DOCUMENTARY COVERS WILMOT LAND GRAB

On Jan. 19, 2025, the first part of a three-part mini documentary, Unearthed, about the Wilmot land grab was posted on YouTube. With executive producers John and Kathie Jordan, and director and editor Thom Varey, they sought to give voice to farmers and Wilmot residents.  

“The objective of this project is to assemble one contiguous parcel of land as a step toward attracting a major employer for the future and securing well-paying jobs and further economic prosperity,” the Region of Waterloo said in a statement.  

In the first episode, viewers heard directly from impacted farmers who are left wondering what is next for their farms and livelihoods. In the second they covered the small amount of farmland that exists and in the third they spoke about the true cost of the land assembly to residents in Wilmot and beyond.  

“We’re dealing with a bunch of city people that have no idea about farming, and about the land and the soil itself,” Jordan said.   

The 12-minute-long documentary stands as a call to action for residents of the Waterloo Region and beyond, as well as a call for local politicians to speak up and speak out against the Wilmot land assembly.   

“How much more critical of a mineral do you need than soil?  Because you can’t make more of it. Well, not without a few thourand years,” Jordan said.   

Jordan and his family live across from the 770 in what is referred to as the Shadowlands in Wilmot. It is referred to as such because whatever happens on the land assembly will affect the residents who live in the area.   

“Our well is only 19 and a half feet deep, and I get it tested, and the water is perfect, but they’re gonna start messing with the soil and the water, I don’t know what will happen to our water quality then,” Jordan said.   

In 2022, Statistics Canada found Ontario was losing 319 acres of farmland per day to development. Compared to 2016, 175 acres were being lost per day. This is a 319 per cent increase in development. Many farmers and residents of Wilmot are concerned with this growth rate, as a majority of Ontario’s farmland is in Wilmot.  

“The province has put these parameters around the lack of engagement, around a lack of transparency, around NDAs. And is ultimately funding the entire scheme,” Catherine Fife, MPP for Waterloo Region, said.   

The documentary was created in partnership with the Wilmot Civic Action Network. The network unites community groups and neighbours to advocate for farmland. Quality of life, a transparent government, financial accountability and environmental responsibility are the tenants that the network operates by.   

“This is a turning point really for agriculture in Ontario. If you can be so disrespectful to these farmers in Wilmot, then you will do this to other farmers,” Fife said.   

Jordan and the Wilmot Civic Action Network are not opposed to development, however only if it does sustainably and responsibly. They demand transparency and accountability from elected municipal and provincial leaders.   

“The entire infrastructure piece is going to be incredibly expensive. There will be a financial impact on the taxpayers and the residents of the Waterloo Region. That is why they deserve to have a voice in this,” Fife said. 

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WILMOT A.I. LAND GRAB

In March 2024, Wilmot landowners and farmers were notified by the Region of Waterloo that their land was being expropriated. Land that goes on the intersection of Nafzinger Rd. To Bleams Rd. were forcibly put for sale for the use of future industrial projects. On August 7, 2025, QScale AI announced they shortlisted Wilmot Township as a potential host for their data center.  

“it’s horrifying to see our regional and provincial government is still moving forward with this absurd Wilmot farmland assembly, when they admit they haven’t got a customer,” Kevin Thomason, Vice Chair of the Grand River Environmental Network, said.  

On May 2025, The Region of Waterloo secured over 70 per cent of the land in Wilmot Township. In only its second news conference on the matter, the Region continues its plans to create an industrial site for future use. QScale has not released a timeline for a decision on their Ontario expansion and how many potential jobs there will be for the data centre site yet. 

“In the face of Donald Trump’s tariffs and everything happening around the world, the odds of a large global EV company coming to set up a massive battery plant in Wilmot looks to be about zero, and it just seems absurd that when taxpayers money is so tight, they continue to waste millions,” Thomason said.  

A local group called Best WR which includes presidents of local chambers of commerce wrote an open letter in April 2024 supporting the region’s plans. They said business opportunities would grow if the land assembly were to proceed.  

“And it’s unfortunate, because it doesn’t have to be this way. We have proper planning. We have proper planning rules.  And yet, of course, all of that has been completely ignored and upended,” Thomason said.  

In its Quebec campus, QScale has a capacity for over 142 megawatts of power. It has 266 megavolt amperes and 120 kilo-vault electrical substations. The power from the substation supports the growth of AI and high-performance computing (HPC).  

“The government can come and just take land to destroy it, some of best farmland in the province. [Which means] they can come and take anyone’s land with no proper process, no consultations or First Nations engagement. It’s just utterly appalling,” Thomason said.  

On Feb. 13, 2025, the Wilmot Civic Action Network held a community meeting regarding the Wilmot land assembly. There, community members and leaders discussed the impacts of the proposed expropriation, reviewed recent expert survey results and discussed next steps as a community.  

“If this land expropriation goes through, it will destabilize the agricultural industry in all of Waterloo Region,” Suzanna Compton, a lifelong Wilmot resident and writer, said.  

The WiImot Civic Action Network or WilmotCAN is a group of residents of the Township of Wilmot and surrounding communities that fosters positive community action. They consistently speak about WIlmot being an unwilling host to the the potential QScale expansion.  

“I know so many farmers that are bursting at the seams to expand their business, but they do not feel like they can because they are so close to the WIlmot Land Assembly,” Compton said.  

Members of WIlmotCAN have worked with FIght for Farmland to criticize the Region of Waterloo’s continued efforts to acquire farmland. Neither organization have nothas been able to reach out to their local government officials for project information or a comment.  

“The countryside line, where the land expropriation is, is Waterloo Region’s greenbelt. It is a hard line that says development may go this far and no further,” Compton said.  

#AdrianQuijano #AI #bestWR #bleams #dataCenter #JessiWood #KevinThomason #landExpropriation #nafzinger #qscale #quebec #suzannaCompton #townshipOfWilmot #Wilmot #wilmotcan

«The province will expropriate land owned by the City of #Toronto at #OntarioPlace if a deal is not reached allowing a provincial redevelopment plan to move forward, a new report says.

#LandExpropriation is addressed in a draft environmental assessment released this week on Premier #DougFord's plans for Ontario Place, which include a luxury spa, a massive parking garage and the new location for the #OntarioScienceCentre.»

#expropriation
#SaveToronto
#StopDougFord

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-place-expropriate-city-land-province-1.6898917