Headline News

Local group protests provincial Bill 23

November 25, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

A local activist group and its supporters staged a protest in front of Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderon’s constituency office in Alliston on Friday, Nov. 18, to protest Bill 23.

Bill 23, known as More Homes Built Faster Act, is a provincial plan to build 1.5 million houses in Ontario over the next decade.

The Bill has received considerable opposition from groups who say it gives too much power to developers and will allow development on agricultural lands as well as valuable wetlands.

Conservation Authorities in the province have also voiced concerns saying the Bill will limit the way Conservation Authorities can work with municipal partners to plan safe developments while maintaining the benefits of nature in the province’s communities.

Similar protests are planned by other groups around the region.

The local protest was organized by a group called Strong Town New Tecumseth.

The group says they formed to better understand the impact of the projected growth for New Tecumseth by 35,000 people over the next 30 years.

“We want to stop Bill 23,” explained protest organizer, Stephanie Wolfe. “It’s basically handing our towns and green space over to developers. It’s handing the keys to our taxpayers and our green spaces to developers on a silver platter. As far as democracy, they’re not even letting people appeal it properly. Developers are going to stop paying fees to build parklands and housing – that’s $175 million from developer fees, is now going to be [covered by] tax dollars over the next 10 years in the County.”

The group says the building will become urban sprawl that will destroy valuable land and wildlife.

“Farmland, wetlands, forests, endangered species, and climate change, all of it,” Ms. Wolfe said. “Affordable housing – it’s not even going to be affordable housing. It’s sprawling. We need to build in town. Build where we already have infrastructure, that’s where we need it.”

Several other local organizations joined the protest. The group set up a base on the property in front of MPP Sanderson’s constituency office and then marched along the sidewalk in front.

MPP Saunderson was not at the constituency office during the protest.


Readers Comments (0)


You must be logged in to post a comment.

Page Reader Press Enter to Read Page Content Out Loud Press Enter to Pause or Restart Reading Page Content Out Loud Press Enter to Stop Reading Page Content Out Loud Screen Reader Support