Bill 23 is the most…

Bill 23 is the most atrocious and disgusting attempt I have seen by this or any other provincial government to erase huge swathes of legislation put in place to protect Ontarians. The Bill would completely rewrite the script in terms of how development goes ahead in this province, handing the majority of the power to developers and taking it away from citizens and municipalities, while at the same time axing development charges and shifting costs from developers onto ordinary people. Outside of the development community there is little to no support from any organizations for Bill 23, no matter what interests they represent. Environmental groups strongly oppose it, as the Bill will pave over 7,400 acres of greenbelt and all but erase the power of conservation authorities anywhere in the province to ensure that development is done in a manner that protects vital natural resources, habitat and farmlands and safeguards against increasing flood risks. Greenbelts were established around urban centres across the globe for very good reasons - they are vital to providing clean water, flood control and ecosystem services on which cities depend. The last time Ford tried to chip away at the greenbelt the public pushed back hard, and we need to do it again; if anything the need to protect these lands is even more apparent now, as the climate and ecological emergency accelerates and threatens our health, safety and stability. Municipalities are also very concerned about Bill 23. The Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) described in a statement the profound negative impacts the Bill is likely to have at a local level, as it reduces municipalities’ ability to consult with the public and develop in a way that is appropriate for their constituency, and it shifts costs from developers to municipalities, which will inevitably need to recover the costs through a rise in municipal taxes. Despite the transition period councils are in, many of them, including our neighbours in Collingwood, have organized a response in opposition to the Bill, and we must urge Clearview Council to do the same. Perhaps most ironically, housing associations and affordable housing charities are also speaking out against the Bill because it appears that it will actually exacerbate the affordable housing crisis by limiting affordable housing requirements.in new developments to a maximum five per cent. This will make it much harder for municipalities to address the housing needs of their citizens through the provision of affordable housing options. For example, Ottawa was looking to pass a bylaw requiring that a minimum 10 per cent of new rental units available near transit stations be offered as affordable housing, but this would not be permitted under Bill 23. So yes, there will be more homes, but who will be able to afford them? To solve the housing crisis requires creative urban densification projects and well-planned, well-connected communities with an adequate provision for affordable housing and greenspace, not more poorly planned, hastily-built, disconnected sprawl. Bill 23 is nothing but a sweeping attempt by the Ford government to take the power to influence local development away from local people and put it into the hands of the provincial government and the developers whose interests they have long favoured over those of citizens.It is a slap in the face of our children when they most need us to stand up and protect them against accelerating damage to their planet and their futures, and I for one am so devastatingly tired of my children’s futures being hung out to dry by the ill-conceived decisions of adults who are at best short-sighted and at worst downright corrupt.
VOTE NO AGAINST BILL 23