<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Congratulations and kudos to everyone who has spoken up for our Official Plans that were overridden by the province last year. On Monday morning, the new Minister of Municipal Affairs Paul Calandra made a surprise announcement that the government would be cancelling these forced urban boundary expansions!<br><div><div><br></div><div>So not only have we succeeded in getting the Greenbelt removals reversed and the devastating 3 rural severances cancelled, we have now succeeded in getting the forced urban boundary expansions cancelled too!<br><div><br></div><div>Minister Calandra said he had no faith in the process that we have said all along bypassed all public consultation, First Nations input, and provided no data, rationale, or justification for the forced urban expansions that were slated to destroy tens of thousands of acres of irreplaceable farmland across the province in municipalities such as Waterloo, Wellington, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Ottawa, and elsewhere. </div><div><br></div><div>The Minister said his embattled government was moving to “reset” relations with municipalities and that it now wants “to respect local planning” as the RCMP investigates the Greenbelt scandal that has so many parallels and unanswered questions similar to these forced boundary expansions. The minister further said “I’m reverting back to what the municipalities have put in place. The process was one that I was just not comfortable with” and that “the provincial planning orders had just a little bit too much involvement from individuals within the previous minister’s office.” </div><div><br></div><div>It’s astonishing to see this last statement so seriously criticizing Luca Bucci and other staff of Steve Clark the previous MMAH minister. We’ve been raising concerns for months and the serious issues with Doug Ford’s provincial government goes far deeper than any one particular Minister or Ministry. We see consistent patterns of ignoring public consultation, First Nations, and the greater public good with decisions that benefit just a few well-connected party-insiders, speculators, and developers.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks to everyone who wrote letters, attended rallies, made phone calls, put up lawn signs 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.</div><div><br></div>The media coverage has been extensive:</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Narhwal - Thousands Of Hectares Of Ontario Farmland Won’t Be Developed After Ford Government Backs Down:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Decisions to impose sprawl on 10 municipalities including Hamilton, Waterloo and Ottawa weren’t made “in a manner that maintains and reinforces public trust”.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-boundary-expansion-reversal/">https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-boundary-expansion-reversal/</a></div><div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>CityNews and CityTV - Ontario To Reverse Urban Boundary Expansions For Several Communities:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2023/10/23/ontario-greenbelt-urban-boundary-expansions/?">https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2023/10/23/ontario-greenbelt-urban-boundary-expansions/?</a></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>CBC - Ford Government To Reverse Controversial Urban Boundary Expansions:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/official-plan-reversal-legislation-1.7004947">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/official-plan-reversal-legislation-1.7004947</a></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>CKCO CTV News - Waterloo Region Reacts To Provincial Reversal On Urban Boundary Expansion:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/waterloo-region-reacts-to-provincial-reversal-on-urban-boundary-expansion-1.6613810">https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/waterloo-region-reacts-to-provincial-reversal-on-urban-boundary-expansion-1.6613810</a></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Global News - Ontario Reversing Urban Boundary Expansions:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10042687/ontario-urban-boundaries-reversal/">https://globalnews.ca/news/10042687/ontario-urban-boundaries-reversal/</a></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Toronto Star - Doug Ford Government To Scrap Municipal Boundary Changes After Greenbelt Scandal:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-government-to-scrap-municipal-boundary-changes-after-greenbelt-scandal/article_fcd6f9f8-b8a7-5787-b0f6-05064ebf9e8e.html">https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-government-to-scrap-municipal-boundary-changes-after-greenbelt-scandal/article_fcd6f9f8-b8a7-5787-b0f6-05064ebf9e8e.html</a></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Record - “Thanks A Lot For Wasting A Year Of Our Time”:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/thanks-a-lot-for-wasting-a-year-of-our-time-province-to-reverse-changes-it/article_bccd5b14-2d48-5abc-a6c3-dd5ef537579a.html">https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/thanks-a-lot-for-wasting-a-year-of-our-time-province-to-reverse-changes-it/article_bccd5b14-2d48-5abc-a6c3-dd5ef537579a.html</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>It may have been two different legal actions by Ecojustice against the Forced Boundary Expansions that helped the government realize the need to reverse course:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Ecojustice Statement On Boundary Expansion Reversal Announcement:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><a href="https://ecojustice.ca/news/ecojustice-statement-on-boundary-expansion-reversal-announcement/">https://ecojustice.ca/news/ecojustice-statement-on-boundary-expansion-reversal-announcement/</a></div><div><br></div><div>Official Provincial Release From Minister Calandra:</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/statement/1003689/ontario-winding-back-changes-to-official-plans">https://news.ontario.ca/en/statement/1003689/ontario-winding-back-changes-to-official-plans</a></div><div><br></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Next Steps:</b></div><div><br></div><div>The impacted municipalities now have 45 days to respond to the Minister. This should be a very easy process as we already have spent several years working on the Official Plans that we need for the next 30 years and these long-term community plans were just overwhelmingly approved by our municipal and regional councils in the summer of 2022. Millions of taxpayer dollars have been invested in these plans that included input from thousands of citizens, businesses, and organizations throughout our communities. These are the visionary, sustainable plans for the future with complete, walkable communities, affordable housing, the missing middle, improved public transit, and stronger environmental protections we will need to succeed in the future.</div><div><br></div><div>Karen Redman, Chair of the Region of Waterloo has committed to responding to the province within 45 days while Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie said he was beyond upset and blasted the province for “wasting a year of time, and for nothing.”</div><div><br></div><div>The pressure from developers and land speculators will be intense over the weeks ahead to get these local Official Plans changed to promote urban sprawl on the specific lands they own and we will need to continue to speak up loud and clear for the sustainable future that we want to see. </div><div><br></div><div>Join us on our regular bi-weekly group Zoom call this Friday, October 27th at 5:30pm to discuss things further (<a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09">https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82644695701?pwd=bnRsUGtWSUcrRnFWR21uYVBISG9jZz09</a>) and please reach out to your local Councillors to urge them to support our visionary, sustainable Official Plans already approved in summer of 2022.</div><div><br></div><div>Minister Calandra also hinted that some recent Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZO’s) may be revisited. Now that the government has admitted their approach to housing policy has failed as we never had a shortage of land designated for development, we need to fight to get the Conservation Authority changes and orders to sell off Conservation Authority lands reversed as well.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div>Congratulations! Once again by working together with citizens and groups across our municipalities along with other groups in communities across the province we have accomplished what many said was impossible!</div><div><br></div><div><span style="caret-color: rgb(38, 40, 42); color: rgb(38, 40, 42);">Cheers!</span></div><div><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div id="ydp9fa07544yiv0892781770yqtfd24641" class="ydp9fa07544yiv0892781770yqt1303954863"><div dir="ltr"><div style="caret-color: rgb(38, 40, 42); color: rgb(38, 40, 42);">Kevin Thomason and Mike Marcolongo on behalf of all our community groups.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><div>---------------------------------------</div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>The Narwhal, October 23, 2023:</b></span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="layout__default popup-hide-subscribe" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: rgb(33, 37, 41); font-family: museo-sans, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div id="fade-start" class="single__container" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; padding-top: 40px;"><div class="container" style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 960px; padding-right: 15px; padding-left: 15px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; max-width: 960px;"><div class="row justify-content-center" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-right: -15px; margin-left: -15px; justify-content: center !important;"><div class="col-md-10 col-lg-8 article__col" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 639.984375px; min-height: 1px; padding-right: 15px; padding-left: 15px; flex: 0 0 66.666664%; max-width: 66.666664%;"><div class="single__title" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><h1 class="intro__headline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; font-family: "Quarto A", "Quarto B", Times, serif; line-height: 50px; color: rgb(62, 60, 57); font-size: 48px;">Thousands of hectares of Ontario farmland won’t be developed after Ford government backs down</h1><div class="intro__lead" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: museo-sans, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; color: rgb(62, 60, 57); line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 25px; margin-top: 20px;">Housing Minister Paul Calandra said decisions to impose sprawl on 10 municipalities including Hamilton, Waterloo and Ottawa weren’t made “in a manner that maintains and reinforces public trust”</div></div></div><div class="col-md-10 col-lg-8 article__col" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 639.984375px; min-height: 1px; padding-right: 15px; padding-left: 15px; flex: 0 0 66.666664%; max-width: 66.666664%;"><div class="article-byline d-flex" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding-bottom: 15px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 219, 218); display: flex !important;"><div class="article-byline__avatar" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/author/emma-mcintosh/" class="article__author-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(255, 68, 56); text-decoration: none;"></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>