Protecting Ontario’s environmental future: What's next after Bill 229?

On December 8th, the Ontario government passed a new law which seriously weakened Conservation Authorities, allowing the province to turn its back on science-based planning.
At the same time, the government has been making reckless and unprecedented use of Minister’s Zoning Orders to force through planning decisions without debate or input from municipalities or the public, for example, allowing a developer to pave over half of the Lower Duffins Creek provincially significant wetland complex in Pickering, just to build some warehouses.
These attacks join the government’s push to build a new 400 series highway in the Greenbelt near Kleinburg, attacks on endangered species and their habitats as well as on climate action.
So what next for Ontario’s environment?
Join Environmental Defence, former Greenbelt Council chair David Crombie, Canadian Environmental Law Association and Ontario Nature on January 12 at 7pm for a live conversation about protecting our future. We’ll dive into what the attacks on environmental rules mean for our province, what we can expect next for our communities, and what you can do to stand up for the water, farmland and natural places we all rely on for our future.

[@Sarahofficiant]

Sincere thanks to each of you and the wonderful good souls who are gathering with commitment ! around this super important movement . David C , after all you have gone through, all these years of public service . Thank you For not retiring and taking a strong leadership role ! Because! We need YOU !

[@jamesalofs]

You guys are awesome!!! Keep up the great work! Very informative! And may the gods bless David Crombie for falling on his sword to raise awareness!

[@maruggles1]

Can we get and buy “Ontario Yours to Protect” bumper stickers?

[@m.e.345]

It seems to me that as long as the population in Southern Ontario continues to grow, these problems will continue to grow also. I wish that I could be convinced that a simple change of government would bring lasting change, but the forces behind development will remain, and one of those forces is the demand for housing and economic growth that consumers want. 😭

[@m.e.345]

Apparently, the NDP have promised to scrap Hwy. 413 if it gets elected in 2022: www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/ndp-will-scrap-sprawl-inducing-gta-west-highway-plan-if-elected-in-2022/ar-BB1dbihC

[@m.e.345]

..and, as has been noted in the chat section, Mike Schreiner of the Green party is opposed to Bill 229 and Hwy.413 as well.

[@m.e.345]

Ontario Farmland Trust: "The construction of Highway 413 will result in the loss of thousands of acres of prime agricultural land and will facilitate non-agricultural development on farmland in the future, resulting in fragmentation of the agricultural land base within the GGH (Greater Golden Horseshoe)." "About half of the entire country’s Class 1 soil is found in Ontario, and 42% of this Class 1 soil is located within the GGH. This agricultural soil makes up about half of the total land area of the GGH, and the regional agri-food sector provides 38,000 jobs and an annual contribution of $11 billion to Ontario’s economy." ontariofarmlandtrust.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OFT-Response-to-Highway-413.pdf "In the past 35 years, Ontario has lost 2.8 million acres (18%) of its farmland to non-agricultural land uses like urbanization and aggregate mining."

[@m.e.345]

..and now Steven Del Duca, head of the Liberal party, has spoken out against Hwy. 413 as well.