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Thread alert I've been working these past few weeks on a story about Minister's Zoning Orders, Bill 229, and a wetland in Pickering, Ontario. I know you might be thinking, 'Hmm, zoning? That sounds kinda boring,' but stay with me. Here goes:
Why are we even talking about this? In October, the Ontario government issued an MZO for a 57-acre parcel of land in Pickering, which largely consists of Provincially Significant Wetland. The plan is to build a 850,000-4,000,000 sq.-ft warehouse in the wetland's place.
And what *is* an MZO? It's basically an edict from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to change the parameters of how a piece of land can be used, overruling regular zoning processes -- such as the need for public consultation and citizens' rights to appeal.
Until Premier Ford took office, these orders were generally a pretty obscure part of Ontario's Planning Act, used about once a year. Since 2019, more than 30 have been issued. In other words: they are becoming a lot more relevant in decisions about how space and land is used.
Until recently, Triple Properties, the developer which owns this piece of wetland, really couldn't do much with it. Why? Most of the land is designated as Provincially Significant Wetland, which means development is largely restricted.
But, back to October: After the MZO was issued, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority could have still denied the permit for the development. In fact, they planned to do just that, given the restrictions on development in PSWs.
Five weeks later, an amendment was made in Bill 229, an omnibus budget bill, stating that in the case of an MZO, conservation authorities *must* issue permits. They could no longer say no.
I spoke with a number of Pickering residents who are enraged about how this development came to be. For its part, the Pickering City Council has said the warehouse will bring 2,000-3,000 jobs to the city.
I'll stop this thread here, but read on
https://www.tvo.org/article/poster-child-for-destruction-the-fight-to-save-the-duffins-creek-wetland-from-developers
I'll stop this thread here, but read on
https://www.tvo.org/article/poster-child-for-destruction-the-fight-to-save-the-duffins-creek-wetland-from-developers
