By Tyson Leonard [1]
QUINTE WEST – Frank Meyers has no shortage of stories about his farm. From the story of how his family came to own the land, to how when he was a little boy he would sneak off to eat the grapes off the vines, it is clear Meyers knows everything there is to know about his home.
He was born and raised on his farm and had intended to live there until he died. He says he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Now Meyers is being told by the Canadian military to pack up and move.
[2]Frank Meyers was born in this very house on what is now government property. Photo by Jack Carver
“Seven years they’ve been harassing me trying to make me sign papers so they can take it. I wouldn’t sell it to them so they filed papers of expropriation to take it away from me,” said Meyers.
“It’s fundamentally wrong to bury the farmland. Why would they pick on me? I’m 86 years old. Why?”
The military is buying up the farmland in the area, just north of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, so it can build a new headquarters for the Joint Task Force 2, Canada’s special commandos. While the military will not make any detailed information about the project public, military officials have said the move is part of a strategy to reduce response time for the JTF. CFB Trenton is home to 8 Wing Trenton, the primary location for military travel out of the country. One of the main focuses of the JTF is counter-terrorism.
Eleven other landowners have sold their land, but Meyers said he just can’t part with the only home he’s ever had.
[3]The idyllic farm has been in Meyer’s family for generations and has provided them with food and comfort for just as long, but he can’t imagine moving off of it now. Photo by Jack Carver
The farm has been in the Meyers family for generations, and Frank Meyers knows its entire history.
“The farm was given to the Meyers family from the king of England in 1798. They donated 1,000 acres to us because of what my forefather did for the country, for the war,” he said. Meyers’ ancestor was Capt. John Meyers, the founder of the city of Belleville and a British spy during the American War of Independence.
After Myers refused to sell, the farm was expropriated in May 2012. Meyers has been given multiple extensions to remove his belongings from the land. A spokesperson for CFB Trenton said the final deadline is the end of October. “No Trespassing: Ministry of National Defence” signs have already been placed around the land.
[4]Signs have been placed around the property and only Meyers and his family are allowed on the farm. Photo by Jack Carver
“On October first we went there and spoke to Mr. Meyers and when we saw he was not emotionally ready yet on that day, we waited for the following day, just before the arrival of the constructors. Then, coordinating with the family of Mr. Meyers, we put up the signage on Oct. 2. So we delayed it several times because we wanted to be respectful and accommodating to him,” said Capt. Christopher Daniel, the public relations officer in charge of the case.
Daniel said the military has been treating the Meyers family with respect just like any neighbour should.
Meyers said he’s also been civil, but that hasn’t saved his farm.
Despite the years of admitted stress Meyers is not prepared to give up.
“I still think it’s illegal, the papers are illegal, it was done illegal and prescribed illegal,” he said.
“No moneys changed hands. They say they have money sitting there for me, but once you take the money they take the land.”
Unfortunately for Meyers the expropriation was legal. The expropriating authority, in this case the military, only has to gain the approval of the local Crown authority, in this case the Quinte West municipal council.
[5]The railroad acts as a barrier with Meyer’s farm sitting just on the other side of the tracks. Crossing over can result in military police arresting trespassers. Photo by Jack Carver
Meyers appealed the decision but lost the case. He did gain support elsewhere. People from across Canada have taken to social media to express their outrage at the situation. The “Save Frank & Marjorie Meyers Farm” Facebook group formed this month and already has close to 3,500 likes.
Lisa Gibson, an administrator for the group who lives in Ottawa, says on the page that social media are key in the fight to save the Meyers farm.
“As I walked my own property this morning, I couldn’t help but put myself in their shoes and wonder what it would be like if I were to be forced off of my property. They have a lawyer but there’s not much he can do. We can,” said Gibson.
Meyers doesn’t use the internet, but said he knows of the fight on social media and appreciates the support.
The military plans to begin construction on the new headquarters this month, but is making arrangements with the Meyers family to let them carry out the last harvest of the crops from their land.
Video and photos by Jack Carver