Former Toronto mayor David Crombie to lead Greenbelt panel

Premier Kathleen Wynne has tapped former Toronto mayor David Crombie to revisit the decade-old Greenbelt that curbs urban sprawl from Niagara Falls to Peterborough.

By law, the sweeping land-protection legislation enacted by former premier Dalton McGuinty in 2005 is up for review this year.

Crombie will lead a panel to look at the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, the Niagara Escarpment Plan, and the Greater Golden Horseshoe growth plan.

The four land-use plans are coordinated to keep suburbs and exurbs in check by preserving farmland and protecting ecologically sensitive areas.

Helping Crombie will be Ontario Federation of Agriculture vice-president Keith Currie, former Credit Valley Conservation Authority official Rae Horst, Vaughan city planning commissioner John MacKenzie, Urban Fieldgate Homes executive Leith Moore, and Debbie Zimmerman, the chief executive officer of Grape Growers of Ontario.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ted McMeekin emphasized Thursday that Queen’s Park wants to “grow the greenbelt” to protect even more land.

“It’s not our intent to be making radical changes,” said McMeekin, noting the government’s own research shows it is one of the most popular initiatives since the Liberals were elected in 2003.

Crombie’s panel will hold public consultations throughout the region and the government hopes to complete the review by early next year.

In a statement, Crombie stressed “land use plans are crucial to building a sustainable future for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.”