Wilmot council responds to community concern over region’s land buy

Wilmot Township wants residents to know it’s not involved in the Region of Waterloo’s proposed acquisition of 770 acres of farm land in the township.

A statement was released Wednesday on behalf of Wilmot council and Mayor Natasha Salonen.

It said, in part: “Those negotiations, like all real estate transactions, take place one-on-one. The township is not, and should not, be involved directly in those discussions and subsequent transactions.”

Controversy and concern

The proposed deal to buy property between Nafziger Road, Bleams Road and Wilmot Centre Road has been a contentious one.

Some local farmers and community members have rallied together to push back against the acquisition.

Other groups, like the Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BESTWR), have advocated for the region’s plan to secure large parcels of shovel-ready land for development.

Regional Chair Karen Redman responded to community concerns in an email to an environmental advocacy group last week. In it, she said having available land is critical to securing future investment and jobs that support community growth.

The region has not said what it plans to do with the land.

Wilmot responds

Wednesday’s release from Wilmot’s mayor and council acknowledged that residents have a lot of unanswered questions about the purchase and the future of the property.

“As your government representatives at the local level, we continue to advocate on behalf of landowners, ensuring that the process is fair and equitable. To that end, the Township of Wilmot continues to bring the thoughts, opinions and concerns of landowners and Wilmot residents to the Region of Waterloo.”

The statement ended with council reminding residents that as they are not part of the deal they can only “provide updates on this matter when there is significant new information to share.”