Bill 23, the “More Homes…

Bill 23, the “More Homes Built Faster Act” will not create affordable housing. It will create sprawl. It will facilitate the destruction of wetlands, worsen climate change, and endanger biodiversity. It will put people and property at greater risk from flooding and pollution. Ontarians want our leaders to stand up for public safety, nearby nature and smart, dense, affordable growth within existing cities. Say no to Bill 23 and go back to the drawing board.
Bill 23 proposes to gut protections for wetlands and the crucial role of Conservation Authorities in restricting development that will negatively impact watersheds. 60-90% of wetlands in Ontario have already been destroyed and the few left struggles to function under the stresses of urban growth and agriculture. We need to save all remaining wetlands and restore those lost.
Wetlands help prevent flooding, purify water, recharge aquifers, support endangered species and trap and store carbon. Wetlands provide these ecosystem services for free, and when we build on wetlands, we put people and property at risk. Taxpayers and homeowners have to pay more. This makes housing less affordable, not more.
Bill 23 proposes to allow more wetlands to be destroyed with so-called “offsets.” The ecosystem services that wetlands provide are tied to their location. You can’t just drain a wetland in one place and compensate for it somewhere else. Wetlands don’t prevent flooding locally if they’re destroyed, and then new ones are built miles away.
Wetlands are complicated ecosystems that take decades to centuries to develop. Restored wetlands may never reach the biodiversity of natural ones, and most species at risk can’t just move.
In 2021, Minister Steve Clark promised not to develop the greenbelt or consider a “land swap,” but the government is now proposing to break that promise and open up 7,400 acres for low-density development. Breaking promises like this right after the election erodes trust in the government. It will not solve the housing affordability crisis because most regions already have enough land allocated to development to meet their housing needs and low-density sprawl development isn’t affordable housing.
Stop Bill 23, drop changes to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System, and honour the government’s promise to protect the Greenbelt. We need cities that are livable, housing that is truly affordable and doesn’t destroy wetlands, and nature that is accessible to everyone.