Bill 257 Schedule 3 changes to retroactively authorize MZO’s exemption from Provincial Policy Statements
NOTE: Unfortunately, Bill 257 with Schedule 3 was passed on April 12, 2921. So MZOs no longer have to be consistent with the PPS (except in the Greenbelt).
On March 8, we advised that FUN has written to Hon. Steve Clark as we are concerned, disappointed and angry that he has introduced legislation that amends the Planning Act to provide that Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs) are not required and are deemed to never have been required to be consistent with Provincial Policy Statements (PPS) issued under subsection 3 (1); that is, except for such orders that apply to land in the Greenbelt Area.
This legislation, being snuck in as a one paragraph schedule on the entirely unrelated “Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, Bill 257” in a blatant attempt to avoid notice, is unjust, authoritarian, and undemocratic. It curtails the municipal planning process and facilitates non-compliance with the Provincial Policy Statements. Worse, it is applied retroactively, apparently to attempt to avoid the Provincial Government being held to account in two on-going court challenges, Duffin’s Creek and the Foundry.
A statement, signed by 120 organizations, including FUN, was submitted to The Honourable Clark on March 26, asking that Schedule 3 be removed from Bill 257.
The Environmental Registry of Ontario has now posted the proposal for comments by the public; the deadline for submissions is April 3, 2021 11:59 pm. On March 8, FUN asked you to send letters to the politicians; we now ask you to add your voice again by submitting your opinions via the ERO posting.