Wilmot land assembly meant for future Toyota site
Quote:Last March, farmers and property owners received offers from the region. Some said they were threatened with expropriation if they refused to sell. To date, the region has spent $18 million to buy one farm that covers 161 acres, and three residential properties, totalling about 20 per cent of the lands it wants to assemble. The region says it remains committed to negotiating fair deals with the land owners.
The region has previously told property owners the land is being readied to attract a major employer to the area. Both the region and province say no end user has been lined up for the site.
In an email to The Narwhal and The Record, Philippe Crowe, a Toyota spokesperson, said, “We are not involved in any land assembly projects in Ontario.”
Several sources connected to the public and private sectors have told The Narwhal and The Record the land assembly was started so Toyota could build a third plant in this part of the province, adding to those in nearby Cambridge and Woodstock. The Narwhal and The Record have granted these sources confidentiality because none are authorized to speak publicly. They say nothing has been signed and discussions are ongoing but none have said Toyota has a role in the assembly process.
One source said, “The site is ready for Toyota whenever it’s ready for it.”