Brothers and Sisters,
BILL 23 HAS PASSED, we need to keep pressure on this Provincial Government as this Bill will:
- encourage suburban sprawl;
- burden existing property tax owners with much of the cost of servicing new homes;
- reduce developers’ responsibility for reserving parkland and building recreational amenities in underserviced areas;
- have devastating environmental repercussions related to climate change, species at risk, and loss of natural habitat.
Rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands do not naturally conform to municipal boundaries. Currently, Conservation Authorities have jurisdiction over entire watersheds and are largely responsible for ensuring the protection of ecological function of habitat within those watersheds. Bill 23 proposes to restrict Conservation Authority powers that go beyond threats directly related to flooding and erosion. Things like water quality, habitat protection, protection of biodiversity and species at risk would be removed from their mandate. It would leave much of Ontario’s environmentally sensitive lands unprotected.
Currently municipal governments charge developers a levy for each approved project. These fees are designed to help pay for infrastructure projects including land services, (water, waste water, storm water), building recreational facilities, connecting roads and trails and other amenities that improve the quality of life for a community. Often it takes many development projects over several years for municipalities to accumulate sufficient funds for large projects such as the bigger community recreation facilities or to buy up land to create connected parkland.
Perhaps more importantly, developers would be exempt from paying these fees on developments that include social housing. What this would mean is that there would be no motivation to provide recreational or naturalized amenities to vulnerable populations who arguably need it the most.
*For more information about these issues and Rally’s in your community, please see the links below.
In Solidarity,
Cyndy Anderson
Unifor Local 707
Environment Rep
View this email in your browser  Biggest Rally Yet!1:00pm this Sunday, Dec 4 |
 AMO – Association of Municipalities Ontario. Full article here. Yes, Bill 23 passed this week, but we’re not giving up! Attend Sunday’s rally (or Saturday’s rally at Queen’s Park. Find other rallies to attend here.) The Greenbelt grab is still open for comments. Submit your comment here. Call Premier Ford, Minister Clark and your MPP. This never gets old. Let’s continue to harass our MPPs, Premier and Minister of Housing.  JOIN THE WEEKEND OF ACTION Even after more than 50 rallies all across Ontario, the provincial government voted to pass Bill 23. But the momentum to save the Greenbelt (which is under attack from separate policy changes which are still underway) and Repeal Bill 23 keeps growing. This Saturday and Sunday there are 17 events planned from Windsor to Thunder Bay, including a large rally in Downtown Toronto.  Click here for the full article.  There have been a flood of articles and op-eds about the Ford Government’s heinous behaviour, and if you haven’t read Margaret Atwood’s three part letter to “Dougie”, you don’t want to miss it! Check out our NEWS page here. Hope to see you Sunday! 1pm, Hamilton City Hall |
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