Brantford-Brant residents rally outside MPP’s office over proposed airport land transfer

Residents protested a proposed 1,300-acre airport boundary deal, citing concerns over timing, transparency and consultation. CTV's Hannah Schmidt reports.

Residents gathered outside Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma’s constituency office Saturday to protest a proposed boundary adjustment that would transfer more than 1,300 acres of land surrounding the Brantford Municipal Airport from Brant County into the City of Brantford.

The demonstration was organized by the Brant Civic Accountability Association.

Founder Travis Welch argued the process was moving too quickly and lacked public consultation.

“We have two exiting mayors, two mayors that are coming in and newly elected council come October 26th,” Welch said. “The concern from both the City of Brantford and the county residents is that this process is happening too quickly and people want the opportunity for the election cycle to occur, and people have an opportunity to let newly elected mayors and council make those decisions.”

Late last year, the city asked the province to help bring the airport lands into the city. In March, a provincial facilitator was appointed to guide discussions between the city and the county. They were given a deadline of June 30 to come to terms.

On Wednesday, Brantford and the County of Brant announced a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed. It outlined proposed terms for a municipal boundary adjustment that would include the airport and surrounding lands.

Under the proposal, approximately 1,317 acres of land would be brought within Brantford’s municipal boundaries.

Aviation Avenue, some lands north of Colborne Street West and some properties east of Rest Acres Road are involved in the potential land transfer. Anyone living within that proposed boundary adjustment would become a City of Brantford resident if the agreement goes forward.

The city said approximately 40 properties could be affected.

According to a page outlining the project on letstalkbrantford.ca, the city is considering building an aviation business park in the future. If the deal moves forward, the city will pay the county a $1.3 million lump sum in addition to $13,500 per acre for the developable land. The cost of the land is expected to reach $8.3 million. The city will also cover up to $75,000 of the county’s legal fees.

Stephanie Wrench, a resident who attended the demonstration, raised concerns about the environmental risks tied to the proposed airport expansion and surrounding development.

She said the area includes sensitive ecological features, including wetlands, aquifers, and unstable karst geology, which she believes could be impacted by future construction.

Wrench also raised concerns about potential risks to local drinking water sources and the Grand River corridor.

“There’s also a big aquifer at the airport and two large drinking water wells,” she explained. “We don’t want nature being destroyed. It’s time to start preserving the little bit that’s left.”

Other residents said they were frustrated with what they described as limited notification and consultation around the scope of the project.

“There was no public consultation and there was no opportunity. Everything was done behind closed doors,” claimed Kellie Straight, a local resident who says her family farm could be affected by future development plans.

Bouma defended the process, saying discussions surrounding the airport lands have been ongoing for years.

“That’s absolutely inaccurate. I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone to have this conversation because it has been going on for six years,” Bouma told CTV News in an interview Saturday.

Bouma said he advocated to the province for the appointment of a facilitator after being approached by the city. He said the facilitator helped both municipalities reach a tentative agreement after years of discussions.

“Without anything to talk about, there’s no consultation needed. And now that there is a Memorandum of Understanding, that conversation can happen with the public.”

The agreement is expected to move through a public consultation process before councils consider any final decisions.

A public consultation meeting is scheduled for June 11.

Demonstrators said they plan to continue pushing for additional public engagement and are calling for major decisions related to the proposal to be delayed until after municipal elections later this year.