NDP leader likens Wilmot farmland grab to Greenbelt scandal

A controversial land acquisition proposed in Wilmot Township is once again in the spotlight, as Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles hosts a town hall in the community, calling the deal “eerily similar” to the Greenbelt scandal.

A controversial land acquisition proposed in Wilmot Township is once again in the spotlight, as Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles hosts a town hall in the community, calling the deal “eerily similar” to the Greenbelt scandal.

The event Friday drew hundreds, with some people who couldn’t fit inside the meeting room at the Wilmot Recreation Complex watching the proceedings from outside on their phones.

There are many unanswered question around the Region of Waterloo’s plan to purchase 770 acres of farmland spanning six farms between Wilmot Centre Road and just past Nafziger Road.

The region says it wants the tract “to create shovel-ready sites to attract economic investments and create jobs.”

Property owners say they were told if they weren’t willing to sell, their lands would be expropriated.