WELLINGTON COUNTY – Groups dedicated to the preservation of farmland and water resources were happy to learn the Ontario government has backed away from a plan that could have threatened greenbelt lands and the ability to protest development.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is encouraged by the decision to remove Schedule 10 from the proposed Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, saying it signals the government’s willingness to listen to farmers.
“This announcement by the government is great news for Ontarians and the 38,000 farm families the OFA represents,” says Keith Currie, OFA president.
“Farmland is a finite resource and we must do everything to protect it for food production.”
On Jan. 21, Guelph-Eramosa council received a delegation from Susan McSherry of Wellington Water Watchers, a group dedicated to protecting drinking water, urging a stand against Schedule 10.
McSherry said it threatened wetlands and groundwater and was an “astonishingly undemocratic” attack on the public input process. The township promised to monitor the legislation, while other municipalities, including Guelph, voiced opposition.
Also on Jan. 21, the OFA sent a formal letter to Economic Development Minister Todd Smith stating its serious concerns about Schedule 10 and the impact the proposed changes would have on Ontario’s agri-food sector.
On Jan. 23, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark announced the government would withdraw Schedule 10 provisions under Bill 66.
“The use of this tool would never be approved at the expense of the Greenbelt or other provincial interests like water quality or public health and safety,” Clark said on Twitter. He added the government “listened to the concerns raised by MPPs, municipalities and stakeholders.”
Arlene Slocombe, executive director of Wellington Water Watchers, said, “We’re really, really pleased with the decision, but we need to stay vigilant.”
Clark said the government is committed to protecting lakes, waterways and groundwater from pollution, but it also wants to cut red tape for business growth.
Currie said the OFA will continue to work together with the government “to advocate for the best interests of the agri-food sector and rural communities.
“Together we can create greater prosperity across Ontario that isn’t at the expense of the province’s farmland resource.”
Schedule 10 would have allowed municipal councils to seek provincial permission to pass special bylaws regarding lands for new major employment uses, with the ability to fast-track zoning approval – exempt from a formal site plan control process.
A Wellington County report says projects would have been exempt from most Planning Act requirements, including consistency with provincial policy, the provincial greenbelt and growth plans, and the policies of the local official plan. The municipality would have had no obligation to hold public meetings, but could have held such meetings at their discretion, and proposals would not have been subject to appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).
