I strongly object to Ontario…

I strongly object to Ontario Bill 212 (Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024).

I live and work downtown Toronto (for 20+ years). Prior to this, I lived in a suburb of Toronto but worked or travelled downtown Toronto.

Bill 212 represents a concerning erosion of environmental protections and democratic oversight in Ontario. By exempting Highway 413 from the Environmental Assessment Act and creating a weaker self-monitored review process, it prioritizes rapid development over environmental preservation, particularly threatening sensitive Greenbelt ecosystems. The bill dangerously concentrates power with the Minister while reducing local municipal authority, public consultation, and community input on major infrastructure decisions. The legislation's approach to Indigenous consultation lacks meaningful mechanisms for addressing concerns and appears to prioritize development over treaty rights.

Bill 212's requirement for Ministry approval of bicycle lanes in prescribed municipalities represents a dangerous overreach into local transportation planning. By adding bureaucratic barriers to implementing bike lanes, especially when they would replace vehicle lanes, the bill undermines municipal autonomy and actively works against sustainable urban transportation goals. This centralized control over bike infrastructure will likely delay or prevent the creation of safe cycling networks, forcing continued car dependency and working against climate action, public health, and community-led complete streets initiatives. The bill prioritizes car traffic flow over sustainable transportation options that many communities want and need, effectively letting the province veto local active transportation plans that have been developed through extensive community consultation and study.

Its car-centric focus undermines sustainable transportation goals and climate commitments. The expanded expropriation powers with reduced property owner protections could lead to community displacement and inequitable development patterns.

This bill essentially fast-tracks controversial highway projects by removing crucial environmental and democratic safeguards, benefiting developers while potentially harming communities and ecosystems. The rushed approach could compromise both environmental and worker safety standards, while making it significantly harder for citizens to challenge decisions or seek legal remedies.

Instead of fast-tracking controversial highways, the Ontario government should address urgent crises affecting residents daily: the severe shortage of affordable housing, overwhelmed emergency rooms and healthcare staffing shortages, rising homelessness, and inadequate mental health services. We need immediate action on childcare affordability, education system funding, and poverty reduction through improved social assistance rates. Climate change demands investment in public transit and protecting green spaces, not more highways. These critical issues impact millions of Ontarians and deserve the government's full attention and resources.