Re: Bill 66 Object to this…

Re: Bill 66
Object to this bill, especially Schedule 10. This bill has been described as an MZO on steroids. Question why any Provincial government would give any municipality the option/chance to override fundamentally important protections for the citizens of Ontario. Source Water Protection should never be negotiable. This bill does not give governments "tools" for planning, but rather opens the door to increasing interference with and eroding of regulatory protection. Once one concession occurs, it is a slippery slope to more. This can be seem now with amendments to Official Plans and past OMB hearings. Future proponents claim precedence. It would be chipping away vital protections. The Greenbelt Act protects from this happening. The argument that room is needed for growth is also a non-starter as there are ample white lands available. Any specific complaints about existing approval processes with NEC etc. could be addressed and remedied, rather than be swept up in a nebulous, omnibus bill with such sinister undertones. Some municipalities were not sure if the "opted out" whether the Province could override their decision. Also, even if a current government "opted out" there was nothing to stop future ones from implementing Bill 66, or from a future turned down proponent appealing directly to the province. The bill subverts regional government and puts too much power in the hands of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The Greenbelt has been described as the heart and lungs of southern Ontario. Along with the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Lake Simcoe watershed hundreds of thousands of people rely on it for their drinking water. It is a source of vast tourist, recreation and farm income for municipalities and by extension, the province. It mitigates climate extremes, protecting against flooding and drought.
Governments of all levels should also bear in mind that in the late 1990's, cutbacks in the name of efficiency and red tape reduction produced one of the greatest tragedies Ontario has seen; Walkerton. The Conservative Mike Harris government was blamed for not regulating water quality and not enforcing guidelines put in place after water testing was privatized in October 1996 to save money and reduce regulation. Key recommendations of the Walkerton Commission were Source Water Protection and a multi barrier approach. The Clean Water Act, Great Lakes Protection Act, The Greenbelt Act, Lake Simcoe Protection Act, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act can all be considered a legacy of that tragedy. Make no mistake, Bill 66 is a direct threat to these safeguards.
The final problem with Bill 66 is the total lack of transparency and public consultation. The public has no right, and no say in any matter passed under this bill. One would only find out after the fact, and there is no appeal. THIS IS NOT DEMOCRACY. At a recent Town Council, there was a public consultation regarding an Official Plan amendment that would allow an asphalt plant. It may have been a noisy, sometimes tedious affair, but, it was a vital, fundamental right for the public to know and be heard. It is already too easy to amend an "Official" Plan; there sometimes seems to be very little "official" about them. Acts, like the Greenbelt Act prevent this undermining. Imagine how it would be under Bill 66? A very frightening thought.