[All] Crombie Report, Greenbelt Expansion and Media Articles

[Kevin Thomason]

Hello,

Monday afternoon the ten year Greenbelt Review panel being headed up by David Crombie released their initial report.  It is a detailed report that comes out strongly in support of the Greenbelt, advocates for expansion of protected areas - particularly along Moraines and source-water areas, recommends higher intensification targets, firmer urban boundaries, and many other SmartGrowth principles in 87 formal recommendations to the provincial government.

You can read the Executive Summary of the Crombie Report here:
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page11256.aspx

You can download the entire Report here:
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Asset11110.aspx?method=1

You can find summaries of the Town Hall Meetings here:
http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=11126

Here is the link to the Provincial Government Press Release:
https://news.ontario.ca/mah/en/2015/12/ontario-welcomes-report-on-greenbelt-and-smart-growth.html


Media Coverage - There has been some good coverage in the media so far:

Toronto Star - Martin Regg Cohn - Growth Pains Will Worsen If We Don't Tighten Greenbelt
http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2015/12/08/growth-pains-will-worsen-if-we-dont-tighten-greenbelt-cohn.html

Ecostrategy - Crombie Report Hits Mark - Protect Water Resources
http://www.huffstrategy.com/MediaManager/release/Ontario-Nature---Ecospark---Earthroots---STORM-Coalition/7-12-15/Crombie-report-hits-the-mark-Protect-Ontarios-most-vulnerable-wat/3208.html


Next Steps

The plan is for David Crombie to do another series of Town Hall Meetings over the winter to seek feedback to this report.  We will need to come out with strong support (which should be easy given that what they are proposing to do is the SmartGrowth, protection, climate change action, etc. that we have been seeking for quite some time).  The panel will issue a final report in the Spring to the Province and then the province will spend the next year developing action plans and amendments to the Greenbelt Act and other legislation.

It will be important to get strong attendance at these winter Town Hall meetings and we should start working with Regional and Municipal Staff immediately on many of the recommendations being made by the report.

Please share any questions or ideas.

Cheers,
Kevin.

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I think that the final paragraph of the Crombie Report summarizes things perfectly and we couldn't ask for a better recommendation:

"...revealed an urgent need to strengthen the four plans and to support them with a wide range of complementary actions. The plans provide a strong foundation but we must step up our efforts to curb sprawl, build complete communities, grow the Greenbelt, support agriculture and address traffic congestion. We owe it to current and future generations to ensure that the GGH supports healthy lifestyles, a high quality of life, a sustainable environment and a prosperous economy."


Points the report stresses: 
- thousands of Ontarians speaking up and asking for more environmental protection, greenbelt expansion and action on climate change
- the importance of improving our resilience to future climate changes and weather events
- the need for urgent action to counter significant growth pressures
- better planned communities that are more efficient, walkable, transit-friendly
- better protection of agriculture and farmland
- better protection of source water areas 
- sustainability

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Kevin Thomason

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com

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