The most challenging aspect of Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s report last week that outlined a flawed process undertaken by Premier Doug Ford to facilitate the development of lands formerly protected in Ontario’s Greenbelt is the myriad of pathways that must be explored to fully comprehend just how corrupt this whole ordeal is. In an age where people want their facts in soundbites, telling this tale will not be easy.
The 96-page report really leaves us with more questions than answers, especially when you consider that to date, Premier Ford has refused to revisit the decision to allow these lands to be removed despite the Auditor General finding that the families who sold this land believing it to be a part of the Greenbelt were cheated out of nearly $8.3 billion dollars in future value. Ninety-two per cent of the lands along with their now exponentially-higher price tag go to two Toronto developers who are personal friends of the premier and long-time donors to the Progressive Conservative party.
Instead of trying to prioritize an area to focus on this week, we are going to go on a multi-week journey together to look at how the Greenbelt scandal is far more than farm families being cheated by wealthy developers. It is more than a perverted process that saw the rules being changed on the fly that were there to protect prime agricultural land. It is more than a government that failed to properly consult the Mississauguas of the Credit and other Indigenous Nations who have treaty rights to the majority of the land in question.
It is more than a government than instead of admit their mistake and revisit the land swaps, chose to double down on canned messaging and sad spins to try and get people to ignore it. It is more than all of these things because it is everything all at once. It is the most stark reminder in my lifetime that unless you are a member of the ultra-wealthy with enough personal disposable income that you can shower various riding associations, individual campaigns, and central party operations with precious dollars, that you have no local political representation. It is a resounding warning that highlights the slowed pace of enfranchisement and the ongoing threat to two centuries of continuous improvement for those of us that put on boots and go to work every day that keep the western dream alive.
Before diving into the meat of this story one thing must be laid bare. The Greenbelt lands are not needed to hit even the most aggressive government housing targets. It isn’t needed because available land has not been the impediment to housing targets.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario, an association representing 444 municipalities, shared in its December 2022 submission to the consultation process that there are already 88,000 acres zoned appropriately and ready for development across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas. AMO’s submission goes on to state that there is enough land fully permitted that 285,000 housing units could be built tomorrow across 19 large Ontario municipalities, yet developers have chosen to sit on vacant land instead of building houses. The submission from AMO has been reinforced with submissions from chief planners in Durham, Hamilton and York who all shared that they had land sufficiently serviced to meet Ontario’s housing targets.
Over the past week, Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly tried to frame this decision as necessary to solve today’s housing crisis. That is a lie – these lands were never needed and this decision was never about young families being able to afford starter homes.
Surviving is a real problem for people in every community across Canada. There are too many people in places like Listowel and Walkerton who bust their tail every single day at work, yet are falling behind on the rent. One in five Canadian households are food insecure. Inequality is growing.
At times like this the people that still have franchise should be compelled to stand up and use the voice they still have today. History has enough examples of what happens if we all stay silent for too long.
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Stewart Skinner is a local business owner, former political candidate, and has worked at Queen’s Park as a Policy Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. He can be followed on Twitter: @modernfarmer.
