[All] FW: Bleams Road widening + Ford's slashing of the OMB

[strothjkl at sympatico.ca]

Thanks Susan.  Please add to the agenda whether GREN should do anything about protesting the Ford gov.’t abrupt ending of the Ontario Municipal Board, now called The Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, LPAT, an important democratic tool for everyone other than government to fight development applications. I sent an email about this to GREN back on Sat. Feb. 23rd but haven’t heard much talk about this. I don’t understand why this isn’t in the news and being talked about more...this is huge, isn’t it? As usual it was pushed through at the end of a Friday on a long weekend so they were hoping it wouldn’t be noticed..and it almost looks like they succeeded. Does anyone have any opinions on this..I know it gets tiresome..all the work fighting Bill 66, and now this..it’s hard to mount the energy to fight issue after issue. But I think this is really important to speak out against. 

 

The story of Ford cutting the OMB:  <https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/02/22/news/doug-ford-shuts-service-helps-ontario-citizens-fight-wealthy-developers> https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/02/22/news/doug-ford-shuts-service-helps-ontario-citizens-fight-wealthy-developers

 

The Ontario Municipal Board was established in 1906, and some sources say even earlier, as an important public tribunal for planning and development disputes. It has been around for a long time -over 112 years+!!  and plays an important role and should not be allowed to just be slashed by Doug Ford.   History of the OMB: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontario_Municipal_Board

 

It’s where you can go if someone wants to build a 20 storey apartment building beside your house, or a farmer gets notice that someone is going to infringe on his/her land with an adjacent development, perhaps involving pollution and noise. 

 

 

How and why it was recently overhauled to be more fair by the Wynn’s Liberals at the public’s request:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/omb-planning-appeal-tribunal-development-1.4595608 

The LPAT’s homepage now: http://elto.gov.on.ca/tribunals/lpat/about-lpat/ 

As far as I know Ontario cities and Regions also would go to the OMB in the past to get a decisions on many development issues, so this will be closed to them also. I remember over the years, working on many environmental issues with all 3 cities, the Region, and townships, that they would often be involved with the OMB. Obviously this is a way for Ford to block and reduce opposition to development proposals such as the proposed  glass plant that wanted to use over a million litres of water per day between Guelph and Cambridge. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/residents-try-to-block-proposed-glass-plant-near-guelph-1.4731971 

Under Ford, there would be less options to fight such environmentally-damaging things. 

I want to contact CBC-KW radio to talk about this issue. Does anyone feel knowledgeable and angry about this to speak to it, if they ask me if I know anyone they could talk to about why this is abhorrent? 

Thanks

Lori Strothard

Waterloo

 

 


On Feb 26, 2019, at 9:12 AM, Susan Koswan <susankoswan at execulink.com <mailto:susankoswan at execulink.com> > wrote:

Hi GRENers,

Thought I'd share this as concerns have been raised from Steckle Farm - the widening of Bleams from 2 to 4 lanes could impact their centuries old artesian well that feeds their animals and crops, and it could mean removing some of the heritage stone wall in front of the property. I'm not able to attend the public meeting on Wed, Feb 27 from 5 - 8 pm, so hoping someone from GREN can.

https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/Modules/News/index.aspx?newsId=413f8417-748b-42fa-85f4-67958bd71fac <https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/Modules/News/index.aspx?newsId=413f8417-748b-42fa-85f4-67958bd71fac&fbclid=IwAR25bg1wDiHqyfFNqThcaiCVd37tCiN2y0Y2aZQUELmLdeOm6cQwkHC0NP8> &fbclid=IwAR25bg1wDiHqyfFNqThcaiCVd37tCiN2y0Y2aZQUELmLdeOm6cQwkHC0NP8

Best,

Susan K


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