Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback the proposed regulation to update the existing environmental assessment process for the Ministry of Transportation's GTA West Transportation Corridor. Planning and Transportation staff have worked in collaboration to prepare comments outlined in the attached memorandum as the proposed regulation has potential transportation, land use and economic development implications.

Town of Halton Hills Comments

• The Town supports efforts by the Ministry to streamline the EA process to reduce duplication, avoid delays and shorten the project schedule, while maintaining environmental considerations. In the Town, key employment lands which are strategically located with convenient access to Highways 401 and 407 and in proximity to major shipping hubs, are currently under corridor protection policies. The Town appreciates the effort to expedite the process so that development and economic investment can proceed on those key employment lands located outside of the GTA West corridor.
• The Town continues to advocate that the appropriate planning, scheduling work and coordination between GTA West and NWGTA/IESO Transmission Corridor teams take place to establish more definite timelines for the release of the lands located outside of the Focused Analysis Area. The Town's Premier Gateway Employment lands are strategically located along the Hwy 401/ Hwy 407 Corridor. The lands have been identified by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) as a Provincially Significant Employment Zone (PSEZ), which emphasizes their key role in helping drive job growth and prosperity across the region.
• The removal of corridor protection policies from key employment lands along the Hwy 401 /407 Corridor is imperative to expedite development and economic recovery. The Town looks forward to the confirmation of the Technically Preferred Route which was expected in the Spring of 2020. Any further delays in confirming land needs for this and other provincial studies impacting lands in the Premier Gateway will have substantially negative impacts on the Town's economy and finances, with associated negative impacts on the broader region due to delays in economic development.
• With respect to the regulations proposed for the new streamlined process, Town staff believe that the addendum process for both the Early Works Report and Environmental Impact Assessment Report to deal with any changes to the
project that were not included in the original reports, should define minor changes which can proceed without further consultation. It is imperative that local municipalities are consulted on any changes that could potentially impact local plans and priorities.
• Currently, the Town is part of the GTA West Municipal Advisory Group (MAG). It is the expectation of the Town that the MAG will continue to operate as a forum for engaging municipalities through the proposed Environmental Assessment streamlined process.