Why the Aerotropolis threatens to split this farm in half

Craig Smith will have to wait a little longer to find out if the land thats been in his family for more than 200 years will be split in half by thecontroversial Aerotropolisurban boundary expansion.

The Ancaster-area farmer owns nearly 50 hectares of land near the Hamilton airport. It'sland he uses to farm cash crops, including grain corn, wheat and soybeans. Parts of it have been in his family since 1801.

Thats about to change thanks to Hamiltons Airport Employment Growth District, known as AEGDor simply the Aerotropolis. The city will expand its urban boundary by 555 hectares around the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, zoning sections of it forbusinessand manufacturing.

Local environmental and citizen groups fought the plan, which the Ontario Municipal Board voted in favour of last year. All thats left now is to draw the boundary.

Councillors face two decisions options 1 and 1a. Option 1 cuts through the middle of Smiths land, while option 1a leaves it intact.

Smith is fighting for option 1a. Theres so much development around his farm that hell likely have to sell anyway, he said. Whatever is built around his property, it wont be for people who tolerate farms.

Farming includes odours, dust and farm equipment traffic, said Smith, who already sold his hogs because of neighbour complaints. People dont really accept that.

Smith was among about a dozen presenters at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday. Councillors discussed the Aerotropolis plan for several hours, including a lengthy closed-door session with the outside lawyer representing the city at the OMB. In the end, they made no decision on it.

Jim Sweetman of Dundas told councillors that using such a large swath of land for development eats up valuable farmland, ultimately jeopardizing the food supply.

The loss of our prime agricultural land undermines the food security of the residents of Hamilton, he said.

Smiths farm remains in limbo until the Aerotropolis issue is settled. He will likely sell the land and farm somewhere less crowded.

It wont be easy, he said. Theres no other way to put it. It wont be easy.

But his ancestors are United Empire Loyalists who were forced to leave the United States, and they never looked back, he said. Thats the way its going to be.