<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">We did it!!!!<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The Waterloo Regional Official Plan update was approved tonight by full Regional Council in an impressive 14 to 1 vote with Councillor Mike Harris being the only elected official to vote against this visionary plan so broadly supported by citizens across our communities.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Similar to previous pioneering Regional Official Plans that have helped Waterloo Region become a global leader, this progressive plan with its focus on sustainability, climate action, intensification, farmland protection, housing choice/affordability, and 15 minute complete walkable neighbourhoods will guide so much in our communities and should serve us well until 2051.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Kudos to everyone who spoke up for the future they wanted to see, delegated, e-mailed, called, and attended so many meetings and events. Thanks also to Regional Staff and elected officials who listened to all our ideas and feedback. What started three years ago as an insufficient and inadequate draft document through a lot of hard work has evolved to become this visionary plan that will help ensure our region continues its provincial and national leadership with continued core renewal, more active transportation routes, new public transit options including potential Phase 2 and Phase 3 of iON LRT, minimal farmland loss, and a focus on the missing middle to create more affordable housing options for all ages throughout our communities. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Over the next two years there will be an opportunity to further this Regional Official Plan with even more progressive elements as additional sections on Green Development Standards, Aggregates, and Source Water Protection are updated.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">For now lets celebrate this amazing achievement of such a unique, progressive future plan that other communities claim as impossible being articulated so well by Regional Staff and so strongly endorsed by our elected officials.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Congratulations, thank you and well done!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Cheers!</div><div class="">Kevin.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="46B966BE-82B7-4E23-A7BF-24947A9677FA" src="cid:C0222AC5-2311-4B23-9FF0-DDEDC2E0B709" class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">-------------------------------------<br class=""><div class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div><br class="">Kevin Thomason</div><div>Vice-Chair, Grand River Environmental Network<br class=""><br class="">c/o 1115 Cedar Grove Road<br class="">Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2J 3Z4<br class=""><br class="">Phone: (519) 888-0519<br class="">Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648<br class="">Twitter: @kthomason<br class=""><a href="mailto:kevinthomason@mac.com" class="">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br class=""><br class="">-----------------------------------------</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>