Province to review all Greenbelt land swap sites: Ford
Posted September 5, 2023 6:59 am.
Last Updated September 5, 2023 5:48 pm.
Premier Doug Ford has announced a review of all the Greenbelt land swaps after scathing reports from two provincial watchdogs led to housing minister Steve Clark’s resignation and a hasty long weekend cabinet shuffle.
Ford says a non-partisan facilitator will review the 15 sites originally selected by the province to be removed from the protected Greenbelt to make way for housing development.
His new housing minister, Paul Calandra, is tasked with reviewing all Greenbelt applications.
Ford made the announcement Tuesday morning — the day after Clark resigned amid the escalating scandal.
“There’s going to be a complete (Greenbelt) review from top to bottom and they are going to have to stand on their own merit,” Ford said.
Ford said his government would consult with municipalities and Indigenous leaders as part of the review.
He didn’t rule out that other parts of the Greenbelt could be opened for development, depending on the outcome of the review, irking NDP Leader Marit Stiles.
“What I’m concerned about is what I heard the premier say, is he is going to look at other developer’s plans and reopen other opportunities in the Greenbelt, which is exactly the wrong direction to be taking things,” Stiles said.
#BREAKING – Ford says it’s possible other parts of the greenbelt get opened for development pending the outcome of this new “review’ he announced today. Says it will be up to the new housing minister.
— Richard Southern (@RichardCityNews) September 5, 2023
Despite searing questioning from reporters, Ford remained steadfast that his government’s housing efforts have been justified.
“We need a war-time effort to build more homes,” he said.
“The process that we used to make changes to the Greenbelt could have been better, it should have been better,” he admitted.
Stiles and interim Liberal leader, John Fraser, both stressed that the only way Ford can atone for the Greenbelt debacle is to return all the land.
“Those reports pointed very clearly to responsibility being at the very top,” Stiles said. “The auditor general recommended very clearly that the land needed to to be returned to the Greenbelt.
“The premier must recall the legislature and he must return the land to the Greenbelt today.”
Fraser was equally adamant that Ford return the land.
“The cabinet shuffle is irrelevant,” he said. “The premier’s future land review that he announced this morning is irrelevant.
“The premier should just do what the auditor general told him to do — return the lands back to the way that they were. Return the peoples’ Greenbelt back to the people.”
Clark announced his resignation as housing minister on Labour Day morning, days after a scathing report from the province’s integrity commissioner found he violated ethics rules when the government removed land earmarked for development from the protected Greenbelt.
“I’ve always had so much respect for Steve,” Ford said Tuesday.
“His decision to step away couldn’t have been easy but it only demonstrates his integrity.”
Clark has said he intends to stay on as MPP for the eastern Ontario riding of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.
