Demolition another chapter in long running farm property dispute

Thursday, May 29, 2014

by JOE CALLAHAN

Years of sometimes acrimonious negotiations between the Department of National Defense and an eastern Ontario farmer over the expropriation of a Hastings County farm reached another milestone on Wednesday as a demolition crew rolled in and began to dismantle farm buildings.

“It’s heart-sickening,” said Frank Meyers as he sat with two of his supporters, Heather Loft and Dan Houston, and watched the work take place on the 225 acre farm that had been in his family since 1798. “They're trying to destroy our history. My forefathers fought for this country. They can't destroy me. I'll build a monument here."

Meyers claims he was “under stress” when he signed an agreement in 2012 to turn over the property to National Defense because his wife Marjory was absent during the transaction. Marjory is a co-owner of the farm, he explains. To date, he has refused to accept $1.6 $3.3 million as compensation for the land, and has kept a daily vigil at the farm ever since the signing.

The federal department wanted the land to expand the air base at CFB Trenton and to accommodate the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command facility that includes the Joint Task Force (JTF2) training facility. It took seven years to reach the agreement Meyers signed.

photo: A demolition crew contracted by DND tore down the barns on property formerly owned by Frank Meyers on Wednesday

Calls for comment to CFB Trenton public affairs were not returned on Thursday, but on Monday, Captain Brunet of the public office of CFB Trenton said that the expropriated land was secured for “public safety and security” with barricades on May 21.

"It's not over," said Loft. “This is much bigger than Frank Meyers. We need to change the Expropriation Act. My question for Frank is 'Where are we going from here?"

Multiple requests by Better Farming for interviews with DND decision makers seeking an explanation for why the Meyers farm was the best location for the JTF2 were unsuccessful, including calls to the Minister of Defense Rob Nicholson's office.

photo: Workers at the demolition site of the property formerly owned by Fran Meyers on Wednesday

In a March 10 email, however, DND spokesperson Kathleen Guillot did note that “co-location with the existing Wing and its facilities and infrastructure” is what made the area directly north of the current facility “the best choice” for the CFB expansion. “8 Wing Trenton is the hub for Canada’s strategic airlift capability and will facilitate the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces Special Forces. The prime location along Highway 401 allows for rapid access and therefore rapid response to emergencies in major Canadian population centres, like Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.” BF