RE: Draft Guidance to…

RE: Draft Guidance to Support the Implementation of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2017
The Municipal Comprehensive Review Process

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Guidance to Support the Implementation of the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2017 as it deals with The Municipal Comprehensive Review Process document, dated March 2018. Staff from the City of Vaughan Policy Planning and Environmental Sustainability Department offer the following comments:

Section 3.5.2 Settlement Area Boundary Expansions

It is the City’s understanding that upper-tier municipalities will determine settlement area boundary expansions as part of their work program for the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR). Greater clarity should be provided in the document as to the the role Local Municipalities have in this decision-making process. Specifically, it is unclear as to what technical studies are required from the City to support elements such as Watershed and Subwatershed Planning.

Section 4.2 Duty to Consult with First Nations and Metis Communities

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs should consider developing guidance documents or a consultation protocol for municipalities on First Nations and Metis communities Engagement under the Planning Act and/ or MCR Process. In particular, guidance would be useful on combining MCR and Official Plan Review efforts at the lower-tier level to engage Indigenous communities.

Funding

The Province should consider providing financial support to municipalities to assist and implement Watershed/Subwatershed planning and Indigenous Engagement to ensure the intent of the policies are achieved in a consistent manner.

Thank you again for the opportunity to comment on this document. We appreciate the opportunity to be involved in the development of these important Provincial initiatives.