Bill 23 Information and Actions

Friends of Olde Berlin Town have put together a great resource on Bill 23.  See below for the many links to information and actions you can take.

Bill 23 has many implications for natural areas, for municipal decision making and for what citizens want their neighourhoods to look like.  The Bill affects many Ontario legislative acts and policies as well as the powers of municipal governments.

Introduced October 25, 2022, Bill 23 is a Province of Ontario omnibus bill that aims to amend 10 pieces of legislation (Conservation Authorities Act, Development Charges Act, etc.) and 6 sets of regulations (Land Tribunal, Building Code, etc.)  It also proposes to review the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan.  You can see the government’s announcement and media Q&A here.

The government also announced on November 4, 2022 a proposal to modify the Greenbelt with ‘land swaps’ to permit development in some currently protected areas. 

Actions

Submit comments via the Environmental Registry of Ontario until November 24, 2022. (Click on each individual Environmental Registry of Ontario Posting that you wish to comment on).

Contact information for Elected Representatives

Future Majority phone tool

With this tool you can leave successive messages at the offices of four MPs

Find your MPP and contact information

Government Information on Bill 23

Consultations on More Homes Built Faster: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan 2022-2023 (ERO)

More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 Backgrounder

Legislative and regulatory proposals affecting conservation authorities to support the Housing Supply Action Plan 3.0 (ERO)

Proposed updates to the regulation of development for the protection of people and property from natural hazards in Ontario (ERO)

Review of A Place to Grow and Provincial Policy Statement (ERO)

Petitions                                                                                                                     

ACORN Canada petition
Change.org “Stop Urban Sprawl in the Ontario Greenbelt” petition
David Suzuki Foundation petition
Environmental Defence petition
Hold The Line Waterloo Region letter
Lead Now Canada ‘Stop Bill 23: Protect the Greenbelt and Build Real Affordable Housing’ petition
Ontario Nature petition
Ontario for All petition
The Ontario Headwaters Institute petition
Reform Gravel Mining Coalition petition (and letter)
Social Development Centre Waterloo Region letter
Wellington Water Watchers petition
Wilderness Committee and Save Ontario Wetlands letter

Analysis and Statements on Bill 23

50×30 Waterloo Region
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario
Against Bill 23 Coalition
Aird Berlis Law Firm
Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO)
Architectural Conservancy Ontario Policy Committee Chair Dan Schneider
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN)
Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO)
Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)
Canadian Centre for Housing Rights
Canadian Environmental Law Association (and signed letter)
City of Burlington
City of St Catherines
Conservation Halton Board
Conservation Hamilton
Dawn Parker, Professor, School of Planning, University of Waterloo
Environmental Defence
Future Majority
Hamilton 350
Ivey Building Sustainable Value Centre, Western University
The Narwal
New Democrat MPP Jessica Bell
Ontario for All
Ontario Farmland Trust
Ontario Greens leader MPP Mike Schreiner
The Ontario Headwaters Institute
Ontario Nature
Ontario Professional Planners Institute
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) Statement of Oct 27
Reform Gravel Mining Coalition
Region of Durham
Region of Waterloo Staff Report (Report: PDL-CPL-22-27)
Social Development Centre Waterloo Region
Stop Sprawl Durham (Bill 23 post)
Stop Sprawl Halton
Stop Sprawl Hamilton
Summary by Gowling WLG Law Firm
Summary by Osler Law Firm
Sustain Ontario Alliance
The Land Between
Tom Galloway, outgoing Regional Councillor
Toronto Mayors David Crombie, Barbara Hall and John Sewell
West End Home Builders Association

Bill 23 In the Media

CBC Analysis: 4 ways the PC government’s new housing bill could override city powers (Oct 28)
CTV-Kitchener: ‘It’s certainly ambitious:’ Ontario’s housing targets for Waterloo region raising concern (Oct 28)
CBC-News: Ford’s housing bill limits protection of watersheds, greenspaces, conservation authorities warn (and radio interview with Ken Greenberg) (Oct 28)
CBC-News: Hamilton housing and climate advocates protest Ontario’s proposed ‘More Homes Built Faster Act’ (Nov 4)
NationalPost: City of Ottawa staff have analyzed the local impacts of the province’s new housing bill, and their conclusions are grim (Nov 8)
‘Cutting an onion with a chainsaw’: York Region slams Ontario’s Bill 23 (Nov 11)
CBC-TV: Toronto News November 11, 2022 (begins at 10:00 mark) (Nov 11)
TO Star: Three former mayors of Toronto on why the More Homes Built Faster Act disempowers municipalities — and needs a serious rethink before proceeding (Nov 14)
OttawaCitizen: Pushback grows at city hall and beyond as provincial ‘More Homes’ bill moves closer to passage (Nov 14)
Globe+Mail: Conservation authorities responsible for flood management are losing their say in Ontario’s land development race (Nov 14)
BarrieToday: Bill 23 could drain city coffers of development charges (Nov 14)
StreetsofTO: Even this developer is against Ontario’s controversial, Greenbelt-trampling Bill 23 (Nov 16)
NewHamburgInd: Citizens groups protest Bill 23 in Elmira (Nov 16)

Greenbelt Proposal Information and Media

Ontario Launches Consultation on Proposed Changes to the Greenbelt (Govt, Nov 4)

Proposed amendments to the Greenbelt Area boundary regulation (ERO, Nov 4-Dec 4)
Environmental Defence Statement: The Ontario government’s proposed 7,400 acre giveaway to land speculators is a death sentence for the entire Greenbelt (Nov 4)
Environmental Defense Letter: Land swaps would be the death of the Greenbelt (Nov 4)
CBC News: The Ford government wants to open up the Greenbelt for housing. Here’s what it’s proposing (Nov 8)
CBC News: Ford government’s proposed changes to Greenbelt could spell trouble, environmental experts warn (Nov 9)
NationalObserver: Sacrificing Ontario’s scarce green space for sprawl a giant mistake (Nov 10)
CBC News: Who are the GTA developers set to benefit from Ford government’s Greenbelt land swap? (Nov 11)
CBC News: Ontario just got 14,000 hectares of land to develop — so why does Doug Ford want the Greenbelt too? (Nov 12)
Narwhal: Big Story Podcast Episode Why is Doug Ford slicing up Ontario’s Greenbelt? (Nov 14)
CBCRadio: Former urban planner is mystified the province is opening up the Greenbelt for development | The Morning Edition (Nov 14) 
BrantfordExpositor: Conservation coalition says province’s Greenbelt plan doesn’t add up (Nov 14)
Green Party Petition