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Tag Archives expropriation

A young farmer examines corn in his field. It’s troubling that no one knows the plan for the approximately 770 acres of land in Wilmot township, nor can they find out.
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Editorial: Shrouded in secrecy

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When it first came to light that a company working on behalf of the Region of Waterloo had approached farmers and residents in a particular area of Wilmot Township to buy their land, the big question on everyone’s mind was what the land would be used for. My first thought was an EV car manufacturing […] Read more
Wilmot Township not a willing host for industrial site
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Wilmot Township not a willing host for industrial site

Fight for Farmland group continues to ask questions about proposed expropriation

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The Fight for Farmland landowners group continues to ask why the Region of Waterloo won’t disclose details about proposed expropriation of 770 acres of prime farmland in Wilmot Township. Why it matters: A 770-acre parcel of prime farmland may be expropriated by the Region of Waterloo. The group comprises 11 of the landowners who will […] Read more
How land expropriation happens
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How land expropriation happens

What constitutes ‘public good’ is not always clear

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The land expropriation case in Wilmot township, Waterloo Region, continues to develop. While the exact purpose of the expropriation remains murky, the question for many is whether the Region of Waterloo’s actions are in fact, legal. Jonathan Minnes, an expropriation, planning and municipal lawyer and partner with Kitchener-based firm Gowling WLG, says there have been […] Read more
Opposition to the Pickering airport lands has been going on since the federal government expropriated the land for a possible airport expansion 50 years ago.
News

Land spends half-century under expropriation shadow

Proposed Pickering airport lands have sat in limbo for 50 years

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New generations of activists continue their vigil over farmland known as the Pickering airport lands, 50 years into the dispute, with decades more likely before a permanent decision is made.  The original activists, a mix of environmentalists, farmland preservationists, free-love hippies and others that included then Toronto Mayor David Crombie, first took up their protest […] Read more
Cropland in the Overberg region of South Africa’s Western Cape province. (Nini/E+/Getty Images)

South African plan to allow land expropriation fails to pass

Constitutional amendment defeated by ruling ANC's opponents on both sides

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Johannesburg | Reuters –– A proposal to change South Africa’s constitution to explicitly allow expropriation of land with no compensation failed to win the two-thirds of parliamentary votes that it needed on Tuesday. Lawmakers debated whether to change Section 25 of the constitution to enable authorities to seize land to address racial land inequalities left […] Read more
Marsha Rempel, with some of the barns on her farm.
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Public pressure halts city’s bid for Welland farm

Expropriation attempt loses support at recent vote

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Nationwide public outcry is being credited for helping save City of Welland farmer Marsha Rempel from being forced to sell her 67-acre farm for industrial development. On March 2, city councillors voted 8-3 to put the brakes on an expropriation process which had been initiated in July 2020, and taken another step forward on Dec. […] Read more
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Letters: Too many farmland loss stories

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Dear editor, Unbelievable or maybe believable! In the Feb. 8, 2021 edition of Farmtario, the situation occurring with Marsha Rempel and her farmland being expropriated, although not totally the same situation, has a similarity to what is occurring in the Municipality of South Bruce. How do city/municipal councils get to ruin the lives of their […] Read more
Marsha Rempel, with some of the barns on her farm.
News

City eyes Welland farmer’s land for expropriation, future industrial use

Urban dwellers come to Marsha Rempel’s defense

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A family-owned farm within the City of Welland is fighting back after it was threatened with a third round of expropriation. This time, the entire farm could be taken, after two portions were lost to railways in the last century. Why it matters: All three general farm organizations in Ontario have identified the loss of […] Read more
A bill allowing state expropriations of South African farmland now goes to President Jacob Zuma, shown here Wednesday at Africa Day celebrations in Cape Town, for his signature. (South African Government GCIS photo via Flickr)
Crops

South Africa’s parliament approves land expropriation bill

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Johannesburg | Reuters — South Africa’s parliament on Thursday approved a bill allowing state expropriations of land to redress racial disparities in land ownership, an emotive issue two decades after the end of apartheid. Most of South Africa’s land remains in white hands and many commercial and small-scale farmers are currently facing tough times because […] Read more

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