Landowners lament land loss due to Hwy 3 twinning

RE: Highway 3 twinning project paves the way for a better future (Insight Magazine June 2025) & Highway 3 food corridor grows wider by the day, (Taber Times, September 24, 2025)

Having read these articles, we have to say that there are a gamut of emotions swirling in our heads. While we can agree that the Highway 3 twinning will likely lead to a brighter future for those who require the highway to move their products, especially agricultural products, across Canada and into the United States, for those of us who are being moved off our land, the future is not bright at all. While we have understood for several years that twinning would likely occur, meetings in the early years estimated that we would lose approximately 100 feet, yes feet. The most recent estimate is that we will now lose 175 meters, or 574 feet, almost six times the original amount! This, we are told, is to create not only space for access roads but a safety corridor, just in case a highway hauler happens to go off the road! However, nowhere have I seen this type of safety corridor along Alberta’s, BC’s or Saskatchewan roads. This encompasses a large portion of our land. We are not big farmers. It will take out our pasture, which is used to board cattle, and all of our building space. So no quonset, no storage, no grainery. Even if we do keep some crop land, we will have nowhere to store equipment in which to service it. We have not written earlier as we wanted to wait until we could reasonably compile a logical rather than an emotional response. The thing is how do you keep emotions in check when all that you have worked for is being snatched from your hands. The generational land owned by my husband’s family will stop with us. Our son and grandson will not have the blessing of continuing a legacy started by their grandfather and great grandfather. The years of grooming and organizing to create land which will endure, and provide a retirement income, will come to an end in the near future. No longer will there be a space in which to enjoy retirement and or have a workplace in which to live out old-age, and enjoy the fruits of our labour. I have heard many comments that the government is paying us out so we can use the funds given to us to purchase new land. That would be true, if land was available to purchase for the same amount as we will receive, (which right now we do not even know, so we cannot realistically even search), or available for the same purpose. We are crop farmers and all available land we have looked at is more for cattle. Besides, no amount of money can replace a heritage or generational legacy. Nor can it extend the limited time we have left in life which will now likely be used to develop a new piece of land, if we can find some, rather than enjoying the beauty of the land we now have. So, here we are. Faced with the insurmountable task of coming to terms with a loss, a deep loss, that is carving a better future for all, except those of us losing our land along the corridor. It would be nice to see a complimentary article which shows, not just the economic benefits of the twinning of the highway, but also the human cost that few want to talk about. 

David & Sandra Sergeant

Medicine Hat