One of the most noble of life’s vocations is to grow food to feed others. Feeding one’s fellow human being is an act of Divine Grace. The importance of local farms so often escapes the minds of those who rarely venture down a country road; yet local farmers are truly among the unsung heroes.
City of Brantford wishes to annex 1,317 acres of prime farmland and natural space from the County of Brant. The farmlands have been deemed “developable area”, one of which is an organic farm. Organic farms are leading the way toward sustainable land use and cleaner food; yet this farm, along with neighbouring farms, is in danger of being developed.
It has long been a question in my mind as to the logic of destroying prime farmland in exchange for subdivisions, shopping centres and commercial activities. If this trend of converting farms into infrastructure continues, how can we expect to sustain ourselves long-term? Is our food going to be grown in factories and warehouses? Or will we be forced more and more to rely upon other countries to feed us? To sacrifice our ability to look after our basic needs of survival is to sacrifice freedom and self empowerment.
There has been a quest to increase population, but sustainable growth requires time and careful planning, not a ramrod approach of building more and more and faster and faster. Most of Canada contains lands which cannot be farmed. According to Britannica.com, less than 1/12 of land in Canada is suitable for growing crops. The following is a quote from this website: “Although agriculture employs less than four per cent of the Canadian labour force, it is vital to the national economy, producing large volumes of food for both the domestic and export markets and providing raw materials for food processing, wholesale, and retail industries. There has been a significant trend away from the family farm…”
Municipal elections are coming up in October 2026 and neither of the current mayors are running for re-election, so why was there such a strong push to have an initial agreement in place by June 30, 2026? Given that the County of Brant received notification of provincial facilitation on March 24, 2026, three months for such a far-reaching and highly impactful decision was nowhere near reasonable; yet an agreement was reported on May 27, 2026 (2 months later).
We need more time to discuss what is truly in the highest good of all. On varying levels, this effects everyone. If it is permitted to go through, what happens next? It could create a precedent, enabling governments to grab anyone’s land/homes; at the flick of a pen.
Please attend the public open-house on June 11, at the Wayne Gretzky Municipal Golf Course (3-5pm or 6-8pm) to support our local farmers and protectors of natural space. Please say no to the annexation.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Wrench
Brant County Resident
