More than a year past the scheduled start of a mandatory Greenbelt review by the Ford government in Ontario, the province’s municipal affairs minister remains tight-lipped about the current status of the crucial study of the environmentally significant area.
The review, an obligatory assessment required to be conducted every ten years and originally set to commence over a year ago, was postponed due to the snap election called by Premier Doug Ford in January 2025. When questioned by reporters about the progress of the Greenbelt review at Queen’s Park on Tuesday, Minister Rob Flack offered a brief response before walking away from the media gathering.
Established in 2005, the Greenbelt encompasses over 800,000 hectares of ecologically sensitive land surrounding the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. It serves as a shield for the environment and dictates areas where development should be prohibited.
The legislation governing the Greenbelt mandates a comprehensive review every decade, entailing consultations with municipalities within the protected region and engagements with the public. Additionally, it requires input from the government’s Greenbelt council, a panel of ten appointed representatives tasked with providing guidance to the minister on land use planning pertaining to the area.
However, the term of the last council member expired last summer, and the Ford administration has yet to appoint new members to oversee the review process. Minister Flack, who assumed the municipal affairs portfolio last spring, had largely refrained from commenting on the matter until December, when he mentioned during Question Period the need to establish a framework for a thorough review.
Despite Flack’s earlier remarks, no further updates have been provided by the government regarding the review or the reconstitution of the Greenbelt council.
Since 2022, the Greenbelt has been a contentious issue for the Ford government following its announcement to exchange 15 pieces of Greenbelt land for development purposes. Investigations by the auditor general and integrity commissioner revealed a rushed selection process that favored specific developers.
The decision to remove land from the Greenbelt was met with public backlash, prompting Ford to reverse course. The ongoing RCMP inquiry continues to scrutinize the matter, with the RCMP confirming an active investigation on Tuesday.
Various environmentalists and opposition members have been urging the government to proceed with the review and assure the public that no lands will be extracted from the protected area.
Amidst the secrecy surrounding the Greenbelt review, NDP leader Marit Stiles criticized Minister Flack for concealing details from Ontarians, expressing apprehension over potential undisclosed plans for the Greenbelt. Stiles linked the lack of transparency in the review to the premier’s recent legislation exempting himself and his cabinet from freedom of information requests.
Green party leader Mike Schreiner acknowledged the government’s cautious stance due to the ongoing RCMP investigation, emphasizing the importance of policy adjustments to bolster Greenbelt protections.
In response to the government’s opacity regarding the Greenbelt review, Liberal parliamentary leader John Fraser criticized the administration for its secrecy and lack of transparency, characterizing it as a government disconnected from the public and devoid of accountability.