As a citizen of Ontario who…

As a citizen of Ontario who is deeply concerned about the appropriate and sustainable management of the lands within Ontario, I am deeply opposed to the proposal to remove the public’s appeal rights for the adoption or amendment of Official Plans and Zoning By-Laws. This proposal flies in the face of sustainable and sound environmental planning while also decimating access to justice by silencing citizens.

This proposal strips important engagement rights from citizens who are left living with the aftermath of rapid development approvals in their neighbourhoods, while solely benefitting developers who have no regard for the long-term health of irreplaceable ecosystems.

I strongly urge the government to remove sections 3(1), 3(3) and 5(7) of Schedule 12. These sections seek to remove the public’s ability to appeal the adoption or amendment of Official Plans and Zoning By-Laws under sections 17(24), 17(36) and 34(19) of the Planning Act.

I find the comments prepared by the Canadian Environmental Law Association to be particularly insightful on why these proposed changes within Bill 185 are problematic, and therefore refer to this document in the following URL: https://cela.ca/cela-comments-on-proposed-bill-185-cutting-red-tape-to-…