Bill 66, Restoring Ontario's…

Bill 66, Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act, 2018 is aimed at increasing employment by cutting red tape - eliminating redundant regulations. This bill contains two Schedules, 5 and 10, that will needlessly bypass or eliminate critical regulations and put public health and safety at risk. Schedule 10 will result in expensive sprawl, harm to wildlife and sensitive ecosystems and the reduction of public participation in the planning process.

Regulations that protect public health and safety and our natural environment are not red tape.

For nearly two years, Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) represented the Concerned Walkerton Citizens at the Public Inquiry investigating that Ontario community's tainted water tragedy. It has definitely caused me to be very concerned about Bill 66 for the reason that CELA has expressed very strong opposition to Bill 66 Schedules 5 and 10.

Regarding Bill 66 Schedule 10, the long list of laws, plans and policies that the Open For Business Zoning By Law created by Bill 66 are exempt from includes: the Ontario Planning and Development Act, Places to Grow Act, Greenbelt Act, Oak Ridges Moraine Act, Lake Simcoe Protection Act, Provincial Policy Statement, Great Lakes Protection Act, and the most concerning the Clean Water Act (CWA). CELA concluded “there is no legal justification or compelling public policy rationale for allowing open-for-business planning by-laws to bypass key Planning Act provisions, and to circumvent or override the provincial laws, policies and plans listed in Schedule 10 of Bill 66. CELA maintains that Schedule 10 is a regressive, unwarranted and potentially risky proposal that is inconsistent with the public interest, and that does not adequately safeguard the health and safety of Ontarians. In particular, CELA objects to Schedule 10’s ill-conceived rollback of current legal requirements that were specifically enacted under the CWA to prevent a recurrence of the Walkerton Tragedy. Accordingly, CELA strongly recommends that Schedule 10 be immediately abandoned or withdrawn by the Ontario government.”

It is my opinion that CELA's warnings and recommendations regarding the Open For Business Zoning By Law created by Bill 66 Schedule 10 should be taken very seriously. None of us want to see another tragedy like the Walkerton water crisis or the Lac Megantic train disaster happen in Ontario. We count on the Provincial Government to protect our public health and safety.

With a thriving local food movement, prime farmland needs protection, but Schedule 10 would do the very opposite. According to the report by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs report 'Agricultural Economic Development: A Resource Guide for Communities', agriculture is a major driver of the Ontario economy. This is particularly true in Brant County where I live. It does not make sense to undermine this important sector of the economy by allowing development that bypasses acts, policies, plans and regulations that have been put in place to protect existing agricultural land within Brant County and in other areas such as the Greenbelt. Section 10 will only promote sprawl. Sprawl uses up precious agricultural land while it reduces the walkability of communities and undermines efforts to make Ontario communities more livable and resilient with increased sustainability. Sprawl is expensive, and will drive up taxes for additional infrastructure and public transit.

Brant County relies heavily upon ground water from the Grand River watershed, and every municipality in Ontario relies on having a source of clean high quality drinking water. Wetlands and other areas such as moraines are critical to water quality in lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers. Moraines and wetlands require protection because they play this critical role in maintaining water quality within the watersheds. The Paris-Galt Moraine, the Oak Ridges Moraine, the Greenbelt along with drinking water sources such as Lake Simcoe and the Great Lakes must remain protected. We need the Province to protect watersheds such as the Grand River watershed. Sprawl puts extreme pressure on water sources such as aquifers, and can result in the contamination of water sources. It is critical that development plans comply with the Clean Water Act and other planning policies and regulations that protect water sources.

I would like to state that I have deep concerns regarding the right to appeal and the requirements for public notice and consultation because these could all be bypassed with Schedule 10. Public notice and consultation is critical to ensure transparency and that the we have the ability to present perspectives and information that will balance those of the developer. Public participant requirements are also not red tape, they are essential to good land use planning.

In conclusion I would like to respectfully request that Schedule 10 be withdrawn from Bill 66.