[All] Bill 23, Greenbelt, and Regional Planning Update

Thu Feb 23 20:14:50 EST 2023

Good Day,

Here’s the latest on Bill 23, the Greenbelt attacks, and Regional Planning destruction:

1) MPP Mike Harris Jr Called Out - Congratulations to the Nith Valley Ecoboosters for calling out Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris Jr for not answering their multiple e-mails, phone calls, inquiries, and even a protest at his office about the lack of a response to their efforts for over 11 weeks.  Not only they they finally secure a rare meeting with Mike Jr. but they also were able to garner very impressive media coverage calling out the completely unacceptable lack of responsiveness from this elected official.  

Hopefully other MPP’s will take note and do a better job of meeting with our concerned citizens and groups rather than hiding as many have been over the past few months.  We need to continue to call out these elected officials, ensure that they do better, and are held to account:

	The Record - Luisa D’Amato - Should You Have to Wait 11 Weeks Before Hearing Back from Your MPP:
	https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/opinion/2023/02/21/should-you-have-to-wait-11-weeks-before-hearing-back-from-your-mpp.html

	Woolwich Observer Article on Mike Harris protest:
	https://observerxtra.com/2023/02/16/protesters-look-for-local-mpp-to-be-more-responsive/

	After A Protest, Nith Valley Ecoboosters Receive Response From MPP
	https://www.wilmotpost.ca/news/article.php?After-a-protest-Nith-Valley-Ecoboosters-receive-response-from-MPP-2961

2) Welcome Back Doug Protest Party - Join us this coming Saturday, February 25th for a large rally on the Queen’s Park Legislature Lawn from 11:00am to 1pm.  With an all-star line-up of speakers as well as a musical guests such as Sarah Harmer and Samba Squad this should be a fun event for the entire family.  More details can be found in the poster attached below and at the following website / newspaper article:

	https://www.welcomebackdoug.com <https://www.welcomebackdoug.com/> 

	A great local call to action by Susan Koswan - Gearing Up for the Next Round:
	https://www.therecord.com/opinion/2023/02/15/gearing-up-for-next-round-in-fight-to-save-greenbelt.html?rf <https://www.therecord.com/opinion/2023/02/15/gearing-up-for-next-round-in-fight-to-save-greenbelt.html?rf>

3) We’re Watching You Event - Congratulations to all the people who made it to Queen’s Park on Tuesday to pack the Visitor’s Gallery at the Legislature and make it clear to the Doug Ford and his Conservative government that we are watching and are not going away as he hoped.  Over 120 citizens filled the galleries while opposition MPPs grilled Ford and his government with new questions about developers influence over this government and his cozy relations with many who have benefited from recent government decisions.  Reporters and media from across the province reported on the rough start to this Legislative Session for the Premier:

	Everything is going Green as MPP’s return to the Legislature:
	https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2023/02/20/health-crisis-greenbelt-scheme-doug-ford-in-the-spotlight-as-mpps-return-heres-what-you-should-know.html

	Ford Grilled Over Daughter’s Stag and Doe:
	https://www.therecord.com/ts/politics/provincial/2023/02/21/doug-ford-grilled-over-daughters-stag-and-doe-party-does-the-premier-understand-how-bad-this-looks.html

	CBC - Ford Faces Questions About Relationships with Developers:
	https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-ontario-stag-doe-emergencies-act-1.6755384

	Ford Won’t Be Sunk Easily by Scandal:
	https://nationalpost.com/opinion/doug-ford-wont-be-sunk-easily-by-scandal

4) Other Recent Media Coverage - The significant amount of media articles and news coverage about Bill 23 continues on other fronts as well:

	The NDP has filed more complaints with Integrity Commissioner as more details continue to be learned about Ford family events:
	https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2023/02/23/ndp-files-complaint-over-doug-ford-family-events-linked-to-developers.html

	The floodgates open as other developers are now seeking Greenbelt land removals….
	https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-greenbelt-removal-requests/

	Insiders and Government Appointees Also Attended Doug Ford’s Daughter’s Wedding:
	https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2023/02/23/insiders-government-appointees-also-attended-doug-fords-daughters-wedding.html

	Ottawa Should Fight Doug Ford’s Greenbelt Plan:
	https://www.therecord.com/ts/politics/federal/2023/02/21/ottawa-should-fight-doug-fords-greenbelt-plan-liberal-mps-in-the-gta-argue.html

	Doug Ford Has Failed the Accountability Test:
	https://www.therecord.com/ts/politics/political-opinion/2023/02/22/doug-ford-has-failed-the-accountability-test.html?itm_source=parsely-api

5) Other Impacts and Fallout from Bill 23 - The fallout and unintended consequences of the poorly conceived Bill 23 continue to unfold around the province.  Below are some media articles from the past week detailing issues and impacts municipalities are facing: 

	Ford’s Housing Plan Fails in Waterloo:
	https://www.ontariondp.ca/news/ndp-ford-s-housing-plan-fails-it-s-first-test-waterloo

	Bill 23 Impacts Cambridge Taxes:
	https://kitchener.citynews.ca/local-news/cambridge-council-to-mull-tax-increase-before-final-budget-vote-on-tuesday-6576039

	Mike Moffat and the Smart Prosperity Institute Stress the Importance of the Integrity Greenbelt:
	https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/OntariosGreenbelt

6) Reminder - No Meeting this Friday - Our next update meeting will be Friday, March 3rd at 5:30pm 

	Topic: Grand River Watershed Bill 23 Bi-Weekly Zoom Meeting
	Time: Every Other Friday at 5:30pm EST

	Join Zoom Meeting
	https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09 <https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09>

	Meeting ID: 826 4469 5701
	Passcode: 713374

Thanks for all the great efforts so far.  Please share any questions or ideas.

Cheers,
Kevin Thomason and Mike Marcolongo on behalf of all our community groups.

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A) Upcoming Events

Saturday, February 25th - 11:00am - Welcome Back Doug Rally at the Legislature Lawn - https://www.welcomebackdoug.com <https://www.welcomebackdoug.com/> 

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B) Speak Up and Ensure Your Voice is Heard:

Premier Doug Ford - doug.fordco at pc.ola.org <mailto:doug.fordco at pc.ola.org> or 416-325-1941
Steve Clark - Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing - steve.clark at pc.ola.org <mailto:steve.clark at pc.ola.org> or 416-585-7214
David Piccini - Minster of Environment, Conservation and Parks - david.piccini at pc.ola.org <mailto:david.paccini at pc.ola.org> or 905-372-4000
Todd Smith - Minister of Energy - todd.smith at pc.ola.org <mailto:todd.smith at pc.ola.org> or 613-962-1144
Michael Parsa - Associate Minister of Housing - michael.parsaco at pc.ola.org <mailto:michael.parsaco at pc.ola.org>

Local Conservative MPPs:
Mike Harris Jr - MPP Kitchener-Conestoga - mike.harris at pc.ola.org <mailto:mike.harris at pc.ola.org> or 519-669-2090
Brian Riddell - MPP Cambridge - brian.riddell at pc.ola.org <mailto:brian.riddell at pc.ola.org> or 519-650-2770
Jess Dixon - MPP Kitchener South - jess.dixon at pc.ola.org <mailto:jess.dixon at pc.ola.org> or 519-650-9413

Local NDP MPPs:
Catherine Fife - MPP Waterloo - cfife-qp at ndp.on.ca <mailto:cfife-qp at ndp.on.ca> or 519-725-3477
Laura Mae Lindo - MPP Kitchener Centre - llindo-qp at ndp.on.ca <mailto:llindo-qp at ndp.on.ca> or 519-579-5460

Or use the Hold The Line Waterloo Region engagement engine to automatically address and send an e-mail you help to draft: www.holdthelinewr.org <http://www.holdthelinewr.org/>

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C) Other Community Issues - Amalgamtion, Municipal Restructuring, and Annexation - Martin De Groot

As the appointment of a provincial facilitator looms over Waterloo Region and the fate of our Regional Government along with our urban cities and rural townships remains uncertain, Martin De Groot has authored and excellent series on municipal reform and what could lay ahead:

	https://marinus.substack.com/p/town-and-country-prospects-part-2

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D) Other Community Issues - Farmland & Water First - Citizens for Safe Groundwater - Emergency Update

The amazing grassroots community group Citizens for Safe Groundwater that has been fighting aggregate pit applications in Wilmot Township was planning a fundraising Wine & Cheese event this weekend when a surprise announcement from the Township of Wilmot has forced an Emergency Community Meeting instead.  Details are below.  Please help however you can.

Emergency Update!
We have been blindsided by Wilmot Council. They have recently decided to no longer fight the Hallman Pit at the upcoming Ontario Land Tribunal. We are taking immediate action and we need your support!

Changes to Wine & Cheese Event 
For ticket holders and those interested in purchasing tickets at the door, the Wine & Cheese Event will still be held from 2 to 4 PM at Puddicombe House. However, in light of this recent news, there will be an Emergency Community Meeting at 3:30 PM.

In order to efficiently respond to this update, we are replacing the speeches with this Emergency Community Meeting where we will share with the public what has happened. We are anxiously awaiting the agreement the township has made with the Hallman Pit applicant. We anticipate we will be able to share this with attendants this Sunday.

Emergency Community Meeting

In the adjacent room to the Wine & Cheese Event at Puddicombe House, at 3:30 PM we will meet to organize an action plan. We have a preliminary plan mapped out with help from lawyer, Rod Northey. We need all hands on deck.We need to show the new Wilmot Council the same pressure we showed the council that came before. We need to show them that we want our vibrant communities, farmland, and water protected. We need to show them that we want to STOP THE HALLMAN PIT.

There is no cost to attend the Emergency Community Meeting starting at 3:30 PM. We welcome all interested citizens to attend this emergency meeting. Please arrive on time as we are on a tight schedule.

Please see the updated agenda below:

We hope to see you this Sunday to protect our vibrant communities and put farmland and water first!

P.S. Save the Date!

On March 6th at 7 PM there will be a Council Meeting. Please join (either virtually or in-person) to show your support and concern.

P.P.S. Parking at Wine & Cheese Event

Please note, there is plenty of public parking available across the road from the Puddicombe House but please try to carpool if you can.
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E) Other Community Issues - Waterloo Federation of Agriculture

The Waterloo Federation of Agriculture has been doing it’s annual presentations to all the area municipalities on the importance of farming to the local economy, Bill 23, and the need to better protect farmland.  Attached below is a great infographic that they have been presenting showing firsthand the impact of agriculture in our local communities:

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F) Other Community Issues - Water - Our Scared Trust Book Launch with Author Bob Burtt

Words Worth is partnering with the Waterloo Public Library on Tuesday, February 28 from 7pm to 8pm at the Eastside Branch, 2001 University Ave E., Waterloo.

Join us for an evening with Bob Burtt, reporter and editor for more than 40 years, including a 24 year stint at the Waterloo Region Record where he focused on environmental stories. Burtt will be in conversation with Susan Bryant, discussing his new book, Water Our Sacred Trust <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/4997?id=63539.628.1.6b4b623ae9b10c78d357003bd76ca6e4>: a story about Waterloo Region's most important resource and the challenges it faces.

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G) Other Community Issues - WRCommunity Townhall - Amalgamation - Unnecessary or Unavoidable?  March 16, 2023 6:30pm

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H) Recent News Articles

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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 <mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com>
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