Proposed Amendments to the Greenbelt Plan

ERO number
019-6216
Notice type
Policy
Act
Greenbelt Act, 2005
Posted by
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
November 4, 2022 - December 4, 2022 (30 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
November 4, 2022
to December 4, 2022

Decision summary

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is amending the Greenbelt Plan to add 13 new Urban River Valley areas and lands in the Paris Galt Moraine in Wellington County and remove or redesignate 15 areas of land.

Decision details

The government is taking bold action to address Ontario’s housing crisis by building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. As part of this plan, the government proposed changes to the Greenbelt that would support municipal partners to plan for responsible growth and help build housing faster and in a targeted manner, while leading to an overall expansion of the Greenbelt.

The public consultation took place from November 4, 2022, through December 4, 2022, and sought feedback on the government’s proposal to:

  • Add lands in the Paris Galt Moraine in Wellington County to the Greenbelt Area
  • Remove or redesignate 15 areas of land totaling approximately 7,400 acres from the edge of the Greenbelt Area that are serviced or adjacent to services and will be used to build housing in the near term. 

The government received feedback from approximately 29,200 submissions related to this proposal.

In addition to written comments, the Ministry met with the Greenbelt Council to seek their feedback. Indigenous communities and organizations were engaged through a separate and parallel process.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing reviewed and considered key substantive feedback received during the comment period.

This decision will result in the construction of approximately 50,000 or more new homes in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The strategic removal of lands from the Greenbelt Area was considered in the context of the objectives and policies of the Greenbelt Plan and the requirement in the Greenbelt Act, 2005 that the total amount of land within the Greenbelt Area shall not be reduced.

Together, the new Paris Galt Moraine lands and 13 URV areas, totalling 9,400 acres, account for an overall expansion to the Greenbelt of approximately 2000 acres.

Amendment to the Greenbelt Plan

  1. Addressing Transition

This decision includes an amendment to the Greenbelt Plan to add a transition policy to allow previous site-specific approvals on lands added to the Protected Countryside as part of this amendment or in the future to continue to be recognized, like the existing provision in section 5.2.1 of the Greenbelt Plan. See the Greenbelt Plan for more information on Greenbelt Plan policies. See Greenbelt Amendment 3 for the complete text.

Lands to be added:

This decision adds lands in the Paris Galt Moraine to the Greenbelt Area and designates them as Protected Countryside with a Natural Heritage System. See amended Greenbelt Schedules for maps of the lands being added to the Greenbelt.

The Paris Galt Moraine lands capture the settlement of Brisbane, in the County of Wellington, which is designated as a Hamlet under the Greenbelt Plan’s settlement hierarchy for policy implementation purposes.

The Greenbelt Area boundary regulation (O. Reg. 59/05) has been amended to facilitate these changes. See Greenbelt Area Boundary Decision Notice at [ERO 019-6217]. Taken together, these amendments allow for the alignment of policy coverage of the Greenbelt Plan with the updated Greenbelt Area boundary. Changes to O. Reg. 59/05 came into effect on December 14, 2022.

See ERO Posting 019-4485: Growing the size of the Greenbelt and amended Greenbelt Schedules for maps that highlight the 13 URVs being added to the Greenbelt Area.

As a result of these additions, Plan Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 4 and Appendices I and II are amended to include the Paris Galt Moraine lands and new URV areas which equal to more than 9,400 acres of new land added to the Greenbelt.  The overall Greenbelt Area will increase from approximately 810,000 hectares to approximately 811,000 hectares.  The new schedules for the Greenbelt Plan came into effect on December 14, 2022.  See Additions to the Protected Countryside (2022) for maps of the amended Greenbelt Area.

Lands to be removed: 

This decision removes the following lands from the Greenbelt Area, Plan Schedules 1, 2, 3 and 4, and Appendices I and II to help our municipal partners plan for responsible growth and help build housing where it makes sense, while protecting the environment.  See Removals from the Protected Countryside (2022) for maps of the amended Greenbelt Area.  Removal locations are:

Area/Location

Land located in the Township of King east of Dufferin Street, south of Miller’s Sideroad and west of Bathurst Street

Land located in City of Vaughan north and east of Teston Road and Pine Valley Drive

Land located in City of Richmond Hill east of Leslie Street, north of Elgin Mills Road East, west of Highway 404

Land located in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville at 11861 and 12045 McCowan Road

Land located in City of Markham at 5474 19th Ave. at the northeast corner of 19th Ave. and McCowan Road

Land located in City of Markham at 10235, 10378 and 10541 Hwy 48

Land located in the City of Markham at 10379 Kennedy Road

Land located in the City of Pickering south of Highway 407, west of West Duffins Creek and north of the CP Belleville rail line

Land located in Town of Ajax located at 765 and 775 Kingston Road East

Land located in Clarington at the northeast corner of Nash Road and Hancock Road

Land located in the City of Hamilton south of Garner Road West, west of Fiddlers Green Road, east of Shaver Road in the vicinity of Book Road

Land located in the City of Hamilton south of White Church Road East, west of Miles Road, north of Chippewa Road East, east of Upper James Street

Land in the Town of Grimsby south of the GO rail line, west of Oakes Road North, north of Main Street West, east of Kelson Ave North

Land located in the City of Hamilton at 331 and 339 Fifty Road

Lands for redesignation:

This decision also amends the designation of lands located in the Town of Grimsby at 502 Winston Road. These lands are currently designated as Specialty Crop (Niagara Peninsula Tender Fruit and Grape Area) and Natural Heritage System in the Greenbelt and are redesignated to Town/Village under this proposal.  See Greenbelt Schedules for maps that highlight the redesignated lands.

Some of the lands to be removed or redesignated are also subject to policies under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (see ERO 019-6218), Central Pickering Development Plan (see ERO 019-6174), and the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act. The Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act was proclaimed and came into force on December 15, 2022 (see ERO 019-6304).

Comments received

Through the registry

11,207

By email

18,040

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

Members of the public, municipalities, and a range of stakeholders, including from the environmental, development, agricultural and aggregates sectors submitted feedback. Indigenous communities and organizations also provided feedback.

Indigenous communities were also engaged through a separate and parallel process.  

Many submissions also addressed Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan 3.0 and related initiatives.

A total of 11,207 comments were received through the ERO. 18,040 were received by email during the consultation period.

Summary of Comments

Removals

Overall, there was strong support for continued Greenbelt protections and broad opposition to any removals or redesignation of lands under the Greenbelt Plan. Numerous submissions asserted that the proposal is contradictory to the vision and goals of the Greenbelt Plan and requested a full withdrawal of the proposal. All responding conservation authorities were unsupportive of the proposal. Responding Indigenous communities did not support the proposed removals.

  • Directly impacted municipalities generally requested further clarification on funding and development processes, including servicing, affordable housing requirements, and conditions on housing development in the removal areas.
    • Clarington, Pickering and Niagara Region noted that some of the proposed removals aligned with previous removal requests.
    • Wellington, Erin, Puslinch, and Niagara Region requested the removal of additional Protected Countryside areas.
    • Hamilton, Toronto, Mississauga, Georgina, Halton Region, Oakville, and Brampton did not support the proposed removals.
  •  The home building industry supported the proposed amendments.

Environment

  • Responding environmental groups were unsupportive of the proposal. A key theme across many submissions was concern regarding anticipated negative environmental impacts of this proposal. Many also identified the Greenbelt as playing a key role in Ontario’s ability to address climate change and emphasized the importance of protections for natural areas.

Agriculture

  • Responding agricultural stakeholders were unsupportive of removals of Protected Countryside lands.
  • Some reiterated the importance of permanent protection for agricultural lands.

Process

  • Many expressed concerns with the length of the consultation, the complexity of overlapping proposals, and inconsistencies with previous Greenbelt consultations and government commitments. Many requested transparency on the identification and evaluation process for the proposed removals.
  • Although some noted support for additions to the Greenbelt many felt that Greenbelt expansion should follow a scientific/transparent process and not be used to justify removals or exchanges. Some stakeholders stated that URV additions should not count towards an increase in the Greenbelt Area.

Housing/Affordability

  • Many submissions from stakeholders and members of the public asserted that additional land is not required to meet Ontario’s housing needs. Although affordability was identified as a key priority for many, some respondents asserted that densification in existing urban areas and the development of explicitly affordable housing should be the preferred approach to increasing housing supply. The cost of urban sprawl was a key concern across a variety of stakeholders.
  • The home building industry supported the proposal as it would contribute to increasing housing supply.

Effects of the Consultation on this Decision

No changes were made to the proposal as a result of public consultation.

To view all maps, including the amended maps of the Greenbelt Area boundary, visit Greenbelt Maps

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Original proposal

ERO number
019-6216
Notice type
Policy
Act
Greenbelt Act, 2005
Posted by
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Proposal posted

Comment period

November 4, 2022 - December 4, 2022 (30 days)

Proposal details

The government introduced the More Homes Built Faster plan, which takes bold action to advance our plan to address the housing crisis by building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. The government is taking further action to support this goal by launching a consultation on proposed changes to the Greenbelt that would support our municipal partners to plan for responsible growth and help build housing faster and in a targeted manner, while leading to an overall expansion of the Greenbelt.

Ontario is expected to grow by more than two million people by 2031, with approximately 1.5 million people living in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region. To accommodate that growth and support the building of more homes, our government is proposing to remove or redesignate 15 areas of land totaling approximately 7,400 acres from the edge of the Greenbelt Area that are serviced or adjacent to services and will be used to build housing in the near term​.

Should these lands be removed from the Greenbelt, the landowners will be expected to develop detailed plans to build housing and move forward with the project quickly. It is the government’s expectation that construction of these new homes will begin on these lands by no later than 2025, and that significant progress on approvals and implementation be achieved by the end of 2023. It is the government’s expectation that the proponents would fully fund necessary infrastructure upfront.

If these conditions are not met, the government will begin the process to return the properties back to the Greenbelt.

If this proposal is adopted, it would result in the construction of approximately 50,000 or more new homes in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) is seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the Greenbelt Plan, Greenbelt Area boundary regulation (O. Reg. 59/05), and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (O. Reg. 140/02) that would:

  • Remove lands from the Greenbelt Area that could be suitable for residential development in the near term 
  • Add lands in the Paris Galt Moraine to the Greenbelt Area, designated as Protected Countryside with a Natural Heritage System  
  • Redesignate lands in the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan Area that could be suitable for residential development in the near term

The proposed strategic removal of lands from the Greenbelt Area was considered in the context of the objectives and policies of the Greenbelt Plan and the requirement in the Greenbelt Act, 2005 that the total amount of land within the Greenbelt Area shall not be reduced (See Amendments to the Greenbelt Plan below).  

MMAH previously consulted on adding 13 Urban River Valley (URV) areas to the Greenbelt in April 2022 (see ERO Posting 019-4485: Growing the size of the Greenbelt). The area of the proposed Paris Galt Moraine lands would be in addition to these URV areas, totalling 9,400 acres for an overall expansion to the Greenbelt of approximately 2000 acres. The total lands proposed to be added would be greater than or equal to the area of the lands proposed for removal from the Greenbelt Plan under this proposal (see Amendments to the Greenbelt Plan below). 

While this ERO posting relates specifically to the proposed amendment to the Greenbelt Plan, there are two related ERO postings regarding the proposed adjustments to the Greenbelt Area boundary and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan regulations:  

The maps available for this consultation are posted in supporting materials below and outline:

  • 15 areas proposed for strategic removal/redesignation (Redesignations/Removal Maps 1-11)
  • Lands in the Paris Galt Moraine proposed to be added to the Greenbelt (Addition Map A)
  • A contextual map of the geography (Overview Map)

Policy proposal

The Greenbelt Act, 2005 requires consultation with affected municipalities, public bodies, and the public on any proposed Greenbelt Plan amendments.

Lands proposed for removal:

MMAH is proposing to remove the following lands from the Greenbelt Area to support the plan to build 1.5 million homes while also taking a balanced approach to smart growth (See corresponding Redesignation/Removal Maps 1-11 in supporting materials below):

Area/Location Map Number
Land located in the Township of King east of Dufferin Street, south of Miller’s Sideroad and west of Bathurst Street Map 1
Land located in City of Vaughan north and east of Teston Road and Pine Valley Drive Map 2
Land located in City of Richmond Hill east of Leslie Street, north of Elgin Mills Road East, west of Highway 404 Map 3
Land located in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville at 11861 and 12045 McCowan Road Map 4
Land located in City of Markham at 5474 19th Ave. at the northeast corner of 19th Ave. and McCowan Road Map 4
Land located in City of Markham at 10235, 10378 and 10541 Hwy 48 Map 5
Land located in the City of Markham at 10379 Kennedy Road Map 5
Land located in the City of Pickering south of Highway 407, west of West Duffins Creek and north of the CP Belleville rail line Map 6
Land located in Town of Ajax located at 765 and 775 Kingston Road East Map
Land located in Clarington at the northeast corner of Nash Road and Hancock Road Map 8
Land located in the City of Hamilton south of Garner Road West, west of Fiddlers Green Road, east of Shaver Road in the vicinity of Book Road

Map 9

Land located in the City of Hamilton south of White Church Road East, west of Miles Road, north of Chippewa Road East, east of Upper James Street Map 10
Land in the Town of Grimsby south of the GO rail line, west of Oakes Road North, north of Main Street West, east of Kelson Ave North Map 11
Land located in the City of Hamilton at 331 and 339 Fifty Road Map 11

Some of the lands listed above are also subject to policies under the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan - please see ERO 019-6218 for more details on proposed amendments. 

Lands proposed for redesignation: 

MMAH is also proposing to amend the designation of lands located in the Town of Grimsby at 502 Winston Road. These lands are currently designated as Specialty Crop (Niagara Peninsula Tender Fruit and Grape Area) and Natural Heritage System in the Greenbelt and would be redesignated to Town/Village under this proposal. See Map 11 in supporting materials below. 

Lands proposed to be added:  

MMAH is proposing to add lands in the Paris Galt Moraine to the Greenbelt Area, which would be designated as Protected Countryside with a Natural Heritage System. See Proposed Addition Map A in supporting materials for a map of the proposed lands to be added to the Greenbelt.

The proposal would capture one settlement area, which would be designated as a Hamlet under the Greenbelt Plan’s settlement hierarchy.

MMAH is also considering targeted policy changes to the Greenbelt Plan to support the implementation of the proposed addition (e.g. existing uses). Section 4.5 and other provisions of the Greenbelt Plan would apply to existing uses (as defined in section 7 of the Greenbelt Plan) in the Paris Galt Moraine area. Additionally, transition provisions are proposed to be added that would address decisions on applications related to previous site-specific approvals in the Paris Galt Moraine area, similar to the existing provision in section 5.2.1 of the Greenbelt Plan. See supporting materials for more information on Greenbelt Plan policies.

An amendment to the Greenbelt Area boundary regulation (O. Reg. 59/05) has been proposed to facilitate these changes. See Proposed Amendment to the Greenbelt Area Boundary Regulation at [ERO 019-6217] and in Related ERO notices below

Context: The Greenbelt Plan

The Greenbelt Area includes lands covered by the policies of the Greenbelt Plan, as well as the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan. Collectively, these plans identify where major urbanization should not occur. The plans provide permanent protection to the agricultural land base and the ecological and hydrological features, areas and functions within the Greater Golden Horseshoe and beyond.  

The Greenbelt Plan has two designations:

  1. Protected Countryside – comprises most of the of area covered by the Greenbelt Plan. In addition to general policies that apply across the Greenbelt, there are three geographic specific policy areas:
    • Agricultural System
    • Natural System
    • Settlement Area
  2. Urban River Valleys (URVs) -- The Greenbelt Plan recognizes the importance of URVs in connecting the Greenbelt to the Great Lakes and inland lakes. Policies apply to publicly owned lands only in the URVs.

Amendments to the Greenbelt Plan

The Greenbelt Act, 2005 sets out the legislated public process that applies to any proposed Greenbelt Plan amendments. This would include requiring consultation with affected public bodies such as the Greenbelt Council, municipalities and conservation authorities in the Greenbelt Area, an opportunity for consultation with the general public, as well as ensuring any proposed amendment does not reduce the total land area within the Greenbelt Plan. Engaging with Indigenous communities would also occur before any amendments are made.

Under the Greenbelt Act, 2005, amendments cannot reduce the total land area covered by the Greenbelt Plan. The proposed Paris Galt Moraine area, in addition to the 13 Urban River Valley areas that were previously consulted on in March 2022 would be greater than or equal to the land area removed from the Greenbelt Plan under this proposal. See ERO 019-4485 for more information on past proposals on new and expanded Urban River Valleys.

Section 5.6 of the Greenbelt Plan provides that amendments to the Greenbelt Plan could be considered outside of the 10-year review in the event of major new Provincial policy, legislation, or regulation that creates the need for an amendment. It also contemplates amendments that are made for the purpose of extending Greenbelt Plan policy coverage to lands which may be added to the Greenbelt.

Context: Policy Proposal

Strategic Removals

The government considered properties within the Greenbelt as candidate sites for future and near-term housing development against criteria that included:

  • Greater than 1:1 offset must be achieved to ensure overall Greenbelt expansion
  • The lands are adjacent to existing settlement areas
  • The lands are adjacent to the edge of the Greenbelt area boundary
  • The lands have the potential ability to be serviced in the near-term with local infrastructure upgrades to be entirely funded by proponents
  • The lands proposed for removal have the characteristics that would enable housing to be built in the near-term.

The Paris Galt Moraine

The Paris Galt Moraine is an area of rolling, hilly terrain which is significant because its high ground forms the headwaters for many rivers and streams. With its hummocky surface enhancing infiltration, and sand and gravel deposits facilitating groundwater flow, the Paris Galt Moraine helps to promote recharge to the groundwater aquifers that support drinking water supply, local ecosystems, agriculture, growth management, and more.

MMAH consulted on ways to grow the Greenbelt in February 2021, which included a study area focused on the Paris Galt Moraine as a priority. Following further analysis, the Ministry identified a need to further understand how the addition of the Paris Galt Moraine could impact the priority to create housing and jobs. See ERO 019-3136 for more information on the Growing the Greenbelt initiative.

The proposed amendment to extend Greenbelt Plan policy coverage to a portion of the Paris Galt Moraine uses an incremental and measured approach; so municipalities can plan for the right mix of homes faster and in a targeted manner. The proposed Paris Galt Moraine area captures one (1) settlement area, which is proposed to be designated as a Hamlet to reflect the Greenbelt Plan’s settlement hierarchy and approach to settlement areas.

    Brisbane: Hamlet

See supporting materials below for more information on the settlement areas in the Greenbelt.

The proposed Paris Galt Moraine boundary was mapped using both natural (e.g. natural features, natural heritage system) and surveyable (e.g. lot and concession lines, roads) boundaries to support implementation.

Should the Greenbelt Area be amended to include the Paris Galt Moraine area, it would be designated as Protected Countryside and would, in some areas, be subject to more specific direction under the Greenbelt Plan than policies that currently exist in A Place to Grow (e.g. more restrictive settlement expansion policies, municipal official plan policies cannot be more restrictive than the Greenbelt Plan on mineral aggregate resources and agricultural uses) or the Provincial Policy Statement. Please see supporting materials for more information on Greenbelt Plan policies.

Analysis of Regulatory Impact:

The anticipated regulatory impacts of the proposal are positive. The proposed removal or redesignation of 15 areas of land and adding lands in the Paris Galt Moraine area is intended to remove regulatory burdens for municipalities in order to effectively direct growth, optimize investments in infrastructure and support needed housing. Lands to be removed would no longer need to comply with the prohibitions and requirements of the Greenbelt Plan. There would be some additional burden placed on the lands proposed to be added, though some of these lands are already constrained by existing requirements. While there are no direct administrative costs associated with this proposal there would be a small burden on municipalities to update their official plans to reflect the new boundaries of the Greenbelt Plan.

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from November 4, 2022
to December 4, 2022

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