Residents right across Simcoe County will be taking part in pop-up rallies to protest the provincial government’s More Homes Faster Act — otherwise known as Bill 23 — and what they are calling “Greenbelt land grabs.”
The province has said the purpose of Bill 23 is to increase the housing supply throughout Ontario and to achieve the province’s goal of building 1.5 million homes within the next 10 years.
However, some local groups are concerned the proposed legislation won’t provide the affordable housing needed in the province, but rather will “rip up the Greenbelt, pave over wetlands and encourage sprawl around our communities," according to the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition.
In Orillia, the demonstration is planned for Sunday, Nov. 20. Rallies are scheduled to begin at Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop’s West Street South office in Orillia starting at 10 a.m., followed by a rally from 11 a.m. until noon at the Midland Public Library on King Street.
"The purpose of the event is to draw attention to these short-sighted and anti-democratic attacks on the environment and our communities," said Madeleine Fournier, who is co-organizing the Orillia event alongside Bob Bowles, Jill Rettinger, and Anna Bourgeois from Orillia Wetland Watchers.
"Jill Dunlop’s Bill 23 is NOT required to meet housing needs and it needlessly strips conservation authorities of their power, changes how wetlands are evaluated, disempowers municipal councils to make land-use decisions in their own communities, removes the ability of citizens to know about and appeal planning decisions, and downloads development costs to municipalities, thereby raising our taxes," said the local event organizers.
"Beneficiaries will be wealthy developers, who will maximize profits, while safe water supply of everyday Ontarians is threatened. Attacks on the Greenbelt in the form of slashing 7,400 acres also came shortly after Bill 23, despite Doug Ford promising not to touch it," they told OrilliaMatters.
"We saw the power of the CUPE labour strikes and how ordinary people raising their voices and uniting to demand change and action can make an impact," they explained.
"We need to do the same with Bill 23 and the Greenbelt. There are rallies at MPP offices all throughout the province; MPPs need to feel the pressure."
Locally, there will also be a rally Friday at 11 a.m. at Simcoe-Grey MPP Brian Saunderson’s Alliston constituency office, and his Stayner office on Saturday, Nov. 26 from 2-3 p.m.
Protests are also scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19 at Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey’s constituency office, located in Barrie at 20 Bell Farm Rd., from 1-2 p.m.
A demonstration is also planned for Saturday, Nov. 26 beginning at 11 a.m. at Barrie-Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin’s south-end office at 237 Mapleview Dr. E.
A rally is also set to take place at York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney’s office in Holland Landing on Sunday, Nov. 27 from 1:30-3 p.m.
