A Port Hope vegetable farm has been fined $40,000 for violating Ontario’s water-taking rules.
According to provincial officials, 2643302 Ontario Inc., operating as Da Feng Farms, was convicted on July 9, 2025, of two offences under the Ontario Water Resources Act for failing to comply with a ministry order. The company also received a $10,000 victim fine surcharge and has 12 months to pay.
The ministry says Da Feng Farms owns property in Port Hope where, in 2023, it pumped water onto fields to irrigate crops. Following a public complaint, ministry staff inspected the site and found the company had dammed a tributary of Port Britain Creek and was pumping water into a pond, then onto crops.
In May 2023, the ministry issued an order prohibiting the company from taking water using a pump without installing a flow meter and totalizer, and requiring daily water-taking records. The order also limited withdrawals to 50,000 litres per day.
Despite the order, inspections later that month revealed the company continued water-taking activities without the required equipment. The Environmental Investigations and Enforcement Branch investigated and laid charges, leading to the conviction.
The Ontario Water Resources Act regulates activities that could affect the province’s lakes, rivers and streams, including large water withdrawals, to protect the environment and local communities.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
