The democratic rights of Ontario’s citizens are under attack by governments at various levels.
In particular, the rights of citizens to influence or challenge planning decisions promoted by developers have been taken away by the Provincial government’s enactment of Bill 185—The Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act.
This legislation prevents citizens from appealing decisions such as approval for gravel mining pits and quarries to the Ontario Land Tribunal, the quasi-judicial body that now more than ever rubber-stamps such developments.
Negative environmental impacts to air and water quality, wildlife habitat, loss of precious agricultural lands, and more, lose out to the demands of multi-national aggregate extraction companies for more gravel mining sites despite ample evidence that licensed capacity already in place is at least thirteen times higher than annual consumption in Ontario.
It is citizens who are trying to protect the competing priorities that Doug Ford’s government continues to neglect. Now that voice of reason has been gagged.
Doug Tripp
Stratford ON
