Are we seeing the greening of Doug Ford?

For the first time since becoming Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford is winning rave reviews from the province’s environmentalists. And deservedly so.

The reason is his timely plan to expand the province’s popular Greenbelt so more farms and sensitive natural areas than ever are off-limits to developers in southern Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe region.

Both the Greenbelt Foundation and the advocacy group Environmental Defence applauded this progressive initiative that would add new lands, such as the Paris-galt Moraine running through Waterloo Region as well as several urban river valleys, to the existing 800,000-protected hectares.

Their enthusiasm may reflect not only the belief that Ford is doing the right thing in this case, but that his priorities are changing for the better. The premier himself could confirm this assessment with yet another timely announcement. He should put on hold the Highway 413 megaproject that threatens to pave over thousands of hectares of untouched farmland and natural spaces located within the very Greenbelt he wants to grow.

Until now, Ford’s environmental track record has been exceptionally weak. Not only has he curtailed the powers of conservation authorities, he’s allowed Ministerial Zoning Orders to fast-track environmentally unsound developments and fought tooth and nail against the federal carbon taxes meant to limit climate change.

Any Ontario premier will find it challenging to balance the need to preserve farmland and natural spaces with the need to accommodate the rapid growth that helps drive our economy. In the Toronto area alone, the population is expected to rise from seven million today to 9.5 million by 2045.

But in this political juggling act, Ford’s repeatedly dropped the environmental ball. He’s been the developer’s pal, endlessly proclaiming “Ontario’s open for business.” And that’s basically the way it’s been — until Wednesday’s announcement of the Greenbelt expansion and the 60-day consultation process that will precede it. Considering how fast new development is paving over vast swaths of the province, who would disagree with increasing the size of the Greenbelt? Yet as encouraging as Ford’s additions to the Greenbelt undoubtedly are, it’s disturbing to realize he also plans to subtract land from it to build Highway 413.

This 50-kilometre project with a price tag of at least $6 billion would run from where the 401 and 407 connect, across Caledon’s fertile farmland on the northern edge of Vaughan to link up with Highway 400. Ford’s Liberal predecessors considered this new highway but rejected it in 2015. The premier correctly points out the Greenbelt legislation he inherited allows the construction of such infrastructure. What he fails to adequately explain is why his government wants to do this with Highway 413.

When it comes to a superhighway, if you build it they will come. Expand highway capacity and you’ll expand highway use, with the urban sprawl, the air pollution and the loss of farmland and green spaces that will inevitably bring. And in this case, all this cost and fuss will shave an estimated 30 seconds off the time of a current trip on the existing highways.

You needn’t be a cynic to wonder whether you’re witnessing political sleight-of hand. Increase the size of the Greenbelt, of course. But use that decision to excuse — or even justify — a highway Ontario doesn’t need.

Ford should remember that, with the next election just over a year away, he’s just added a splash of green to his traditional Tory-blue colours. If he doesn’t want to tarnish his new environmental halo, he’ll pause and rethink his superhighway dreams.