaking directly to the urgent need for this type of land,” she wrote.
BESTWR echoed Redman’s position, citing the 2011 closure of the Maple Leaf Foods plant in Kitchener in order to build a nearly $400 million facility in Hamilton.
“In the not too distant past, we lost Maple Leaf Foods and our Schneider’s plant to another community because we were not ready,” BESTWR chair Ian McLean told CTV News. “We weren’t coordinated and organized to have a large scale site that we were all pulling for. That was one of the first signs that we need to be better coordinated, that we need to be speaking from the same song sheet. With every passing day we discovered that we don’t have enough shovel-ready, larger sites so that we can compete for those global investments. We are talking about, for a large piece of property, a billion dollar plus investment and thousands of jobs.”
The BESTWR letter was signed by the heads of Explore Waterloo Region, the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Communitech and the Waterloo Region Development Corporation.
- With reporting by Colton Wiens, Stefanie Davis and Tegan Versolatto
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING 122 active wildfires burning across Canada, 32 considered 'out of control'
The 2024 wildfire season has begun, and it's shaping up to follow last year's unprecedented destruction in kind, with thousands of square kilometres already consumed.
B.C. parents sentenced to 15 years for death of 6-year-old boy
A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has sentenced the mother and stepfather of a six-year-old boy who died from blunt-force trauma in 2018 to 15 years in prison.
Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
Miller scores late as Canucks grind out 3-2 win over Oilers in Game 5
J.T. Miller scored in the final minute of the game and the Vancouver Canucks came back for a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series Thursday.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
Police issue Canada-wide warrant for Regina homicide suspect
Police have issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man wanted in a homicide which occurred in Regina on May 12.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Kevin Spacey receives star support as he fights to get his career back
Kevin Spacey is pushing back on the 'rush to judgment' against him and is being backed by some big names as he seeks to reclaim his acting career.
Speaker cuts ties with Sask. Party, alleges he faced threats, harassment from gov't MLAs
The Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature Randy Weekes has severed ties with the Sask. Party after accusing some members of harassment and intimidation tactics, including a situation he claimed saw the Government House Leader bring a hunting rifle to the legislative building.