I am submitting comments on…

I am submitting comments on ERO regarding The Get It Done Act - the forced boundary expansions to the Official Plans of Waterloo Region and Halton causing unnecessary destruction of thousands of acres of prime farmland along with other modifications in Guelph, Wellington County, and elsewhere. I am a resident of Guelph, and am aware of the quality of prime agricultural land, forests and wetlands in the area surrounding my city, as well as Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge.

I am writing in opposition of the ERO - Get It Done Act, 2024 - Amending the Official Plan Adjustments Act, 2023.

I am very concerned with the lack of proper foresight within the omnibus Bill 162, which includes changes to land expropriation and Environmental Assessments to facilitate highway construction. I am also writing about Doug Ford’s attempt to block future carbon taxes and prevent road tolls, solutions which have been proven to actually help mitigate global climate change impacts.

I am primarily concerned with:

- Schedule 1 - Environmental Assessment Act changes to make it easier to expropriate land for new highways and developments,
- Schedule 3 - Official Plan Adjustment Act that forces urban sprawl onto farmland and compromises Official Plans,
- Schedule 5 - Protecting Against Carbon Taxes Act the prevents future carbon pricing in Ontario,
- Schedule 6 - Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act that prohibits road tolls (except on Hwy #407).

I am aware the CELA (Canadian Environmental Law Association) has submitted comments. Their letter is clear and comprehensive, and I agree with their statement.

https://cela.ca/submission-cela-comments-on-bill-162/

https://archive.celafoundation.ca/archive-item/submission-cela-comments…

I am also aware of the Region of Waterloo Hydrology Staff Report that Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, five Waterloo Region Mayors and numerous developers tried to prevent the province from seeing by doing everything they could last week at Regional Council to prevent it being submitted to this Bill 162 ERO. The report expresses concerns about future water supply by urban boundaries being forced open and development being permitted on groundwater recharge areas of the Waterloo Moraine.

Region of Waterloo Staff Report Expressing Concerns About Bill 162 On Drinking Water Supply:
https://pub-regionofwaterloo.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?Docume…
https://pub-regionofwaterloo.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?Docume…

Groundwater and agricultural land are two of our most precious resources that must be protected for future needs. To develop on these lands when there are identified brownfield properties within the region that could be better utilised, shows a complete disrespect by this current provincial government to the issues of water and food security, impacts of global climate change, and transportation-created urban sprawl.

I encourage the Government of Ontario to consider the term “housing”, and consider affordability is the utmost importance for Ontarians, not luxury homes over 1500sqft. Dwellings and domiciles including affordable rental apartment buildings, condominium apartment buildings, medium density town homes, small starter homes of no more than 1200sqft , and 4- and 6-plexes would help curb the living crisis as we know it. The government needs to consider development models used in urban areas within Europe, and integrate a “15 minute city” model that has proven to be effective in providing liveable spaces while protecting farmland, wetlands and forests across the European continent, within the UK, and Scandinavia.

I am against Bill 162 in its current form and demand that it be rescinded.

Respectfully submitted,
Guelph Resident