Wilmot farmers on edge over plans for two EV battery facilities in Ontario but neither will be built there

Farmers in Wilmot were on edge after a major electric vehicle (EV) announcement in Ontario, which includes plans for two battery parts facilities. However, CityNews 570 has since learned neither facility will be built in the township.

Alfred Lowrick is with the Fight for Farmland community group and appeared on The Mike Farwell Show on Thursday.

While there was no official indication where either Honda EV battery parts facility will be built in the province, except “elsewhere” than Alliston, Lowrick was hoping the plans didn’t include Wilmot.

The press release from Honda said, “The proposed Honda EV value chain will also include a cathode active material and precursor (CAM/pCAM) processing plant through a joint venture partnership with POSCO Future M Co., Ltd. and a separator plant through a joint venture partnership with Asahi Kasei Corporation, with announcements to follow in their respective Ontario communities.”

“We’re waiting with bated breath to see what transpires,” Lowrick said.

Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Vic Fedeli, confirmed Thursday afternoon that Wilmot land will not be used by Honda for either facility.

“This has absolutely nothing to do with the land that is being assembled in Wilmot,” Fedeli said. “To the best of my knowledge, there is no prospect in Wilmot. They are assembling land, much like other communities are doing, to be on the shortlist.”

Fedeli clarified the “short list” he referred to relates to remarks made by Premier Ford about attracting $28 billion worth of EV business to Ontario, so while there are no current plans that he’s aware of, a potential future EV development in Wilmot isn’t off the table.

“What they’re doing in Wilmot is exactly what the Premier asked every community in Ontario to do more than a year ago,” Fedeli explained. “The Premier said to all the communities, all the mayors, if you’d like to have a piece of this exciting multi-billion-dollar EV sector — start accumulating land, start putting together land, get your land ready, and get on our list of applicable communities.”

Alfred Lowrick and other Wilmot residents continue to fight for answers on the possible expropriation of 770 acres of land in the Nafziger Road and Bleams Road area, which is being eyed by the Region of Waterloo.

Arjo Van Bergeijk with Mountainoak Cheese in New Hamburg addressed regional councillors during a council meeting on Wednesday night.

He said a consultant hired by the Region of Waterloo offered their family $29,000 an acre last month.

“When Canacre Ltd. approached us on Mar. 8, they didn’t come to ask if they could buy the farm. They came and told us they’re going to buy it, if you like it or not. If not, we’re gonna expropriate you off your property.”

Van Bergeijk was enveloped in emotion as he addressed councillors about the lack of information being provided and called it unfair.

“It’s a disgrace for how we get treated by Canacre, and from the region that there’s no transparency from anybody and [no one] is willing to take the time to listen to us and talk to us. Now we’ve been left in the dark. For a while, I didn’t know if I could plant my crop. I mean what am I supposed to do?”

A joint statement from the Region of Waterloo and Wilmot Township in late March provided no concrete answers but said, “Land assembly is underway to create shovel-ready sites for large-scale economic investment to further support Waterloo Region’s economic vitality as it grows to one million residents by 2050.”

Waterloo NDP MPP Catherine Fife has already brought the issue to Queen’s Park and stated the Region of Waterloo is operating under an NDA.