August 4, 2023 ERO Number:…

August 4, 2023

ERO Number: 019-6813
Submitted to: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Submitted by: Town of Caledon, Business Attraction & Investment Division
Community Services Department

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on behalf of the Business Attraction and Investment Division of the Town of Caledon for the proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement and Bill 97. To assist Caledon with preparing for significant future population and employment growth, please consider the following:

EMPLOYMENT
Two of the key industrial sectors for the Town of Caledon are advanced manufacturing and food and beverage processing. We consider the uses associated with this sector as sensitive land uses which has not been specifically identified or included in the PPS, 2020 or within the proposes Provincial Planning Statement. The manufacturing and warehousing of these products require protection from neighbouring employment use contamination. The official plan designations, zoning by-laws and the Ontario Land Tribunal have not been effective in protecting these manufacturers from incompatible uses from locating beside them. We are concerned and would request that amendments be made within the proposed Provincial Planning Statement to amend and not remove the wording as was included within section 1.3.2.2. from the existing PPS, 2020 policy requiring separation or mitigation from sensitive land uses (including sensitive manufacturing operations) within employment areas planned for industrial and manufacturing uses.

Within the current Section 1.3.2.5 of the PPS and the concept of provincially significant employment zones, it would be beneficial for the Town of Caledon to have additional protection for employment areas. The Town of Caledon experienced a significant amount of warehouse and logistics development which has limited job density and opportunities for economic diversification in priority sectors, for example advanced manufacturing. Having some form of Provincial land use protection or policy mechanism to promote investment from sectors deemed a priority for the municipality and province would be extremely helpful for in ensuring the long-term viability of local economies.

EMPLOYMENT AREAS
Section 2.8.2 Employment Areas prohibits the opportunity for major standalone office development to locate within employment areas. Although office demand has decreased since the pandemic, it is difficult to predict with certainty future demands for employment land uses. We request the following content removed from Section 2.8.2 to ensure the Provincial Policy Statement allows for future shifts in employment demand:

b) prohibiting residential uses, commercial uses, public service facilities and other institutional uses;
c) prohibiting retail and office uses that are not associated with the primary employment use;
 
RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL AREAS
The Town of Caledon’s Business Attraction and Investment Division has identified agriculture and food production as key industrial sectors. Caledon’s farm and agricultural businesses rely on the protection of its prime agricultural lands and the connectivity between the agricultural areas.

The Division is supportive of municipal comprehensive review processes that increase the density of residential development within our urban settlement areas and create jobs within our employment areas. To ensure agricultural systems are protected from negative impacts, the Division is not supportive of section 4.3.3 within the Proposed Provincial Planning Statement, 2023 and the additional creation of residential lots in agricultural areas. This policy would have an extremely negative impact on the current agricultural land base and the ability for farms to exist. Agricultural land must be recognized as a finite resource that is to be protected and preserved for present and future food production. The potential for agricultural lands to be severed into 3 additional lots, would be detrimental to food production in Ontario. Any increase of lots within a concession block will result in issues with trespass, nutrient application, odor, sound and sight complaints for present and future farm operations.

The Town of Caledon’s Business Attraction and Investment Division supports the continuation of the Agricultural Systems Mapping and the approach to be required rather than encouraged for all municipalities as per 4.3.1.1.

The Town of Caledon’s Business Attraction and Investment Division has identified tourism as one of its key sectors. As such, the Town is supportive of Section 2.5 Rural Areas in Municipalities,

1. e) promoting diversification of the economic base and employment opportunities through goods and services, including value-added products and the sustainable management or use of resources;

f) providing opportunities for sustainable and diversified tourism, including leveraging historical, cultural, and natural assets;

Caledon’s main assets are its unique rural and agricultural characteristics. To ensure the long-term viability of this sector we ask that the Province ensure the long-term protection of the lands within the Greenbelt, Oak Ridges Moraine and Niagara Escarpment Plan areas. It is critical that policies and actions are in place for the conservation of our environmental, rural and agricultural areas to support the Town’s Corporate Vision to offer the best of rural and urban life for everyone.