Land owners 'devastated' with Waterloo Region's plan to purchase properties

The Region of Waterloo wants to purchase land in Wilmot Township for, what it calls, future “shovel-ready projects.” Some are feeling blindsided by the potential sale.

The Region of Waterloo wants to purchase land in Wilmot Township for, what it calls, future “shovel-ready projects.”

According to Alfred Lowrick, they’re trying to purchase 770 aces of land across from six different farm properties – between Nafziger Road, Bleams Road and Wilmot Centre Road.

Lowrick said those farm owners are feeling blindsided by the potential sale.

"They're devastated,” he explained to CTV News. “It's terrible.”

While Lowrick is not directly impacted by the plan, his mother-in-law is. On March 9, she found out the region wants to purchase her 85 acres.

“My wife was at home and she was given a letter and it said someone will come back and will want to talk about the expropriation of my mother-in-law’s land,” Lowrick said.

According to Lowrick, the owners have not received official expropriation documents. So far, it’s an offer to purchase.