A message from Ruth Grier: take a look at Niagara Escarpment plan review

From the Clearview Community Coalition

The Niagara Escarpment, an important natural resource for Clearview Township and the Province, is threatened by the pressures of development.  CCC member Ruth Grier has stayed on top of the Niagara Escarpment Plan Review.  Please read her message, below.   You can support the protection of the Escarpment by:

1.       attending one of the Public Meetings.  For time and location go to   http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page10990.aspx

2.       sending comments to your MPP.

Message from Ruth Grier

I have recently joined the Board of the Niagara Escarpment Foundation (a charitable organisation founded to encourage public awareness of the Escarpment) and have had a briefing about the 2015 Provincial Land Use Planning Review which is examining the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Plan, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Niagara Escarpment Plan!      The Escarpment Plan is supposed to undergo a Review every five years but there has not been one for some time.  In preparation for the Review the Commission staff have prepared a number of policy papers which contain the staff’s recommendations for proposed changes to the Plan.

These have been presented to the Commission members at their regular meetings, discussed and then voted on.

There are 16 different Discussion Papers with the topics ranging from Land Use Designations to Cemeteries – and of course things like Aggregates, Significant Woodlands and Agriculture. The papers are very comprehensive and there are  important recommendations about adding lands to the NEP area.

If you go to the Commission website and click on “Provincial Land Use Review” you will find a site for Discussion Papers.     That site has each paper,  the dates of the Commission meetings where each paper was discussed and then the vote that was taken on the recommendations in the paper.  The decisions taken will then be what the Commission recommends to the Provincial Government.

Aggregates:  It’s a very long and detailed paper ending with five options for changes to the Plan that the Commission should consider:

 1.   No new Aggregate operations

 2.   Restriction and moratorium on new Mineral Aggregate Operations

 3.   Review and Improve Existing Policies and Development Criteria

 4.   Maintain existing policies and undertake housekeeping

 5.   Maintain existing policies and update mapping

The Commission staff recommended that the Commission adopt recommendation #3.   They explain why in the paper.  After considerable discussion at the November 2014 meeting two Commission members moved a motion to approve option #3.  This was defeated by a vote of 8 – 4.  Then a motion was put to adopt recommendation #1 and this passed 7 – 5 – with Clearview’s Councillor Davidson voting against!

http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page11003.aspx – This is the website for the Province’s information about the Review.     There is also a clear printed discussion document called “Our Region, Our Community, Our Home” which covers the process and which you would have to call and request  1-800-665-1120.  It has email and postal addresses where comments can be sent.  There is also a 6 member Advisory Panel chaired by David Crombie!   (That’s the good news!)   The Review is supposed to be completed by September 2015.

There are public meetings being held all over the GTA and public participation is strongly urged!   Many have already been held i.e. Toronto and Caledon but there is one in Aurora on April 13, Owen Sound April 18, Scarborough April 30 and Vaughan May 12!

When this Review process began I was terrified that the Province would go for an amalgamation of all the plans and that we could lose the NEC but I have been assured that while that was indeed discussed within the ministries it has now been ruled out.      However, I do think it is critical that comments supporting what the NEC is recommending be submitted – certainly on aggregates but also on the other issues so the purpose of this missive is to urge you to have a look!   Please forward this to anyone else you know who cares about the future of our Escarpment!   And please copy any comments you make to your M.P.P. – especially if you have a Toronto address.