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When I first drove the lands, I was in awe of the beautiful old heritage homes but saddened by their deteriorated state. I wondered why no one had bought and fixed up the buildings, given their close proximity to Pickering and other urban areas paired with the appealing rural location. Wouldn’t they be an easy sell?

It wasn’t until after some in-depth research, several discussions with councillors and members of Land over Landings and a visit to the Pickering Public Library’s local history room that I gained a true understanding of the history of the lands, their current state and the part they play in the ongoing story of the City of Pickering.

The federal lands represent a unique opportunity that exists nowhere else in the GTA, but what is to be made of that opportunity has remained a mystery for more than 40 years.

The lands are obviously an asset for the government: 18,600 acres of prime, undeveloped farmland hiding on the fringes of the urban GTA. But to the City they’re an obstacle to fulsome planning and growth, and to the residents who live on them, they represent at the same time hope for the future of food security in the GTA and the sad uncertainty these residents face on a daily basis in their own lives.

To live, for 40 years, raising a family, building and defining your home, all the time not knowing when it might be ripped out from under you, is something I couldn’t imagine. But the residents of the federal lands face it daily with not only joy and friendship, but an optimism and hope for the future that is inspiring.

If the class 1 farmlands end up being preserved for agricultural production, it will no doubt be thanks to the non-stop advocacy of these dedicated residents. And if an airport does prevail, their stories still represent an important piece of Pickering history, and a fascinating lesson in prolonged protest.