[All] Regional Official Plan Delayed - Now June 29th at 1:00pm

Fri Jun 17 13:30:59 EDT 2022

Good Day,

It’s been a busy couple of weeks as area municipalities have issued reports and held many meetings to determine their responses to the proposed Growth Options for the next 30 years in our Regional Official Plan.  There has been a strong response from citizens in each municipality with many delegations, letters, and e-mails urging their local Councils to protect farmland and adopt the bold planning solutions we are going to require for the years ahead.

We have had good outcomes at most municipalities (details below) and based on the feedback asking for delay, the Region of Waterloo has postponed the June 22nd announcement of the recommended Growth Option until Wed, June 29th.  This also means that the reports, Council package, and information expected to be released this afternoon (June 17th) will be delayed until next Friday (June 24th).  A list of important upcoming dates is below.

It was fantastic to see Halton Region yesterday approve their progressive Regional Official Plan for no farmland loss until at least 2041.  This has been the result of an incredible campaign and collaboration of dozens of community, environmental, and agricultural groups across Halton Region.  

So, we have an extra week to achieve the best possible future outcomes and the focus will now shift back to Regional Council.  I urge you to reach out to your Regional Councillors with this extra week and ensure that they know the importance of ensuring a sustainable Regional Official Plan that will provide the needed visionary planning and essential climate solutions.

Cheers,
Kevin.

-----------------------------

A) Outcomes from Municipal ROP Special Meetings and Recommendations/Resolutions to the Region of Waterloo

1) Wellesley Township - after two Staff Reports and two Special Council Meetings Wellesley Council approved a very progressive Staff Report calling for more intensification, higher density, more sustainability efforts, more of a focus on the future needs of their existing citizens and only 20ha of farmland loss for the next 30 years.

2) City of Kitchener - after two good Kitchener Staff Reports and four Special Council Meetings (with a fifth meeting still anticipated for June 20th or 27th) it was extremely disappointing to see the Staff Reports ignored and most of the progressive motion put forward by Councillors Chapman and Marsh gutted and a motion by Councillors Davey and Singh calling for farmland loss, greenfield expansion, an adjustment of the Countryside Line, further destruction of sensitive groundwater areas, and a potential population allocation increase be approved by the majority of Kitchener Council.  This is a significant step backwards, will do little to address housing affordability, and could negatively impact the core redevelopment and intensification that Kitchener had been doing so well.

3) Wilmot Township - after three Special Council Meetings Wilmot Councillors voted for a very progressive motion based on the Smart Growth principles of Option #4 focussed on no farmland loss, more intensification, higher density, a future intensification study, and numerous other progressive concepts.

4) North Dumfries Township - despite strong delegations, North Dumfries Councillors chose to stick with their Staff Recommendation for Option #2 that would see a minor amount (59ha) of farmland loss for growth over the next 30 years.  We tried to advocate for less farmland loss, rehabilitating gravel pits for employment lands, and intensification.  However one Councillor seemed to sum it up the best - that with almost every acre of farmland in the Township already targetted for aggregates, losing farmland to housing would be a welcome change as they were bound to lose it one way or another.

5) Woolwich Township - it was fantastic to see Woolwich Councillors decide against Option #2 and its considerable greenfield expansion/farmland loss and instead draft a motion consistent with the principles of Option #4 for no farmland loss, higher intensification, more complete communities, more time, and more consultation/engagement.  Every single Councillor cited the climate and food crisis and the fact that they just can’t justify destroying farmland anymore despite the hundreds of acres of expansion they were being offered by the Region.  

6) City of Waterloo - not only did City of Waterloo Staff draft an excellent Staff Report calling for greater intensification, no farmland loss, and cautioning about too much density near environmentally significant areas, their Councillors further added additional recommendations to the Region emphasizing the need for bold, visionary leadership, strong climate solutions, and the need to continue to base the ROP on the strong Smart Growth principles the City of Waterloo is working to achieve.  It was a fantastic show of leadership by Mayor Jaworsky and every single City of Waterloo Councillor and a significant contrast to the sprawl, farmland loss, and destruction approved at the City of Kitchener meeting that had just happened a few hours earlier.

7) City of Cambridge - Cambridge Staff have decided not to issue a Staff Report or bring anything to their Council leaving it to Cambridge Councillors and citizens to communicate directly to the Region, missing out on the important discussions and future planning happening in all the other local municipalities.

B) Important Upcoming Dates

Friday, June 24th - Release of Regional Staff ROP Report, the Recommended Growth Approach, the Financial Analysis, the GHG Analysis, and Infrastructure Analysis

Wednesday, June 29th - Regional Council Meeting for Staff Recommendation on Recommended Approach to Growth and Regional Council Decision - many delegations from across our community could be very important at this meeting depending on the recommended approach released on June 24th

Wednesday, July 20th - Regional Public Open House on Recommended Growth Approach

Wednesday, July 27th - Formal Public Hearing on the Regional Official Plan Update

Thursday, August 18th - Final vote and approval of the Regional Official Plan until 2051

Wednesday, October 26th - Municipal Elections

C) Regional Councillor List

Write all Regional Councillors at: regionalcouncillors at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:regionalcouncillors at regionofwaterloo.ca>

Or contact individual Councillors at:

Karen Redman (Regional Chair) - kredman at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:kredman at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Kathryn McGarry (Mayor, Cambridge) - kmcgarry at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:kmcgarry at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Karl Kiefer (Regional Councillor, Cambridge) - kkiefer at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:kkiefer at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Helen Jowett (Regional Councillor, Cambridge) - hjowett at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:hjowett at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Berry Vrbanovic (Mayor, Kitchener) - bvrbanovic at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:bvrbanovic at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Tom Galloway (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - tgalloway at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:tgalloway at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Geoff Lorentz (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - glorentz at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:glorentz at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Michael D. Harris (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - mharris at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:mharris at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Elizabeth Clarke (Regional Councillor, Kitchener) - eclarke at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:eclarke at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Dave Jaworsky (Mayor, City of Waterloo) - djaworsky at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:djaworsky at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Jim Erb (Regional Councillor, City of Waterloo) - jerb at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:jerb at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Sean Strickland (Regional Councillor, City of Waterloo) - sstrickland at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:sstrickland at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Les Armstrong (Mayor, Wilmot Township) - larmstrong at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:larmstrong at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Joe Nowak (Mayor, Wellesley Township) - jnowak at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:jnowak at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Sandy Shantz (Mayor, Woolwich Township) - sshantz at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:sshantz at regionofwaterloo.ca>
Sue Foxton (Mayor, North Dumfries Township) - sfoxton at regionofwaterloo.ca <mailto:sfoxton at regionofwaterloo.ca>

D) Halton E-mail Announcement

From: Stop Sprawl Halton <stopsprawlhalton at gmail.com>
Subject: VIctory!
Date: June 16, 2022 at 11:17:24 AM EDT

View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/8aa2d7a74428/victory?e=41dcc75c12>

 <https://stopsprawlhalton.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c428cb242ac1a2fe9448f5c07&id=cd1999736b&e=41dcc75c12>
You did it! Yesterday Halton Regional council approved “ROPA 49,” the revised official plan that will save precious farms and green spaces and keep firm urban boundaries to 2041. Thank you to every one of you who emailed Councillors, took a lawn sign, spoke at Council meetings, spread the word on social media, donated to the cause, sent a letter from your club or organization, or helped in so many other ways to push this campaign to victory. 

It’s stunning to think how much was accomplished since a small group of women Zoomed just before Christmas to figure out how to engage the public and win over Council. Eventually, inspired by what we were doing, seven other Stop Sprawl groups sprang up around the province.

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton yesterday: "I want to thank the public for the way they turned out and participated in their thousands in our consultations on this ROPA. We have never had so much participation from the public.”

Sorry about “the sliver”
After the main vote on ROPA 49, a motion to expand onto lands outside Milton passed. Thank you to Councillors Adam, Duddeck, Elgar and Fogal who stood firm for fixed urban boundaries and voted No. 

You can put your lawn sign away.
 <https://stopsprawlhalton.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c428cb242ac1a2fe9448f5c07&id=ef6636a3ef&e=41dcc75c12>But do save it. The provincial government has threatened to take Council’s plan to the Ontario Land Tribunal. To us that’s an abuse of a long and careful democratic process here in Halton. 

 <https://stopsprawlhalton.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c428cb242ac1a2fe9448f5c07&id=08e9a4647c&e=41dcc75c12>
 <https://stopsprawlhalton.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c428cb242ac1a2fe9448f5c07&id=30c7487612&e=41dcc75c12>
 <https://stopsprawlhalton.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c428cb242ac1a2fe9448f5c07&id=3f7e38da3d&e=41dcc75c12>
 <https://stopsprawlhalton.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c428cb242ac1a2fe9448f5c07&id=929f64ee4a&e=41dcc75c12>

-------------------------------------

Kevin Thomason
Vice-Chair, Grand River Environmental Network

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

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