Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Al Broad says an important source of housing in rural areas of Lambton is in jeopardy.

Since 2015, Dawn-Euphemia has been trying to get Lambton County and the provincial government to recognize the value of smaller farm lots. The provincial planning policy says the should be about 40 hectares.

Only 10 per cent of farms in Dawn-Euphemia meet that standard. Most are around 20 hectares.  

When the county’s official plan was approved in 2017, it recognized the smaller farms. But the province didn’t approve, saying all farm parcels have to be 40 hectares.

The issue went to a Local Planning Appeal Tribunal where the province agreed Dawn-Euphemia will have farm parcels that are 30 hectares – rule the county has to enforce. That’s still larger than most of the farm plots in the township and, in at least one case, means a local farmer may bulldoze a home.

“The gentleman that was looking to sever a parcel, the remaining parcel was going to be like 28.4 hectares instead of 30 and we cannot approve that,” says Broad. 

“It is totally, absolutely ridiculous. So, we have the province on one hand that has these provincial policy statements saying one thing, and then we have them pushing Bill 23 through on the other side to try to get more housing. 

“We can supply the housing, but this particular house is going to be torn down – bulldozed down – because the farmer is not a landlord. He doesn’t want to be a landlord. 

“We need this housing. And then their provincial policy doesn’t allow for the existing housing to remain. That’s the frustrating part.”

Ken Melanson, the manager of planning and development services for Lambton County, says there may be a way around the log-jam. He says  the province’s Build Homes Faster Act allows ministers to make exceptions, if the municipal plan meets the province’s housing goals. But Melanson says, the ministry hasn’t outlined how that will work yet.

Broad is hopeful the details will come soon, so Dawn-Euphemia can move forward and protect much needed housing.

“We’re not taking a bunch of land out of production,” Broad says noting all the farm plots used to have a house on them. “We need that housing.”