<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div>Good Day,</div><div><br></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">News, efforts, and activities continue on numerous issues:</span></div><div><br></div><div><b>1) “Get It Done Act Coming” - </b>yes, brace yourself. Last Friday evening, the Narwhal broke the news that the Ontario Government is looking at more changes to environmental laws. Another omnibus bill (remember Bill 23) is in the works to build infrastructure and housing faster (code word for unleashing more sprawl). The Narwhal in reviewing internal government documents identified that the new legislation will likely include new tools for the government to expropriate land for major infrastructure projects by further weakening Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act.</div><div><br></div><div>The Narwhal - Ontario Expropriation Land Bill:</div><div><div style="display: block;" class=""> https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-expropriation-land-bill/</div></div><div style="display: block;" class=""><br></div><div style="display: block;" class="">You can check out the media advisory by Environmental Defence:</div><div style="display: block;" class=""> https://envrionmentaldefence.ca/2024/02/05/statement-the-ontarion-governments-so-called-get-it-done-bill-would-revive-the-sprawl-and-land-speculation-scandal/</div><div style="display: block;" class=""><br></div><div style="display: block;" class=""><br></div><div style="display: block;" class=""><b>2) Provincial Cabinet Minister Mandate Letters</b> - Unfortunately, in a case fought all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada Doug Ford’s government scored a victory after losing two lower court cases. The Supreme Court ruled that the public apparently does not have the right to know what the Premier has tasked his Ministers to undertake in these mandates letters that set out what the Premier wants each Ministry to accomplish in the years ahead. Thankfully, someone within the government had already leaked the mandate letters earlier in the year so Ford’s secret instructions had already been exposed however, it is an unfortunate decision will limit accountability and the public’s right to know what the Premier is ordering Ministers to do.</div><div> </div><div>TVO - The Supreme Court Has Handed Ford A Win On Mandate Letters But The Fight Shouldn’t End Here:</div><a href="https://www.tvo.org/article/the-supreme-court-has-handed-ford-a-win-on-mandate-letters-but-the-fight-shouldnt-end-here">https://www.tvo.org/article/the-supreme-court-has-handed-ford-a-win-on-mandate-letters-but-the-fight-shouldnt-end-here</a><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>3) Schneider’s Land Donation Update </b>- The hundreds of acres of land that the Schneider family wants to donate to the rare Charitable Land Trust continues to be in the news as hundreds of citizens and groups have answered the family’s request for help by writing Wilmot Township Council and Staff. There is a Staff Report apparently being drafted that we hope will provide a better understanding of how the township arrived at their demands for a 12 car parking lot and hopefully provide a variety of potential alternative solutions. It increasingly appears that the Township is demanding something that simply can’t be done without significant environmental impacts and destruction that other jurisdictions will not likely permit - leaving this incredible land donation in jeopardy.</div><div><br></div><div>The report is expected to be released in the Council package Friday in advance of Monday’s Council Meeting and <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">just before our</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span><span dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">5:30pm</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> Friday </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Zoom call where we will be able to discuss things in more detail.</span> Please continue to speak up and do all that you can to help ensure that this incredible donation of these spectacular environmentally sensitive lands that are a jewel atop the Waterloo Moraine succeeds.</div><div><br></div><div>The Record - Schneider Lands Is About More Than A Parking Lot - The Case for Protection:</div><div><a href="https://www.therecord.com/opinion/contributors/schneider-lands-this-is-about-more-than-a-parking-lot-the-case-for-protection/article_7748c13b-8c03-580e-a3c8-f7fe3df25e53.html?source=newsletter&utm_content=a06&utm_source=ml_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=2DF5A405D6082D2C0C4FDB5202BCAE69&utm_campaign=wrha_168375">https://www.therecord.com/opinion/contributors/schneider-lands-this-is-about-more-than-a-parking-lot-the-case-for-protection/article_7748c13b-8c03-580e-a3c8-f7fe3df25e53.html</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>4) Bill 109 Failing As Well</b> - Another Ford disaster is unfolding as developers are claiming that Bill 109, which was rammed through the legislature last year with almost no consultation, is actually slowing down the new home construction it was supposed to be speeding up by the removal of “red tape” and other so called barriers that in reality are important aspects of good planning. Even Minister Paul Calandra admits the bill is not achieving what had been hoped and there are multiple cases against GTA municipalities from developers are before the OLT regarding numerous aspects of this bill.</div><div><br></div><div>The Toronto Star - Doug Ford Planning Rules Are Actually Slowing Down Construction Says Builders:</div><div><a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/doug-ford-new-planning-rule-actually-slowing-housing-construction-say-builders/article_7e0da3a0-bf35-11ee-b24a-9b57fa95c49b.html">https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/doug-ford-new-planning-rule-actually-slowing-housing-construction-say-builders/article_7e0da3a0-bf35-11ee-b24a-9b57fa95c49b.html</a><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div dir="auto" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; 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;"><b>5) Recent Media</b> - Current news articles include DRAP Greenbelt protections, home affordability and efforts to reduce SUV carbon impacts:</div><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div><br></div><div>DurhamRegion.com - Stop Sprawl Durham Raising Awareness That Not All Greenbelt Protections Have Been Returned:</div><div><div style="display: block;" class=""><div style="-webkit-user-select: all; -webkit-user-drag: element; display: inline-block;" class="apple-rich-link" draggable="true" role="link" data-url="https://www.durhamregion.com/news/greenbelt-lands-returned-but-advocates-want-all-protections-reinstated-for-pickerings-duffins-rouge-agricultural-preserve/article_abc22f9e-adf0-5ac0-8cf1-e2f2d4e55f0f.html"><a style="border-radius:10px;font-family:-apple-system, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;display:block;-webkit-user-select:none;width:300px;user-select:none;-webkit-user-modify:read-only;user-modify:read-only;overflow:hidden;text-decoration:none;" class="lp-rich-link" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.durhamregion.com/news/greenbelt-lands-returned-but-advocates-want-all-protections-reinstated-for-pickerings-duffins-rouge-agricultural-preserve/article_abc22f9e-adf0-5ac0-8cf1-e2f2d4e55f0f.html" dir="ltr" role="button" draggable="false" width="300"><table style="table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:collapse;width:300px;background-color:#E9E9EB;font-family:-apple-system, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;" class="lp-rich-link-emailBaseTable" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="300"><tbody><tr><td vertical-align="center" align="center"></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>