Ontario plows ahead with Greenbelt development plan in face of 'broad opposition'
The plan to build 50,000 homes in parts of Ontario’s Greenbelt is going ahead despite what the provincial government describes as “broad opposition” to the proposal.
Last week, the province passed two regulations related to its controversial strategy of developing on the environmentally sensitive lands of the Greater Golden Horseshoe area.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Those two decisions dated Dec. 14 amend the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (O. Reg 140/02) and Greenbelt Area boundary regulation (O. Reg 59/05).
The first redesignates lands in the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan area. The seconds adds 13 new Urban River Valley areas and lands in the Paris Galt Moraine in Wellington County while removing 15 other areas of land.
Ten days before those decisions were filed, a 30-day consultation period came to an end and yielded more than 27,000 responses from the public, which can be viewed here.
A summary of the comments posted by the Ontario government found that despite the “strong support for continued Greenbelt protections” there was “broad opposition to any removals” of land.
“Numerous submissions asserted that the proposal is contradictory to the vision and goals of the Greenbelt Plan and requested a full withdrawal of the proposal,” the government wrote in both decisions related to the regulatory changes.
A sign promoting Ontario's Greenbelt is seen in this undated image. (Katelyn Wilson/CTV News)
The government also said that all responding conservation authorities and Indigenous communities did not support the proposed removals of Greenbelt land for development.
Meanwhile, Ontario’s home building industry supported the proposed amendments, according to the government.
The province’s proposal to build some 50,000 new homes on the Greenbelt, while adding new land elsewhere, first came to light last month.
At the time, Housing Minister Steve Clark unveiled a plan which would build on 7,400 acres of land in 15 different areas from the Greenbelt to fulfil part of its campaign promise of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years.
Previously, both Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Clark had said they would not cut the protected area.
No changes were made to the proposal as a result of the public consultation period.
In an email to CTV New Toronto, a spokesperson for the housing ministry said its plan takes aim at solving Ontario’s housing crisis by “acting decisively to resolve it.”
“It is the government’s expectation that new home construction will begin on these lands by no later than 2025, and that significant progress on approvals and implementation must be achieved by the end of 2023,” a statement from the government read.
The spokesperson said that it is the ministry’s expectation that at least 10 per cent of the 50,000 new builds will be affordable homes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides
Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'
NDP house leader laments 'agents of chaos' in precarious Parliament
NDP House leader Peter Julian says there's more his party wants to do in Parliament before the next election, but if the current dysfunction continues it will become a factor in how they vote on a confidence measure.
Former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years for voting data scheme
A judge ripped into a Colorado county clerk for her crimes and lies before sentencing her Thursday to nine years behind bars for a data-breach scheme spawned from the rampant false claims about voting machine fraud in the 2020 presidential race.
Youth pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of P.E.I. teen Tyson MacDonald
A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Jury begins deliberations in Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial
The jury tasked with determining if Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard sexually assaulted a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago began deliberating Friday after nearly two weeks of testimony that saw the singer and his accuser give starkly different accounts of what happened.
Here's what the jury didn't hear in Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial
A northeastern Ontario jury has started deliberating in Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard's sexual assault trial, we can now tell you what they weren't allowed to hear.
2 dead after fire rips through historic building in Old Montreal
At least two people are dead and others are injured after a fire ripped through a century-old building in Old Montreal early Friday morning, sources told Noovo Info.
Canadian family stuck in Lebanon anxiously awaits flight options amid Israeli strikes
A Canadian man who is trapped in Lebanon with his family says they are anxiously waiting for seats on a flight out of the country, as a barrage of Israeli airstrikes continues.
Yazidi woman captured by ISIS rescued in Gaza after more than a decade in captivity
A 21-year-old Yazidi woman has been rescued from Gaza where she had been held captive by Hamas for years after being trafficked by ISIS.