The Government of Ontario's…

The Government of Ontario's proposed changes to the Ontario Heritage Act contained in Schedule 11 of Bill 108 have been developed without adequate participation of Ontario's cultural heritage sector and are seriously flawed. Schedule 11 should be withdrawn from the Bill and a targeted consultation process be undertaken to address any changes to the Ontario Heritage Act approval processes. Furthermore, I have been told by the president of a local chapter of Architectural Conservancy Ontario that the proposed changes directly threaten the present allocations of green space.

Although there is no question that more homes must be constructed to accommodate Ontario's burgeoning population, the way to address this growth is to build in existing urban areas and to redevelop suitable existing lands. This should not be at the expense of the Ontario Heritage Act, which is based on perfectly sound policies and presently protects our built and natural heritage.

This is another instance of the Ford government rushing changes that have not been adequately considered and that should involve consultation with professionals and stakeholders rather than being top-down directives that eerily echo misguided and disastrous policies south of the border .