Ontario will not move forward with a controversial element of proposed legislation that could have opened up the province?s protected Greenbelt to development.
Municipal affairs minister Steve Clark says the government will abandon plans to create a specialized planning tool for municipalities that would have allowed them under some circumstances to override certain laws, including those that safeguard the Greenbelt.
An arial view showing part of the Golden Horseshoe, including the protected Greenbelt lands. Image via Google Maps.
In a message posted on social media Wednesday, Clark says the government has heard from legislators, municipalities and stakeholders who were concerned about the impact the bill could have on the protected lands.
The Progressive Conservative government announced the planning tool as part of Bill 66 in December, saying it hoped the measure would expedite economic development. Critics have said Bill 66 contains vague language that puts established protections at risk.
The Greenbelt ? 7,200-square-kilometre area that borders the Greater Golden Horseshoe area ? was established in 2005 to protect environmentally sensitive land from urban development.
Under the portion of the proposed law the government will scrap, municipalities working on a specific project ? like attracting a major employer to the region ? would have been able to pass a by-law to request provincial approval to override certain regulations.
Municipalities would have had to provide a c...