David McCann, part of a long line of farmers to ply his family’s 200 acres near Milton, had a very different experience at the local farmers’ market this weekend than he’s had in recent months. “People were coming up to our stand to congratulate us, or give us high fives,” said the elated farmer, whose family has been working the same land here since 1827. “It was sure a lot nicer than the last few months of condolences and regrets.” McCann and family had plenty of reason to celebrate. On Friday, the Halton Catholic District School Board withdrew a plan to expropriate 20 acres of the McCann family’s farm to build a high school. It ended nearly five months of anxious waiting: The McCanns had been informed in April that the board, which under the Ontario Expropriations Act had the power to force a sale of the land from the family, was seeking a portion of the farm on which to build. An outcry in the community quickly produced an online petition of more than 37,000 signatures, and caught the attention of the school board’s board of trustees. “We were really just looking at lines on a map,” said board trustee Anthony Quinn. “As far as we were concerned, this was the best site — it had the best drainage, the best access to roads. When we discussed this process around the table, I don’t think any of us understood that this was a family farm.” Quinn became aware of the growing petition and suggested that the board consider their options. “We asked staff to come up with some alternatives and I think we’ve come up with something that should satisfy everyone.” Quinn couldn’t say where the new site would be, but he believed it would be acquired in a development already undergoing site preparation. Colin Best, a Milton city council member, said the school board’s expropriation caught the town off guard. “We were completely floored,” he said, no ...
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