A group of concerned residents invited members of the community to a public meeting to discuss the proposed boundary adjustment involving the Brantford Municipal Airport on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
Although the airport is currently owned and operated by the City of Brantford, the lands currently fall within the boundary of the County of Brant.
A November 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.
In March, the Ministry directed both municipalities to begin negotiations, with a June 30 deadline to reach an agreement. The City and County later announced on Wednesday, May 27, that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining draft terms for a municipal boundary adjustment involving approximately 1,317 acres of land, including the airport and nearby lands.
Following extensive public engagement in May and June, both councils agreed to a revised map that removed 469 acres of agricultural land from the originally proposed transfer area.
The updated map, which now consists of 848 acres, also removed lands associated with a transportation corridor being explored as part of the City of Brantford’s West Brant Access Route Environmental Assessment, a study that remains ongoing and separate from the airport boundary adjustment process.
Ever since the news came to light, many residents have expressed their concerns about the situation. The recently formed Brant Civic Accountability Association (BCAA), in particular, has questioned why the deal is being pushed forward ahead of the upcoming municipal election this fall.
Tuesday’s resident-organized meeting was held to inform the public, give them the opportunity to ask questions, and help them prepare for the City’s upcoming statutory public meeting on Monday, August 10, and the County’s on Wednesday, August 12.
“The votes cast next week will shape the future of our farmland, our environment, and our community for generations to come. As a community, we’re asking both Councils to vote no on the proposed annexation. We hope that before casting their votes, members of council will carefully consider the information, questions and concerns shared by residents throughout this process, including those expressed here,” said moderator Trisha Kirby Simon. “…What we hope to accomplish this evening is to provide an opportunity to learn, listen, and ask questions, and hear a range of perspectives. You’ll hear from residents and neighbours who have been working hard to understand what this means for all of us.”
During the meeting, residents Kelly Stright, Briar Simon, Robin Kirby, Travis Welch, Stephanie Wrench and Mark Dremak came together for a moderated panel discussion about the proposed farmland annexation and airport expansion, along with the potential impacts on agriculture, the environment, governance processes and municipal finances.
While there, around 100 guests listened as Stright, Simon and Kirby spoke about the importance of protecting farmland.
“Only five per cent of the land mass in Ontario is prime farmland. Of that, 0.4 per cent is Class 1 [soil]. Ontario loses 319 acres of farmland every day, primarily due to roads, aggregate, and urban sprawl. Those figures are from the 2021 census,” said Stright. “Once you lose farmland, you never get it back. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. Over the past 35 years, Ontario lost 18 per cent of its total farmland. At that current rate of loss, experts in the Ontario Farmland Trust warn that Ontario could run out of farm land in approximately 100 years. That’s not a bright future for the next generations that are following us. If you have grandchildren, great grandchildren, it’s not a future at all.”
Welch, as the founder of the BCAA, went on to discuss the governance process related to the proposed boundary adjustment. He raised concerns about the transparency and accountability of the Airport Board, questioned the provincial process and procedural fairness, and raised the importance of meaningful participation with the public within the decision-making process.
“Tonight is not about anti-growth and it’s not about being against the airport. It’s about asking whether the public has been provided with enough information to understand one of the most significant decisions affecting Branford and the County of Brant,” he said. “The BCAA has spent months researching the issue, attending meetings, filing Freedom of Information Requests, speaking with provincial officials, consulting legal counsel, and listening to residents. The deeper we’ve looked into the process, the more questions we have uncovered. Questions about governance, questions about transparency, questions about accountability, and questions about procedural fairness.”
Welch went on to say, “As the BCAA continues to work, we have also uncovered additional information that raises further questions about the broader planning surrounding these lands. As our investigation continues, what we’ve learned to date reinforces our belief that residents deserve complete transparency before any significant decisions are made. Our current concern has never been about stopping progress, our concern is ensuring that progress happens openly, honestly, transparently, and with meaningful public participation, because public confidence in the process is just as important as the decision itself. This simply isn’t about the airport. It’s about the integrity of the process. It’s about whether residents can have confidence that decisions are being made openly, fairly, and in the public interest.”
Mark Dremak later presented the financial implications of the proposed annexation and airport expansion, highlighting the significant costs and potential tax impacts on residents.
Following the panel, residents in the room had the opportunity to ask various questions. Many asked about everything from contaminated water systems to the lack of Indigenous consultation, the implications of next week’s votes, the intent of the boundary expansion, how profitable the airport really is, and if the next Council could reverse the decision if the proposed deal follows through.
In the end, Kirby Simon encouraged those presents to get involved. To reach out to their local councillors, share accurate fact-based information online, and to show up to next week’s public statutory meetings to have their voices heard.
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.
