Toronto / January 2023
Communities across Ontario, including community groups, affordable housing groups, environmental groups and municipalities are speaking out against the removal of protected environmentally sensitive lands from the Greenbelt through the passage of Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act.
An Ontario-wide survey by SPR associates on the environment, housing, and Ontario public policy aims to assess wider Ontario opinion on these issues. The results will aid a position paper supporting environmental organizations on the issue of repeal of the legislation in 2023.
The provincial government recently announced the removal of 7,400 acres of protected land from the Greenbelt. Bill 23 was passed in November 2022, and effectively strips the conservation authority of its powers and allows the sale of conservation lands. The removal of protected Greenbelt land was done without public process, transparent criteria for land selection or opportunities for input from landowners, municipalities or the public.
Bill 23 overrides decisions made by municipal and regional councils to limit the expansion of urban boundaries, and will do nothing to build affordable homes or increase densification within existing urban boundaries where infrastructure and public transit already exist.
Take the survey:
https://secure11.securewebexchange.com/spr.ca/greenbelt/greenbelt.htm
Completing the survey should only take ten minutes and all survey responses will be kept confidential.
The survey deadline is March 17.
SPR Associates have a 25+ year record of accomplishment of public policy research with Ontario’s government, NGOs, labour unions, and others.
The survey is supported by the Social Planning Councils of Ontario, community organizations, labour organizations and many others.