Michael Helfinger Senior…

Michael Helfinger
Senior Policy Advisor
Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
Business Climate and Funding Administration Division
Policy Coordination and Business Climate Branch
900 Bay Street, Hearst Block 7th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2E1

Dear Mr. Helfinger,

RE: 013-4293 Bill 66: Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018; 013-4125 Proposed open-for-business planning tool; 013-4239 New Regulation under the Planning Act for open-for-business planning tool

I strongly support the submissions made by Ontario Nature, Environmental Defence, Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition and other organizations in opposition to Bill 66 and these regulations. I have attached links to some of these submissions below.

I am appalled that a municipal Council would be empowered to pass an "Open For Business By-law" without any notice, public consultation or public appeal process.

Further, It is completely unconscionable that such a by-law could exempt some development proposal (for the promise of as little as 50 jobs!) from meeting the legitimate planning and environmental requirements of The Planning Act, including local and upper tier Official Plans, local zoning by-laws, the Provincial Policy Statement for Land Use Planning, the Growth Plan, the Greenbelt Act, the Great Lakes Protection Act, the Clean Water Act, the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, the Oak Ridges Moraine Protection Act, etc. which are listed in Schedule 10 of Bill 66.

The repeal of the Toxics Reduction Act is another totally wrong-headed part of Bill 66.

I have practiced as a land use planner in Ontario since 1970 and have never witnessed such an assault on legitimate planning and environmental legislation and regulation as is proposed in Bill 66.

I strongly urge the Government to withdraw Bill 66 immediately.