The following letter to the…

The following letter to the Chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara and Council, reflects the views of The Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) on Bill 66 Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act 2018

January 15, 2019
Regional Municipality of Niagara
1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way
Thorold, Ontario L2V 4T7

Dear Regional Chair Bradley and Council

As the oldest farmland preservation group in Canada, and credited in the Provincial Legislature for being the impetus behind the establishment of the Greenbelt land use protections, the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) firmly opposes the Ministry of Municipal Affairs’ proposed Bill 66 “ Open For Business Act .

Therefore, we call upon the Regional Municipality of Niagara to let the Government of Ontario know that our Niagara’s Greenbelt tender fruit and grape lands and other prime farm lands should not be “ open for business” other than that of tender fruit and grape , cash crops and other farming and farm-related uses.

While PALS knows that Bill 66 refers to commercial development, history tells us that this will bring with it sewer, water, and road extensions, which in turn use good farmland and put pressure on nearby farmlands and farming.

Additionally, developers, emboldened by the proposed “Open for Business “ local municipal council zoning powers, which under Bill 66 can by-pass Regional planning policies and processes, are bound to press for urban expansions into the unique and threatened tender fruit and grape lands . This is particularly important as the Region moves further along in the development of its new Official Plan.

We would add, that If lower-tier municipalities take advantage of Bill 66, and side-step good planning, by shutting out public input and ignoring important Regional planning and other protective Provincial Legislation such as the Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Protection Act, Greenbelt Act, and Places to Grow Act, they will put at risk fruit lands, prime farmlands, water resources, environmentally sensitive areas and air quality in Niagara , which we all, urban or rural, rely on . Therefore, PALS will also urge Niagara’s 12 lower- tier municipalities to go on record, that they will not use these re-zoning powers during their terms of office should Bill 66 be approved .