Wilmot MP taking fight to save farmland nationwide

As the Region of Waterloo’s land assembly plans in Wilmot enter its second year, the area’s member of parliament is working on legislation intended to protect vital farm land across the country.

Kitchener-Conestoga MP, Tim Louis, who serves on the agriculture committee, put forward a motion that would catalogue, study, and look at ways to prevent farmland loss in Canada.

He was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and said as he works to develop the legislation, consultation with farmers will help inform how the bill is written.

“Different provinces are doing things in different ways. So, we’re talking about best ways to conserve farm land, best ways to incentivize conservation, best ways for farmers to pass on their land to the next generation,” he said. “I’m looking forward to hearing from stakeholders, as I have been in the last year or so, as I draft this legislation.”

Louis went on to say the loss of agricultural land effects everyone, regardless of political affiliation.

“I was able to work across party lines. I’m working with a conservative senator also on protecting lands in Pickering. So, this is a non-partisan issue. This is about farmers feeding families.”

Louis said given the geopolitical climate it’s important now, more than ever, to protect the nation’s food supply. He said farm land is a non-renewable resource.

“I was already seeing the rates at which farm land was being lost, as a member of the agriculture committee, we saw that 319 acres a day (are lost) in Ontario alone. Only five per cent of soil in Ontario is used for growing, so 95 per cent we can’t grow on anyway so we need to treat that five per cent with respect.”

Some of the people in Wilmot township, whose land is being eyed by the region, have said they certainly don’t feel the respect.

Tim Strassburger and his wife live on 25-acre plot in Wilmot. They moved in in October 2021 after finding a property that checked all their boxes: quiet, good neighbours and central to their children’s homes.

He too was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show and said this fight has taken its toll.

“It’s hard. It’s stressful. You never know what’s going to happen one day to the next. It’s kind of put our life on hold.”

Strassburger said they had planned on renovating the home with the intention of spending the rest of their life there. That was put off after first receiving an offer to buy the property. He said he finally just went ahead because he has no plans to move.

Strassburger mentioned that after first buying the land, he had the idea of leaving portions to his grand kids but told that was not possible.

“I went down to the township and ask them if down the years, if I could sever a couple of lots for my grandkids, and they said no, this will be agricultural farm land only. Then they come and do this.”

He said at this point he’s received a couple of offers from the region, but he remains determined.

“It’s not about the money, we just don’t want to move. It’s our home.”