Bill 23 passed. They did not hear us. Time to make some more noise.
On November 28th the Ford Government passed Bill 23 – the More Homes Built Faster Act – despite significant opposition from all sides. While we support the building of attainable and affordable housing in the towns within Muskoka, all the lands in Muskoka have been captured within this bill which will have unintended consequences for our lakes and rivers.
The MLA, Lake of Bays Association, Georgian Bay Association, Friends of Muskoka and the Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association each submitted significant concerns to the standing committee – especially about the change to site plan approval, third party appeals and potential property tax increases due to reductions in development charges. Although some appeal limitations were removed from the final version, few other changes were made. In addition to the changes affecting Muskoka, for all our members living in southern Ontario, there are still opportunities to be heard on proposed changes to allow housing on 15 parcels scattered throughout the greenbelt.
- Let’s keep making some noise until we are heard.
What can you do?
Send a letter or email to our Parry Sound – Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith make your own or use this one
Join a local rally this weekend
- Hamilton city hall Sunday December 4th 1pm Rally info here
- Rallys in Toronto, Midland, Kitchener, Ottawa and beyond December 2nd to 4th info here
- Submit comments to the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) on proposals to open the greenbelt ERO 019-6216 before December 4th
Take to Social media and tag mla [twitter@muskokalakes @fordnation @GraydonTheMPP @SteveClarkPC]
Instagram – graydonthempp steveclarkmpp fordnationdougford preservingmuskoka
Articles of Interest
MLA Past President, Deb Martin-Downs, opines on how Bill 23 will affect cottage country
Bill 23 may result in increased property taxes