'Act 2 of the Greenbelt corruption crisis' as Ontario municipalities forced to change growth plans: NDP

A leaked memo shows the Ontario government made changes to the growth plans of six municipalities knowing it would be controversial and offered ways to combat any bad press about the decisions, the NDP say.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the leaked memo "act two of the Greenbelt corruption crisis" because she says it shows the Progressive Conservatives forced urban boundary expansions, often knowing the municipalities would be unhappy with the changes.

Premier Doug Ford and his government have been criticized in recent months for changes it made to the Greenbelt to allow for housing development. After Opposition and public outcry, Ford announced last month his government would re-evaluate the lands as part of a wider review of all Greenbelt lands and development applications.  

The six municipalities mentioned in the memo, released by the NDP this week, are:

In Waterloo region, the government added 2,380 hectares to the urban area boundary above what the regional council had decided was appropriate in passing its official plan. The region learned on April 11, 2023 that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who was then Steve Clark, had made the changes and the region was not permitted to appeal them.

"What the government is doing here is, they're bulldozing and imposing on the people of [Waterloo] region, a deal that really is counter to the interests of folks in Kitchener-Waterloo," Stiles told Craig Norris, host of CBC K-W's The Morning Edition.

"When you look at the Kitchener-Waterloo region, we know how much work went into the local planning process and that people in the region want to see densification, they want to see homes built, they want to see more affordable homes."

LISTEN | Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles shares concerns over leaked government memo on urban boundary expansions:

Another concern raised in Waterloo region was that some of the lands added by the province came from "third-party requests." The province has not said who those third-parties are and Stiles says she asked, but was not given that information.

A spokesperson for the Region of Waterloo declined to comment on the leaked memo and what it says about the region and pointed all questions to the province.

In Wellington County, the ministry made changes to expand settlement areas before county staff had a chance to complete their own work.

County Warden Andy Lennox told CBC News that now the memo has been leaked, he hopes it will mean the province will be more willing to work with the county, rather than impose the changes.

"Wellington County would be very happy if the urban boundary adjustments assigned by the province were to be reviewed," Lennox said in an email.

"Council and staff were working through the process to adjust boundaries in an orderly way that ensures cost effective municipal servicing. Particularly in [the townships of] Centre Wellington, Guelph/Eramosa and Minto, we would be very happy [if] some of the province's adjustments are reviewed and have the possibility for us to offer a revised plan."