Protected Greenbelt at risk of development

In the 2018 provincial election campaign, Doug Ford told a room full of developers in a private meeting that he’d open up huge chunks of the Greenbelt. When a recording of the meeting was made public, he promised not to allow development in the Greenbelt.

Four years later, his actions as premier and the PC election platform make it clear he is fulfilling his promise to the development industry, and ignoring his public promise to not allow development in the Greenbelt.

The PCs’ promise to “get it done” by building three 400series highways impacting 2,200 acres of Greenbelt and 2,400 acres of prime farmland across Halton, Peel and York Regions. They have remained worryingly silent on York Region’s intention to develop lands protected by the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plans.

If York Region’s Draft Official Plan proceeds in its current form, the next government will be asked to remove almost 500 acres of Greenbelt/Oak Ridges Moraine in Whitchurch-Stouffville and downgrade Greenbelt protections of almost 2,500 acres in Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and Markham.

Seeing the province’s double talk and the lack of action on Greenbelt promises, Whitchurch-Stouffville’s Mayor Ian Lovatt requested development occur in two areas within the Oak Ridges Moraine, contiguous with north Markham and north Stouffville. He has been relentless with his interpretation of the planning legislation.

In York’s Draft Official Plan, which council is poised to approve mid-June, instead of asking the province to remove land from the Oak Ridges Moraine, York Region is giving the province a draft Official Plan that presupposes that the province will amend the legislation to allow development. This is illegal; it is not in conformity with provincial law, specifically the Oak Ridges Moraine legislation.

Is York Region council proceeding in this way because it has reason to believe the province intends to carve into the Greenbelt? Manager of Policy, Research and Forecasting, Paul Bottomley suggested such a possibility, when he said “when the province amends the legislation” rather than if, in the May 19 council meeting. Vaughan’s regional council members are still pushing for York Region Council to downgrade even more Greenbelt lands for a private sports venue.

What explains these flagrant proposals to allow development in the Greenbelt and break existing provincial laws? One obvious explanation is that York Region Council is convinced that a re-elected Ford government is ready to change these laws and carve up the Greenbelt, exactly as he promised developers in early 2018; breaking his promise to Ontarians.

The Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine, our farmland, our source and storm water protection, habitat for endangered species unique to Ontario, is critically important for the Greater Golden Horseshoe to be able to mitigate and adapt to the worst of climate change. The Greenbelt will always be open for development as long as we have politicians who believe it is not off-limits.