Re: Review of proposed…

Re: Review of proposed policies adapted from "A Place to Grow" and "Provincial Policy Statement" to form a new provincial-planning policy instrument (ERO # 019-6813).

I am writing to express my strong opposition to proposed policies from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing regarding an “integrated, province-wide, land-use, policy-planning document” that was developed to achieve provincial housing objectives. The proposed “Provincial Planning Statement” (which takes information from the “Provincial Policy Statement” and “A Place To Grow”) would accelerate urban sprawl and the ongoing loss of farmland and natural areas throughout Ontario – particularly in the “Greenbelt” area of the province.

A lack of land is not the cause of Ontario’s housing shortage, as noted by the Housing Affordability Task Force in 2022 (p. 10): “Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts. … Most of the solution must come from densification. Greenbelts and other environmentally sensitive areas must be protected, and farms provide food and food security. Relying too heavily on undeveloped land would whittle away too much of the already small share of land devoted to agriculture.”

It is time to listen to the experts, who have shown that the amount of land already designated for development far exceeds what is needed to meet long-term, affordable housing targets. The following proposed policy changes are NOT acceptable:

• eliminating mandatory intensification and greenfield density targets that were designed to reduce urban sprawl;

• allowing municipalities to expand settlement areas at any time, without a comprehensive review of infrastructure needs or potential impacts on farmland and natural areas;

• forcing municipalities to allow three lots to be severed from every farm, even in prime agricultural areas;

• exempting lands that are the subject of “Minister’s Zoning Orders” from complying with provincial policies and official plans;

• removing the requirement for municipalities to undertake watershed planning; and,

• weakening and eliminating policies intended to address climate change.

Ontario is losing farmland at a rate of approximately 319 acres per day. In addition, many wildlife species in the province have been very negatively affected by habitat losses – including those created by urban sprawl. The proposed new policies will make matters much worse and will be detrimental for the lands and waterbodies that sustain both human and animal populations.

Unchecked urban development will not solve current housing needs, as your government suggests. I urge you to retain all “Provincial Policy Statement” and “A Place To Grow” policies that have been designed to curb sprawl, and to protect farmland and natural areas.