TORONTO – The family of 85-year-old Frank Meyers has owned and farmed his land for 215 years, but he’s been threatened with losing it to the Canadian government for the last seven.
“I’m just trying to hold my ground and keep it,” he said. “I’m not giving them an inch.”
Despite declarations of standing his ground, military police are stationed outside his barns with “No Trespassing” signs to make sure he doesn’t enter. Police were also called when Global News reporter Jennifer Tryon was on the property, interviewing Meyers.
Meyers said the land was donated from the King George III of England in 1798 to his family “perpetually” and they’ve been there ever since. He grows corn, beans, peas, hay, oats and barley.
“We don’t grow as much of that now because the military said they’re going to send the Humane Society to take my cattle out,” said Meyers. “I [sold] 28 head of cattle.”
But CFB Trenton and the Department of National Defence (DND) are expropriating the farmland to build a new training and administrative campus for the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM).
The government took control of the farming buildings about a year and a half ago, but Meyers still lives in the “old house on our side of the railroad tracks.”
Elderly farmer fights for 215-yr-old land lost to feds | Globalnews.ca
“I’m just trying to hold my ground and keep it,” he said. “I’m not giving them an inch.”
Despite declarations of standing his ground, military police are stationed outside his barns with “No Trespassing” signs to make sure he doesn’t enter. Police were also called when Global News reporter Jennifer Tryon was on the property, interviewing Meyers.
Meyers said the land was donated from the King George III of England in 1798 to his family “perpetually” and they’ve been there ever since. He grows corn, beans, peas, hay, oats and barley.
“We don’t grow as much of that now because the military said they’re going to send the Humane Society to take my cattle out,” said Meyers. “I [sold] 28 head of cattle.”
But CFB Trenton and the Department of National Defence (DND) are expropriating the farmland to build a new training and administrative campus for the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM).
The government took control of the farming buildings about a year and a half ago, but Meyers still lives in the “old house on our side of the railroad tracks.”
Elderly farmer fights for 215-yr-old land lost to feds | Globalnews.ca