Today, local Conservative MPPs voted to pass Bill 23 against the best advice from municipalities, Conservation Authorities, farming organizations, housing advocates, environmentalists, planners and civil society. Make no mistake, the changes in Bill 23 do not address the housing affordability crisis, rather they will simply put more money into the pockets of billionaire developers at the expense of Ontarians and the natural resources we depend on.
This legislation was passed despite massive opposition from citizens across Ontario, including here in Simcoe County, who want the housing affordability crisis addressed while we address social and environmental crises. Rallies over the past weeks have been held in dozens of communities, outside MPPs offices, and many more wrote letters and contacted their MPP by phone and email asking them to stop Bill 23.
At the rallies many local citizens came to protest for the first time because they felt that the concerns of the vast majority of Ontarians, as well as experts in housing, planning, and the environment, are not being heeded by this government. These people believe in the value of public participation, in the power of people – in democracy – and so do we.
Despite the fact that this bill has been passed, the power and unity shown around the region – and province as well – will not be dying out any time soon. In fact, the number of people who came to the rallies, who wrote letters to the editor and emails to their MPP, are a clear sign that people are awakening to the self-interested ideology of this government. Ontarians have seen fully and clearly that this government is willing to break faith with the people of Ontario and the things that have benefited us all, our healthcare, our education, our labour strength, and our environmental stewardship.
Our region is full of strong and caring people, and we are creating a movement that will overcome these challenges to build a positive future together. No bill or undemocratic dealings such as this will stop that.
A democracy is a tool of the people.
We will continue to wield it.
We will continue to build and unify for the long term.
Most importantly, we will remember who led with the people in mind and those who were beholden to deep pockets.
As costs of climate impacts mount, it is becoming increasingly difficult for insurers to make a profit, which means they are both developing new strategies in an effort to make their product profitable, and, in some significant cases, withdrawing their product from certain markets entirely.
The Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, with other organizations, is starting work to identify areas in Simcoe County that are in need of additional protections.
As a first step in this process, we are asking for your feedback. What areas do you think should receive additional protection, similar to what the Greenbelt provides?
When something is as integral to our lives as cars are, their normality tends to conceal their impact, and how, in reality, they aren’t normal at all. And to the extent this cover obscures that impact, it is difficult both to understand their outsized role, and to imagine a world in which that role is far less.
Governments have failed to act to protect our communities and the futures of our children and grandchildren, and they continue to treat our environment as if it’s incidental to life, rather than a foundation for it.
We need strong community organizations to fight for our future, now more than ever.
Please consider donating to support our work. It’s people like you who make us possible.
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Friends. Online censorship by unaccountable tech companies, combined with an all-out assault on the Greenbelt by Ontario’s developers/government, make this a perilous time for the future of democracy and the power of the people in Ontario.
We need to build new ways of empowering those who believe in accountability, in a healthy environment, and in communities ready to thrive in the economy of tomorrow.
Join our supporter network and stay informed about efforts and actions to protect the Greenbelt, to build communities that support the health and well-being of people, and to lay the foundations of a resilient, climate friendly future.
