GBA 2023 - Spring Update

10 www.georgianbay.ca GBA UPDATE Spring 2023 BILL 23 Ostensibly, the aim of Bill 23 is to facilitate the construction of affordable housing, quickly enough to meet the increasing demand from immigrants to and residents of southern Ontario. There is no doubt that increasing the availability of housing in Ontario is essential. Unfortunately, this Bill falls short in its efforts to streamline construction where it’s needed most, while at the same time it fails to consider the serious repercussions of this new legislation for rural Ontario and the province’s ecosystem. Ontario’s population increased by more than 200,000 in 2022, primarily in southern Ontario urban areas, and is expected to continue at near the same pace for the next decade. However, while it’s clear that we do not currently have enough housing supply to meet the increasing demand, the growth in housing needs to be focused where people want to live: in urban areas where they can find jobs, better access to education, healthcare, training, and other services. On the surface, Bill 23 seems to address this need by allowing for what the Ontario government calls “gentle density” and the streamlining of development processes. However, as with everything, the devil is in the details. In the case of Bill 23, the consequences of these sweeping changes will be felt most intensely in Ontario’s most fragile ecological areas. Rather than focusing on more responsible intensification within existing urban boundaries and infrastructure, Bill 23 in fact allows for development to greatly expand urban sprawl in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) suburbs, steal some of the cherished Greenbelt, destroy swathes of farmland, and remove countless safeguards for wetlands and other important habitat. It is likely to have significant negative impacts on our natural legacy, with farreaching consequences. With respect to the Greenbelt, many media reports have focused on the removal of 7,400 acres of land from this environmentally critical area. However, this is not the main problem with Bill 23 – particularly as the government simultaneously added 9,400 acres in other areas, for a net Greenbelt gain of 2,000 acres. The main problems with this Bill concern the removal of numerous environmental protections, infringements on your democratic rights, and, most importantly for Georgian Bay, changes to the planning processes – and the potential impact this will have on the sustainable development policies that GBA and others have worked hard to establish over decades. In particular, GBA objected to the following: ≥ðRemoval of the rights of taxpayers and landowners to appeal certain planning decisions ≥ðSkewing Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) procedures in favour of developers (this on top of a pro-developer bias at the OLT that we have witnessed in recent years) ≥ðRemoving the ability of your municipalities to exercise site plan control on nearly all Bay properties ≥ðDisallowing public consultation on plans of subdivisions ≥ðShifting the costs of infrastructure needed for development to municipalities – increasing your local taxes More Homes Built Faster Act Accelerates Threat to Our Shorelines ByðRupertðKindersley,ð GBAðExecutiveðDirector The camp was ready for operation in the summer of 1947, but getting there was still a challenge. With a highway still 20 years in the future, the way to and from the camp was by steamship aboard the Midland City, which connected with the train at Penetang and would divert to the camp with passengers and supplies as necessary on its way to Parry Sound. Though easier to access these days, Hurontario remains what it was at the beginning: a place where boys can live and work together, form meaningful relationships, grow leadership skills, and gain a sense of themselves. Each day, camp teaches teamwork and cooperation, whether the campers are setting or clearing the table, paddling tandem, crewing a sailboat, or spotting a fellow climber. On the portage or hiking trail, campers look out for one another. On arriving at the overnight campsite, they work co-operatively to pitch their tent, build the fire, cook dinner, and wash the pots and dishes. With the diversity and nature of its offerings, summer camp firmly holds its place in Georgian Bay history and legend, providing opportunities for young people to work and grow together through the values we ourselves uphold as residents of Georgian Bay: mutual respect, responsibility, honesty, and empathy. Heritageðcontinuedðfromðpageð9

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