Bill 66 is extremely short…

Bill 66 is extremely short sighted for many reasons, but particularly to the Cultural Heritage Sector.
Culture and heritage are important parts of any society, that build us up together. Having a strong foundation, makes for a great structure. To cut culture for short sighted business reasons would plunge us into a darkness, by destroying history before we get a chance to study and preserve it. Once this knowledge is wiped away, it is gone forever. We cant allow politicians who are here for such a short period, to make such long lasting decisions that will destroy our cultural knowledge forever.

Ontario has a rich history of occupation that dates back more than 12,000 years. The archaeological assessments completed each year in advance of development help fill in the gaps in the story of our Province, Indigenous Peoples and more recent settlers. Archaeology gives a voice to many who have
been written out of the history of our Province. Indigenous and descendant community participation in the process of archaeological investigation has recently amplified that voice. Bill 66 threatens to allow municipalities to opt out of provisions within the
Planning Act, including the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) which require many of the assessments that are completed.
Under Bill 66, a municipality will be able to circumvent Subsection 3(5) and Section 24 of the Planning Act which give authority to the Provincial Policy Statement (2014) and Official Plan requirements respectively. The protection of heritage is a mandatory provincial interest under the Ontario
Heritage Act, not a decision of convenience at a municipal level. Bill 66 needs to be amended to restore the requirements that protect our heritage for the generations to come.