NEWS RELEASE
WILMOT CIVIC ACTION NETWORK
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The Wilmot Civic Action Network (WilmotCAN) is delighted to present the second episode in our mini documentary series, which sheds further light on the Wilmot Land Grab. In collaboration with the renowned Director of Photography Thom Varey, this episode delves into the crucial beginnings of the farm-to-fork journey, emphasizing the significance of life-sustaining Class 1 prime farmland. This precious resource, making up less than 0.5% of Canada's land mass, is currently under threat in Wilmot Township and across Ontario.
The first episode, which has already garnered over 10,000 views across WilmotCAN’s various platforms, addressed the covert actions of multiple levels of government concerning the controversial mega-industrial project on 770 acres of prime farmland in rural Wilmot Township. This secretive, backroom land assembly defies well-established planning practices and land protections, paralleling the provincial Greenbelt scandal currently being investigated by the RCMP. However, who is qualified to address and investigate Ontario's alarming and rapid loss of 319 acres of irreplaceable farmland per day?
Understanding the significance and vulnerability of the soils that support our rapidly growing province and nation is an essential journey best led by the true experts—farmers, who are the stewards of Class 1 prime farmland, instead of inflexible land developers or enigmatic mega industries that are too often the only voices heard.
“We’re not just losing farms, we’re literally stabbing a stake in the heart of the most productive farmland in the country,” said Kevin Thomason. Vice-Chair of the Grand River Environmental Network and WilmotCAN Steering Team member.
The third episode of the mini-documentary series will explore the impact of a mega-industrial land assembly in Wilmot on infrastructure and essential surface and groundwater resources. This site has the potential to become one of the largest industrial complexes in the world, raising serious concerns. Alarmingly, these issues have been discussed without any public meetings to address the concerns of local residents. It is scheduled to be released later in February of 2025. In the meantime, watch the first two episodes on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@WilmotCAN, on the WilmotCAN website at www.wilmotcan.com, or the WilmotCAN Facebook Page.
WilmotCAN urges concerned citizens and organizations to speak up and contact elected officials at Wilmot Township, the Region of Waterloo, and the Ontario government to demand the abandonment of this devastating land assembly or its relocation to somewhere with far fewer negative impacts. Support our farmers and insist on proper planning processes with transparency, public engagement, and accountability.
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