[All] Congratulations! We Did It! Doug Ford Reverses Greenbelt Land Removals!

Kevin Thomason kevinthomason at mac.com
Fri Sep 22 09:42:46 EDT 2023 

Congratulations!  

It has taken 11 long months but we have succeeded in getting Doug Ford and the Conservative provincial government to admit opening the Greenbelt was a huge mistake and to agree to return the removed land parcels slated for development!

We have forced Doug Ford to “Keep His Greenbelt Promise!”

Kudo’s to everyone who wrote letters, attended rallies, made phone calls, and undertook countless actions to get the government to change course and act in the best public interest to see these natural areas and agricultural lands protected for generations to come.  We have achieved what so many said would never happen.  It is a testament to the power of the people and our continuous extensive efforts over the past year.

At times and especially during the early weeks of this fight, it felt like we were tilting at windmills and that a reversal of course was almost impossible. But you persevered with us, kept an incredibly positive attitude, and put in the long hours to achieve a very effective grassroots victory!

It has been a crazy time with so many events, activities and media coverage.  Some insiders are saying that it was our huge FordFest Rally that made the Premier realize just how unpopular his government was becoming.  Then with both urban and rural citizens speaking up at the International Plowing Match earlier this week along with our ongoing focussed efforts on individual MPP’s, the Premier was facing intense pressure from his entire caucus to reverse course and attempt to salvage a government spinning out of control while plummeting in the polls.

There was also another resignation on Thursday of Housing Policy Director Jae Truesdell which brings to four the total resignations so far regarding the Greenbelt Scandal (2 cabinet ministers and 2 senior Progressive Conservative staff).  Not to mention that mysterious and sudden firing of the head of the Ontario Home Builder’s Association Luca Bucci in early August (who had also been the Chief of Staff of Housing Minister Steve Clark just a year earlier).  The Premier is in damage control mode and just because a crook returns what they have stolen doesn’t mean there hasn’t been a crime.  There are still many unanswered questions and troubling facts outstanding.  There are too many consistent patterns and troubling approaches with things such as the continuous lack of public consultations and so many secret backroom deals.  We need to keep the pressure up for proper investigations and inquiries.

Next Steps:

Despite Doug Ford’s statement, “As a first step to earn back your trust, I’ll be reversing the changes we made and we won’t make any changes to the Greenbelt in the future.”  We need to remain vigilant to ensure that these parcels are returned to the Greenbelt entirely and scrutinize the details.  We will need to watch for future Greenbelt attacks and we need to push to ensure that the land swap parcels added to the Greenbelt on the Paris-Galt Moraine near Erin and the 13 urban creeks are not reversed and remain protected as additions to the Greenbelt since they obviously warranted protection.

Even as Premier Ford alludes to a first step to earn back trust there are many concerning issues that we must ensure are addressed in the weeks ahead as additional steps.  This includes:

	1) Reversing the forced sale of Conservation Authority Lands and restoring the powers/duties of our Conservation Authorities,

	2) Ensuring that Regional Planning Authority is fully returned to Waterloo, Durham, Niagara, Halton, York, Peel, and Simcoe County,

	3) Cancelling the reclassification and downgrading of Provincially Significant Wetlands and the removal of wetland offsetting policies,

	4) Repeal of the unfettered ability to expand Settlement Area Boundaries anytime, for any reason, 

	5) Ensuring the cancellation and removal of severances for farmland and rural lands with a strong “No Rural Severances” policy,

	6) Rolling back of forced urban boundary expansions in Hamilton, Waterloo, Halton, Ottawa, and elsewhere against local municipality decisions/official plans - particularly where sufficient new housing was already being accommodated within existing plans.

	7) Calling for continued investigations by the RCMP, Auditor General and Integrity Commissioner - not only into this Greenbelt Scandal but also the very similar decisions by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing that had no public input or consultation on forced urban boundary expansions, MZO’s, Growth Plan elimination, Regional Planning changes, and the wetland evaluation system changes.

	8) Continuing to fight on other key issues such as Highway #413, the Bradford Bypass, Ontario Place, Healthcare, Education, etc.

There are also the three outstanding demands of the First Nations Chiefs for a full repeal of Bill 23, ensuring First Nations consultation, and extending the ERO commenting deadline for the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS) for a full year.

If we can get these outstanding issues addressed, then we can focus our energies on the more positive activities of dealing with our housing challenges and building great sustainable communities.


We have seen firsthand in recent months just how corrupt this government is and for more than five years now we have seen their continuous attacks on the environment, climate action, green energy, sustainability, and so much more.  We need to continue to demand a better future and we need to act now with momentum and strong public support.

Just a couple of weeks ago the new MMAH Minister Paul Callandra was doubling down and threatening even more Greenbelt land removals as the Greenbelt was a scam and urban spawl was more important than food and water.  

While the government has listened to the people and reversed course, the developers aren’t going to go away quietly and taxpayers could be on the hook for millions or even billions of dollars due to Doug Ford’s incompetence and schemes.  NDP Leader Marit Stiles stated today that this was “a calculated attempt by the government to benefit a few select Conservative insiders at the expense of everyone else.”  We will need to remain vigilant and be prepared to act quickly to call out any inappropriate activities.

There are still more than 700 Greenbelt removal requests that are active, land speculation within the Greenbelt has been rampant recently with developers spending over $173 million to buy even more Greenbelt lands this summer.  With billions of dollars at stake we can’t underestimate what additional schemes and attempts at development may be coming.

Please share any thoughts and ideas on how best we can anticipate issues and best address outstanding concerns.


Current Media:

	The Toronto Star - Doug Ford Cancels Controversial $8.28 Billion Greenbelt Land Swap: “It Was A Mistake”:
	https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-cancels-controversial-8-28-billion-greenbelt-land-swap-it-was-a-mistake/article_68bb891b-f18f-5d0c-940f-b3be7c1ebdfb.html

	The Narwhal - Doug Ford Reverses Greenbelt Decision:
	https://thenarwhal.ca/ford-reverses-greenbelt-decision/

	CBC - Ford Apologizes For “Wrong” Greenbelt Decision, Vows To Reverse Land Swap:
	https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-stag-and-doe-integrity-commissioner-1.6974058

	CTV National News - Ontario Premier Doug Ford Apologies - “Very, Very Sorry”:
	https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-premier-doug-ford-apologizes-reverses-plan-to-develop-greenbelt-1.6572062
	
	Global News - Ford Putting Land Back In The Greenbelt:
	https://youtu.be/D85TVwlP65o 

	The Record - Premier Doug Ford Announces Reversal Of Greenbelt Land Removals:
	https://www.therecord.com/news/ontario/premier-doug-ford-announces-reversal-of-greenbelt-land-removals/article_7c9a7f85-f0ce-5607-892b-1b8ae09b1a76.html

	The Globe and Mail - Doug Ford Reverses Ontario’s Greenbelt Plans, Calls Decision To Open Up Land A Mistake:
	https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-premier-doug-ford-says-greenbelt-lands-wont-be-developed-after/

	The Toronto Star - Doug Ford Can’t Save Himself, Even By Sparing The Greenbelt:
	https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/doug-ford-can-t-save-himself-even-by-sparing-the-greenbelt/article_23efd9de-cef6-53b9-a591-bcbaeeca340f.html
	The Record - https://www.therecord.com/politics/political-opinion/doug-ford-can-t-save-himself-even-by-sparing-the-greenbelt/article_feebb41f-3347-5719-bf7b-f7cbcdc8fe99.html
	“Now a premier who emphatically does not believe in the Greenbelt wants people to believe that he will absolutely protect it because he really means it this time - if not quite last time.  Any yet, when asked Thursday about his lates deuniciation, Ford offered non renunication - just a belated recognition that the public backlash threatened to bury him faster than he could bulldoze the Greenbelt.”


Looking Forward:

	Ecojustice Statement:
	https://ecojustice.ca/news/statement-from-ecojustice-on-ontarios-reversal-of-greenbelt-plan/

	CTV News - RCMP Could Still Launch Greenbelt Investigation
	https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-premier-doug-ford-apologizes-reverses-plan-to-develop-greenbelt-1.6572062

	Additional Breaking News - 3rd Ford Cabinet Monte McNaughton is resigning and stepping away from politics though apparently not related to the Greenbelt...
	https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-labour-minister-monte-mcnaughton-resigns-1.6573098


Congratulations again!  And with incredible gratitude for sticking it out with incredible determination and persistence!

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


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A) Today’s Media:





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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
Paul Calandra - Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing - paul.calandra at pc.ola.org <mailto:steve.clark at pc.ola.org> or 905-642-2588
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
Will Bouma - MPP Brantford-Brant - will.bouma at pc.ola.org <mailto:will.bouma at pc.ola.org> or (519) 759-0361
Ted Arnott - MPP Wellington-Halton Hills - ted.arnott at pc.ola.org <mailto:ted.arnott at pc.ola.org> or (519) 787-5247
Ernie Hardeman - MPP Oxford - ernie.hardeman at pc.ola.org <mailto:ernie.hardeman at pc.ola.org> or (519) 537-5222
Matthew Rae - MPP Perth-Wellington - matthew.rae at pc.ola.org <mailto:matthew.rae at pc.ola.org> or (519) 272-0660

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

Local Green Party MPPs:
Mike Schreiner - MPP Guelph - mschreiner at ola.org <mailto:mschreiner at ola.org> or (519) 836-4190

Independent MPPs:
Bobbi Ann Brady - MPP Haldimand-Norfolk - babrady-co at ola.org <mailto:babrady-co at ola.org> or (519) 428-0446

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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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