A group of residents concerned about the Brantford Municipal Airport and city boundaries joined another province-wide Fight Ford protest in Brantford on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
Meeting in and around Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma’s office at 96 Nelson Street in Brantford, and later moving down to the corner of Nelson and Clarence streets, participants came bearing a selection of signs.
While some were there protesting a range of concerns in regards to the Ford government, others were there to express their concerns regarding the proposed 1,300 acre airport boundary deal between the City of Brantford and the County of Brant.
The Brantford Municipal Airport is currently owned and operated by the City of Brantford, however, the lands currently fall within the boundary of the County of Brant.
A November of 2025 Airport Board recommendation asked that the City of Brantford request that the provincial government examine potential restructuring options for the airport lands and surrounding area. It was later approved by City Council and a request was submitted under Section 174 of the Municipal Act to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The County said it received official communication on March 10 from the Ministry directing that negotiations begin between the two municipalities, establishing a June 30, 2026, deadline to reach an agreement. On March 24, the County received communication saying that a Provincial Land and Development Facilitator had been appointed to support the discussions.
The two municipalities later announced on Wednesday, May 27, that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining draft terms for a municipal boundary adjustment involving the Brantford Municipal Airport and nearby lands.
The proposed boundary adjustment would bring the Brantford Municipal Airport and a surrounding land area into the City of Brantford, totalling approximately 1,317 acres.
On Saturday, Travis Welch, founder and board member of the newly formed Brant Civic Accountability Association (BCAA), said he was concerned about the timing of the proposed deal given the upcoming municipal election in the fall.
“It is a concern to County residents, and frankly to City of Brantford residents as well, how fast this is being expedited,” he said. “From the feedback we at the BCAA have received from both city and county residents, it’s clear they would all love to see this occur after the municipal election, and let newly elected Council members deal with this situation.”
Welch said that the entire process is concerning to him because he feels it will set a precedent.
“What we’re starting to see right now on a provincial level, is that they’re coming in through regional chair appointments or provincial facilitation, and ultimately they’re getting involved in municipal boundary adjustments,” he stated. “In my opinion and BCAA’s opinion, this provincial facilitator was improperly appointed in the month of April, and now it’s almost June and the MOU has already been signed. And ultimately, by expediting something at this level, this will set a precedent in regards to what is capable through provinces, and ultimately cities, that are looking to take land grabs moving forward.”
Welch went on to say that he and the BCAA are ultimately concerned about the lack of transparency, and how public consultation will unfold.
“The BCAA feels that the whole process that has transpired with this has not been transparent. It has been through closed doors,” stated Welch. “We are in a situation where we’ve got the Let’s Let’s Talk Brantford portal that’s basically open for community insight, and the BCAA has asked some pretty strong, difficult questions. Unfortunately, what we’re finding out is that they’re [the City] very biased in what they’re posting and what they’re answering right now. It’s a concern to us with how that’s working.”
Kellie Stright, who lives on Robinson Road, said her land is one that will be affected by the proposed deal. She said she’s concerned with how the situation has unfolded.
“The Brantford Airport Board requested that the City go to the province for a provincial facilitator to come in, and despite the County being totally against it they were forced to the table. Now the City is going to take our farmland, green land, parks, and our Grand River corridor, which should be protected and not developed,” she said. “It’s a land grab, and the residents had no idea this was going on. There’s been no consultation. It’s a backroom deal, and it affects residents – our way of life, our community, and our farmers’ incomes. There’s so many issues, and it just seems they’re [the City] caving into the agenda of developers.”
Aerron Kirby, a third-generation farmer living on Robinson Road, said his roughly nine acre piece of land, which his grandfather bought in 1949, is also at risk.
“We don’t know what this means for us. It’s a transfer of land so that means an immediate tax difference to all the residents, but what’s next?” he said. “They’re calling the area development lands so I’m worried that if it’s like some other projects, the area won’t be recognizable.”
Kirby said his land is located near the airport and that he worried what the proposed new road or road realignment would mean for his property.
“We’re right off the runway, so if they’re putting in a new road to potentially extend the runway, say by another thousand feet, we wouldn’t be able to live there anymore because we wouldn’t be able to use that land,” he said. “And we don’t want to leave because we’ve been there for so long, it’s our home. We’ve planted trees and have built the farm up for many years. We know that land, we have future plans for that land and it feels like they just want to wipe that all out.”
Nicole Bilodeau, who lives on Jennings Road, said she and her family have many concerns, but are particularly worried about the lack of consultation with First Nations partners.
“The lack of consultation with the residents and with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy are my big concerns,” she said. “We haven’t been consulted as residents, and the proposed road would be directly in our front yard. We have two little kids who like enjoying the outdoors, and we have deer, turkeys, coyotes, all kinds of wildlife that come into our yard every day, and who knows what this means for all of that. There’s many reasons why I’m concerned, but primarily it’s the lack of consultation.”
Given that the City initiated the discussions, the Corporation of the City of Brantford will lead the public consultation, hosting two public open houses on Thursday, June 11 from 3 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
