[GREN-Exec] Update - Preliminary Community Meeting Re: Bill 66

[Kevin Thomason]

Hi folks,

Below is the e-mail that Laura sent out to a broad array of community groups this morning.  There has been a strong response with over a dozen groups confirming already.  She has also been able to secure a meeting room at CIGI for 7:00pm on Tuesday, December 18th for the meeting for a delegate from each group to attend and start to plan the larger meeting we will have in January on Bill 66 and just how we will approach area Councils.

It is fantastic to see this come together so quickly.

The Greenbelt Foundation Growing the Greenbelt Group call went well this morning with dozens of people on the call from groups across the province.  There are many efforts underway to meet with government, MPPs, local politicians, inform the public, work with the media and share materials for distribution.  I will share materials and information as I receive it.

There is going to be another excellent indepth article on the concerns about Bill 66 in The Record tomorrow.  You can read it now to see the perspective of many key local politicians at:

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/9080434-proposed-bill-could-lead-to-policy-patchwork-in-ontario-endangering-environmental-protections-and-public-health/ <https://www.therecord.com/news-story/9080434-proposed-bill-could-lead-to-policy-patchwork-in-ontario-endangering-environmental-protections-and-public-health/>

Please share any ideas and I’ll keep you posted as things continue to develop.

Kevin.

-------------------------------------

Kevin Thomason

1115 Cedar Grove Road
Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4

Phone: (519) 888-0519
Mobile Phone/WhatsApp: (519) 240-1648
Twitter: @kthomason
E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com

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> 
> Good morning everyone.
> 
> I hope this finds you all well.  I'm writing with some urgency today as we have very little time to mobilize resistance to Bill 66, known as Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act.  I have included more information about this Bill below.  I'm supporting GREN in this effort, GREN is plugged into the broader movement organizing across the province.
> 
> We are planning a preliminary meeting next Tuesday December 18th at 7pm (location to be determined) to discuss the environmental implications of this legislation and to plan next steps for January.  I'm inviting you to attend this meeting because of the good work we have accomplished together in the past, either personally or with representatives from your organization.
> 
> Please let me know if you or someone else from your organization are interested and able to attend. Thanks!  Please extend this invitation to others whom you feel would be interested and able to support our efforts. 
> 
> I apologize for the short notice and appreciate the difficulty of this request coming so close to the holidays.   Our next meeting in January will be on Thursday the 3rd.  Consultation closes on January 28th, so we really cannot delay. 
> 
> In peace, and with respect,
> 
> laura
> 
> Laura Hamilton
> 
> Divest Waterloo  <http://divestwaterloo.ca/>
> Background on Bill 66
> 
> "Last week, the Doug Ford government introduced Bill 66, known as "Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act."  Among its targets is the Greenbelt Act.  Bill 66 would allow municipalities to circumvent Greenbelt protections by enacting "Open for Business" bylaws under which they could approve factories and business parks within the Greenbelt.  Smaller municipalities (under 250,000) would simply need to show the Ford government that their Greenbelt development would create 50 jobs.  For larger cities the requirement would be 100 jobs."
> 
> "Related measures in Bill 66 would empower municipalities to exempt developers rules designed to protect wildlife and municipal water supplies, including the Clean Water Act, which was enacted following the Walkerton water tragedy in 2000 when seven people died after drinking the town's contaminated water."
>  
> Geoffrey Stevens, The Record Dec 10/18
>  
> Other Acts targeted by the Ford government in the astonishing broad scope of Bill 66 include the Toxins Reduction Act, the Great Lakes Protection Act, the Oak Ridges Moraine Act, the Places to Grow Act, the Lake Simcoe Protection Act and numerous other protections that help to ensure the safety and quality of life for millions of Ontarians.
>  
> Bill 66 if approved could destroy our environmental regulations, contaminate our drinking water and circumvent good planning by haphazardly opening up farmland and natural areas for development with no requirement for public meetings or communications and no opportunity for appeal to any decisions.  
>  
> It is a reckless bill to enhance the profits of only a few large businesses and corporations who would bypass important rules and safely regulations at a huge cost to every Ontarian.
>  
> We have just 42 days to stop this major threat to public safety, our environment, and natural resources we all depend on before the Ford government will attempt to approve this Bill.  It is been called the biggest and most significant environmental rollback in a generation and we need to act now to mobilize as a community and kill Bill 66.
>  
> Toronto Star: Tories' Bill 66 would undermine clean-water protections that followed  <https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2018/12/09/tories-bill-66-would-undermine-clean-water-protections-that-followed-walkerton-tragedy-victims-and-advocates-warn.html>
>  
> CBC: Hamilton and Burlington mayors won't sacrifice greenbelt for Ford's open for business bill. <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-bill-66-1.4939902>
>  
> Globe and Mail:  Ontario bill would open up Greenbelt, activists warn <https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-bill-would-open-up-greenbelt-activists-warn/>
> Canadian Labour and Employment Law: Ontario's War on "Red Tape" Continues <https://www.labourandemploymentlaw.com/2018/12/ontarios-war-on-red-tape-continues-pcs-table-bill-66/>
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