By Staff
February 2, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Drip, drip, drip – water can wear away stone. Information on just who bought land and when did they know the government was going to change policy on Greenbelt land use.
Drip drip.
When there is a leak in an eaves trough or a bucket – water seeps out drop by drop – drip by drip.
Let that dripping go on long enough and you can wear away a stone.
Marit Stiles, Incoming Leader of the Ontario NDP, revealed new information about the Ford government’s plan to carve up the Greenbelt, indicating that a land development company seems to have had advance knowledge of the plan before it was made public.
“The more information we uncover about Ford’s scheme to tear up the Greenbelt, the more concerned I become”, said Stiles. “Protected land became extremely lucrative overnight, and Ford donors seem to have benefited enormously from land they had just purchased. Maybe they were just incredibly lucky. But something doesn’t seem right to me.”
Marita Stiles – will become the leader of the New Democrats at Queen’s Park later this month.
Three days before the announcement to tear up the Greenbelt was made public, Rice Group, a land development company, told the Mayor of King Township that a parcel of land could be provided for a nominal fee for a local project. At the time, that land was a protected part of the Greenbelt. Just three days later, the Ford government announced their intent to make the land available.
“This finding indicates to us that somebody knew something”, said Stiles. “I am confident that the Integrity Commissioner will review this information and provide Ontarians with the answers they deserve about the Greenbelt”.
The Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario opened an investigation on January 18, 2023, after finding “reasonable and probable grounds” to investigate Ford’s actions to carve up the Greenbelt. Stiles submitted additional evidence last week.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has amended the Greenbelt Area boundary regulation to add 13 new Urban River Valley areas and lands in the Paris Galt Moraine in Wellington County and remove 15 areas of land. Add lands in the Paris Galt Moraine in Wellington County to the Greenbelt Area Remove or re-designate 15 areas of land totalling approximately 7,400 acres from the edge of the Greenbelt Area that are serviced or adjacent to services and will be used to build housing in the near term. The investigative reporters want to learn more about who bought the lands that are being taken out of the Greenbelt and how much did they know before they bought ?
Timeline
- November 24, 2022 – Stiles wrote to the Auditor General requesting an investigation into the Ford government’s decision to open up 7,400 acres of Greenbelt land for development.
- December 8, 2022 – Formal Integrity Commissioner complaint filed.
- January 12, 2023 – Stiles and the other opposition leaders sent a letter to Auditor General requesting both a value-for-money audit and an environmental impact assessment of the government’s decision to remove lands from the Greenbelt.
- January 18, 2023 – Integrity Commissioner and Auditor General confirm they will be conducting investigations.
- January 27, 2023 – Additional information is submitted to the Integrity Commissioner.
Drip, drip, drip.
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So far Marit Stiles seems to be Andrea 2.0.
All criticism and zero alternative solutions.
The Lib/Left chasing their tails. 500,000 immigrants just this year alone, what about next year and the year after that, it’s a great idea inviting the whole family over for Christmas only to realize you live in a one bedroom flat and then turning around and blaming the landlord because you have no room. Developers have always assembled property for future development protected or otherwise, apart from tax write downs on earnings they understand we are running out of room.