‘We are not a willing host’: Hundreds protesting Wilmot land assembly

More than 300 protestors took to the parking lot of Castle Kilbride in Baden on Monday evening to show their displeasure with the ongoing land assembly.

The protest featured multiple speakers, including local farmers, the head of the national farmers’ union, as well as Green Party leader Mike Schreiner and deputy leader Aislinn Clancy. Local musician, Punkeydoodles Steve, also performed multiple songs, including his recently released single “770 acres.”

One of the local farmers, Adam van Bergeik of Mountain Oak Cheese, said the entire process has devastated their family, who just want to farm on their land.

“We get told that by September/October, we need to get off the fields,” said van Bergeik. “What do we do with our manure? What do we do with our crop planning? We have no answers.”

Green Party leader Mike Schreiner told the crowd that the province is losing 319 acres of farmland a day, urging them to continue fighting for their farmland.

“I don’t know what they want to do with the 770 acres of prime farmland, but we simple cannot afford to lose more prime farmland in this province, which is why we need legislation to permanently protect prime farmland in Ontario, starting right here in Wilmot Township.”

Alfred Lowrick, the spokesperson for Fight for Farmland, said his group sent a letter to Wilmot Council last week asking that they bring forward a motion saying the township is “not a willing host” to any industrial development on the 770 acres of land. He said they have not heard back yet.

“We’re hoping it will occur at some time in the future,” said Lowrick. “The next presentation is on Sept. 9 and we are hoping it will come out at that point in time where we can actually delegate and bring that motion forward.”

This was the second protest outside of Castle Kilbride in the last month. Protestors gathered outside of Castle Kilbride on July 29, with the group Fight For Farmland saying over 150 people attended.

The protest will be the first of two planned for this week, with another expected on Wednesday outside of the regional headquarters before their meeting.