The Government Wants My Land - How Does Expropriation Work?

There's an old joke about there being two seasons in Canada: winter and construction. For many people who live and work in the London, Ontario area, it is the second season that has been particularly challenging of late. All throughout the city, infrastructure and roadwork projects are underway. Commuting times have ballooned; formerly simple trips have become circuitous nightmares, and construction noise, dust, and nuisance are seemingly inescapable.

Painful though it may be now, generally, there are good reasons for London's municipal transportation infrastructure to be strengthened and improved. For instance, in 2022, Statistics Canada reported that London's population was growing at the fastest rate in Ontario and the fourth-fastest in Canada. Another report estimated that, by 2051, London's population would be nearing 650,000 people (its current population is roughly 422,000).