As an Ontarian and…

As an Ontarian and Constituent of Halton Region, I write to add my FULL SUPPORT to the Regional Municipality of Halton's Regional Official Plan Amendment 49, containing new policies to healthfully and sustainably guide growth and development within this region to 2051.

Given my RESPECT and SUPPORT for the way Halton Region thoughtfully and purposefully created this Plan Amendment, in accordance with all provincial policies, I am now APPALLED to learn of the recent ALARMING and ANTI-DEMOCRATIC actions by the Ontario Government under Premier Ford ~

#1. Hurriedly pushing through Bill 109, with NO public consultation, which includes a formal provision allowing the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to refer Official Plan Amendments to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) if the Minister is not satisfied with the submission.

This is an unacceptable shift from the long-standing process whereby provincial and municipal planning staff work collaboratively to achieve consensus on Official Plan submissions. Simply pitching submissions to an arbitrator that allows a single individual the authority to accept or deny Official Plans converts municipal planning to an adversarial process that will unnecessarily cost municipal taxpayers millions of dollars.

The Ontario Government is using a self-serving piece of legislation, rammed through parliament without public consultation, to further suburban sprawl.

#2. Using Schedule 5 of Bill 109 to provide new discretionary authority for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to "suspend the time period to make a decision on official plans and official plan amendments", as written by Minister Clark to Halton Region in his letter of September 12, 2022.

The two reasons cited in the letter in support of the suspension suggest that Halton's ROPA49 would impede timely zoning and approvals of site plans, thus require the Province to step in to expedite and implement priority projects. In other words, the Province will not accept the democratically approved, no urban expansion plan from the Region of Halton (or Hamilton, the council of which received an identical letter).

This is a clear example of the Province by-passing democracy when it doesn't produce, or may interfere with, the desired action.

I am EXTREMELY concerned about these examples of the autocratic behaviour of the current government and where this will lead the citizens and lands of the province of Ontario.

I STRONGLY URGE our Ontario Government to stay clearly within the lines of democratic process and respect in ALL ways for ALL matters our people and our province face.