Ontario is extending the commenting period for the proposed Provincial Planning Statement. There was much pressure applied for a change in the policy from farmers and agricultural organizations across the County of Wellington and the province.

In a statement to The Grand at 101, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing stated they have "extended the consultation period on the proposed Provincial Planning Statement to give the public an enhanced opportunity to provide feedback." Aug. 4 is now set as the end date.

Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, was passed Tuesday, which will lead to an amended boundary change for the county and an additional 1,000 acres of land on top of the identified 1,000 acres the county had identified in technical work.

Janet Harrop, president of the Wellington Federation of Agriculture, says she is happy with the extension, but knows there's still more effort needed.

“The federation of agriculture is very pleased that the government listened to the farm organizations and all the commodity groups, and pressed pause on the proposal to allow three residential lots on farmland,” Harrop stated.

“So we’re pleased that they hit pause but we want to make sure they hit delete,” she remarked.

She added that Wellington County is an agricultural resource for the entire province.

“We have to be really cognizant of the fact that we can’t pave over this highly fertile soil because that soil is what feeds the people that live in Ontario. This is a foundational resource for agriculture,” Harrop said.

It would be near-impossible for a farmer to expand or build a livestock farm if the policy measures were to be adopted, Harrop continued to say, and that only short-term economic gain could possibly result from the policy being put into place.

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