Support the Greenbelt and Sensible Development

On October 25th, the Government of Ontario tabled Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022, an omnibus bill proposing sweeping changes to the province’s natural heritage and land use planning legislation and policy. Overall, Bill 23 and associated policies remove and weaken environmental protections and diminish the role of Ontarians in land use planning and decision-making. The Act also includes other sweeping changes, including exemptions from development charges and parkland fees, and removal of the ability of conservation authorities to comment on environmental impact of a development application.The Act was introduced the day after municipal elections, and within 30 days and limited public consultation, was given Royal Assent on November 28, 2022. Indigenous communities were not consulted.

A number of B Corps and other caring companies came together to voice their opposition and ask for the repeal of Bill 23 by asking companies to sign the following letter. See press release below. Please fill in the form below to add your company.

Concern over Bill 23 and Greenbelt Development

To:      Doug Ford, Honourable Premier of Ontario

CC:     David Piccini, Honourable Ontario Minister of The Environment

Steve Clark, Honourable Ontario Minister of Housing

From:  Over 120 of Ontario Businesses

Concern over Bill 23 and Greenbelt Development

• We acknowledge and appreciate that Ontario needs more housing, but there are other options such as increasing urban density and building homes on land that is not protected.
  
  
• With many Canadians now feeling the effects of rising food costs, and the need for local food security, keeping farmland protected is crucial.
• The adverse effects of climate change is already affecting Canadians. Destroying natural areas that help mitigate flooding and other climate related natural disasters will exacerbate climate related events
• The best businesses in the world, large and small, have embraced Environmental and Social Governance and understand that protecting the environment is good for the planet and good for business. We expect the same from our government.
• We urge you to repeal Bill 23 and keep all of the Greenbelt and Ontario natural heritage protected.

See list of all 123 Ontario companies that endorse the above. If you are a company in Ontario that supports the above statement, please add your company below.

Companies Supporting

Additional Information

The main elements of the act are:

• Create a process for selling off conservation lands without oversight
• Strip conservation authority powers which protect us from floods
• Remove protections from woodlands, wetlands and wildlife habitat
• Cancel municipal green building standards
• Remove the public consultation for draft plans of subdivisions
• Do almost nothing to build more affordable homes inside of our cities and towns where they are needed

If you aren’t familiar with these issues, Bill 23 has recently passed and among other things, it weakens environmental regulation and protection in Ontario. The Greenbelt issue is about opening up sections of protected farmland, and natural areas to development. More information is available in these links:

• Greenbelt - Ontario Government
• Greenbelt Foundation
• Ontario Nature
• GreenPromise.ca
• Environmental Defence
• Greenbelt articles on The Narwhal