Minister talks region’s role in controversial Wilmot land assembly process

Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli stands at a podium in front of a Golden Windows Ltd. truck during a funding announcement on August 22, 2024. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)

Vic Fedeli isn’t happy with the way the Region of Waterloo has handled the land assembly process in Wilmot Township.

Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade was asked again on Thursday about the Region of Waterloo’s proposed purchase of 770 acres of farmland for future development. That plan upset local farmers, who have kept up the fight against possible expropriation.

Fedeli said the region is responsible for the way the process has been handled.

“We’re reliant on the region to front-run this,” the minister said. “All of these decisions are to be made by the region. We’re involved, like any other infrastructure program, where we would see a sewer and water program. The province is involved in the funding, but it’s up to the local municipality, in this case the region, to do the ground game. Period.”

Fedeli also address the purchase price of the properties.

“You don’t want to discuss how much money is available while you’re trying to make a sale. We don’t negotiate in public,” he said. “You want to have a fair and reasonable negotiation with the sellers and you want to be fair and reasonable with the taxpayers.”

This isn’t the first time Fedeli has responded to community concerns on this project.

On Aug. 15, he issued a joint statement with Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris.

It said, in part: “It is disappointing to see recent events unfold in Wilmot and the Region of Waterloo, particularly the threat of expropriation at the onset of this process. Given the region’s lack of transparency in its land assembly process, we feel it necessary to clarify our government’s involvement in the project.”

The statement went on to say: “While we wholeheartedly support municipalities in their efforts to attract these investments and create good-paying jobs, we want to underline that they must always be conducted in a fair and respectful manner. This is a principle we strongly uphold, and we urge the Region of Waterloo to do the same.”

A group trying to stop the sale of Wilmot farmland announced Wednesday it would be holding rallies at two upcoming council meetings. Fight For Farmland said they’ll be at the Wilmot Township meeting on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and regional headquarters at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Fedeli was in Kitchener Thursday to announce funding for Golden Windows, an Ontario-based window and door manufacturer. The minister said the company plans to build a new 240,000 square-foot facility to supply the high-rise construction market in Toronto.