Some councillors surprised by corn crop destruction in Wilmot: Coun. Deutschmann

Regional Coun. Rob Deutschmann spent about two hours on Aug. 8 answering questions from the community about the Wilmot land assembly issue while on The Mike Farwell Show.

Deutschmann reiterated over and over the reason for the land acquisition in Wilmot was to provide shovel-ready land for an industrial site.

Deutschmann said he wanted to let the community know as much as possible, although he and other regional councillors signed Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).

Last week, about 260 acres of corn were destroyed after the region attained about a third of the 770 acres in question, which Deutschmann said he and other councillors were not aware would happen. They were told the land would be tested on but were not told the corn would have to be plowed, adding that it could have been used to feed cattle or humans.

“Members of council I’ve interacted with are very upset about what’s happened there, we need to find out what occurred,” said Deutschmann.

Deutschmann also contacted the Mayor of Wilmot, Natasha Salonen, who told him she was also caught off-guard by the news. Salonen wants a report that provides details into why the destruction of the cornfield happened with no information given to councillors. Deutschmann agreed and said that the report will likely be discussed in a closed committee meeting due to the NDAs, meaning the public will be left in the dark.

“It should not be taken like some suggestion that the region was trying to act like a bully or what have you in that situation,” said Deutschmann. “I can’t think of anything worse than the destruction of crops. We’re going through food insecurity issues, housing insecurity issues in our community and the symbolism of that is about as bad as one can get and we’re going to stay on top of it.”

The owner of Mountain Oak Cheese, Adam Van Bergeijk, called into the show to ask some questions, saying he is one of the farmers being threatened with expropriation.

“How do you feel or think we have to feel when our whole future is being put with a gun against our heads?” asked Van Bergeijk. “If you don’t sell you get expropriated?”

Van Bergeijk added that it makes it nearly impossible for his family to plan their future.

Deutschmann said the issue in Wilmot is one of the hardest decisions he has had to make since being elected.

“When you are a councillor, again, you are looking at the whole of the region, the future of the region and you’re trying to decide what are we going to do,” said Deutschmann.

“At the end of the day, some of us will be back on a ballot and the people will decide if they think we did our job properly or not.”

During the interview, Deutschmann also said that it is strictly the region that is trying to pursue the land, and the focus should be on the 16 regional councillors who are making the decisions, not the province.

The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness was in Cambridge this week and mentioned that the province is supporting the purchase of the land in Wilmot financially but did not give a dollar amount.

Deutschmann said it is the best thing for the region long-term and doesn’t want anyone to be expropriated but that it “might be what has to happen.”

Deutschmann at one point said it was Canacre’s consultants who originally approached the landowners in Wilmot but wouldn’t comment on their approach as he said he knew little about it.

On their website, Canacre says they specialize in “land and ROW negotiations”, which includes “land acquisition strategy and planning, maintenance projects, crop and damage settlements, public information meeting participation and community outreach and education.”

A caller named Brett asked why the councillors weren’t facing the public.

“If you are encouraging us Rob to go to the ballot box and vote you and other councillors out, what happens then if a new council wants to take the region in a different direction following the election?” asked Brett.

Deutschmann responded by saying issues like these are why people need to vote in municipal elections, adding they are trying to make the best decisions for the region as the region grows to a million people. He also mentioned that voter turnout was extremely low in the last election.

Another caller, Tom Galloway, said he has looked at the strategic plan for the region and saw nothing that included assembling land for a large industrial park.

“Did I miss that or is that really as a result from opportunities from other levels of government?” asked Galloway.

Deutschmann said the proposal came forward some time ago about putting together an industrial land strategy, then went away and came back under a different name from the Ontario (ON) government calling it a “housing and industrial strategy”.