Agriculture minister grilled on the province’s role in Wilmot land acquisition

The Wilmot land assembly saga reached Queen’s Park this week as the minister of agriculture fielded questions about the province’s role in the acquisition process.

Opposition leader, Agriculture Critic and Timiskaming-Cochrane NDP MPP, John Vanthof took Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Rob Flack to task over claims the province has had nothing to do with the process.

Vanthof was particularly interested in if the province conducted an agricultural impact assessment.

“What I’m hearing is that the Ministry of Agriculture had nothing to do with the process regarding whether or not keeping that land in agriculture is important or not?”

In response, Flack repeated the province’s official position.

“So again, the Region (of Waterloo) runs the ground game. They assemble the land. We’re looking at billions of dollars of investment in this province.”

But Vanthof wasn’t satisfied with Flack’s answers that the province was only funding the acquisition and it was the region that decided how to go about it, including the idea that the municipality could expropriate the lands.

“Those who fund, also dictate the rules,” said Vanthof.

It was learned back in the summer that the province was footing the bill to purchase the 770 acres of prime farmland in Wilmot. It was also learned that councillors had signed non-disclosure agreements with the province, not to divulge certain details of the acquisition plans.

It has led to significant questions about who is ultimately responsible for the lack of transparency.