Conservation Authority blinks on DG Group application

from Jack Gibbons North Gwillimbury Forest Alliance

After insisting for months that DG Group’s application to destroy wetlands in the North Gwillimbury Forest should remain tightly under wraps, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) has changed direction and agreed to release the materials in response to our Freedom of Information request.

This is a major victory for the people of Georgina (and Ontario). Hundreds of you signed our petition calling on the LSRCA to make DG Group’s application public. Combined with the fine work of our lawyer in making it clear that there was no legal justification for the LSRCA secrecy, this resulted in the authority agreeing to show us just what DG Group has proposed.

When DG Group’s application becomes public, we will be able to clearly see that you can’t put more than 1,000 mobile homes on a piece of land that is more than 80% wetland and not affect the functioning of important natural systems.

That’s the test DG Group has to pass in order for the LSRCA to issue a Section 28 permit. When it becomes apparent that DG Group cannot pass the test, there will be no excuse for further stalling by the LSRCA. DG Group’s application should be denied and more sensible options explored – such as discussing options for the Keswick urban growth area – instead of threatening to move development into the heart of the Greenbelt.

Thank you for helping us to get these important materials out into the open so that we can have some transparency and public insight into the LSRCA’s decisions.