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<p>Brilliant Kevin! Thank you for the enormous amount of work, time
and energy you put into this!</p>
<p>Best,</p>
<p>Susan K<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/18/2022 11:12 PM, Kevin Thomason
wrote:<br>
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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:part1.zJ10FnE6.ElBQMLlg@execulink.com" class=""></div>
<div class=""><br class="">
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<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=""
moz-do-not-send="true">E-mail: kevinthomason@mac.com</a><br
class="">
<br class="">
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