Frank Meyers, a 90-year old farmer from Quinte West, says that even after four years, he still refuses to accept cheques from the federal government to pay for the expropriation of his farmland.
Canada’s Department of National Defence expropriated the land, which sits just north of CFB Trenton, so it could build new headquarters for Joint Task Force 2.
He says the land was in his family since 1798, and he claimed in 2014 that he only signed the expropriation agreement under duress.
“Worked all that land, took all the stones off it, fixed it all up tiled it, just walked right in and bulldozed her,” he says. “I’m still bitter and I’ll always be bitter.”
WATCH ABOVE: Quinte West farmer Frank Meyers won’t take money for land that was expropriated by the Department of National Defence
The barns on the property have been demolished, and the land is now fenced off.
Meyers does have a group of local supporters in his fight against the expropriation. One of them is Lorrie Tannahill, who runs a Facebook page for Meyers. She says the issue goes beyond one farmer who had his land expropriated.
“Farmland is critical to our survival and once it has been expropriated, or sold and severed, that’s it. It disappears, and where are we going to rely on our food, then?” Tannahill says.
Meyers says he doesn’t even know how much money he’s been offered for his land. (A Global News report from 2014 says it was $1.6 million). He says every time the cheque shows up at his house he returns it unopened.
“I didn’t even bother looking to see. The lawyers got it in Toronto. They’re handling it, they’re taking it. They’re running here, they’re running it there, running all over. They don’t know what to do with it,” he says.
Calls were made to the Department of National Defence for an update on the Meyers land expropriation. They have not yet been returned.
Supporters say that whether or not Meyers gets his land back, they will continue to fight and raise awareness about his plight.