Thank you for this…

Thank you for this opportunity, I am writing to express my concern about the proposed changes to the Ontario Heritage Act and the proposed Bill 23.
Safe and affordable housing for all Ontarians should be a priority, and I applaud the province for recognizing and moving rapidly to address this crisis with the Housing Affordability Task Force. However, I do not support the scope and speed at which these proposed changes are occurring, nor the lack of sufficient consultation with key stakeholders in municipalities or in environmental, cultural and heritage industries.
The scope of the proposed changes to the Heritage Act and Bill 23 is so extensive that conservation authorities, associations and societies across the province, from the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, the Ontario Historical Society, Ontario Archaeological Society, Ontario Heritage Professionals, Shared Path Consultation Initiative, to concerned citizens have publically expressed their strong opposition. They speak far more eloquently than I can about their concerns for how these proposed changes will impact their sectors, but what is clear from all of these statements is that there has been insufficient time and consultation with those who will be impacted. These proposed changes to the Heritage Act and proposed Bill 23 must be halted until this can happen.