Despite pelting rain, the Lake Simcoe Water Walk (Zhoonyaa Gaaming) was held Wednesday at Barrie's waterfront to draw attention to how Bill 23 and Greenbelt development will affect the local environment.
The walk started with a smudging ceremony from local elder Jeff Monague, followed up with a stroll along the lakeshore path from the Spirit Catcher to the Southshore Centre. There were about 20 people in attendance on a very cold and rainy day.
Margaret Prophet, executive director of the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition, said the event was held in support of local Indigenous community members to honour the health of Lake Simcoe, particularly with what Bill 23 could mean for the environment.
“I think everyone here is concerned with what happens as we lose our greenspace, as these bills keep coming and what they will do to Lake Simcoe,” Prophet said. “Today is a different way to show care and concern about what is happening provincially.”
Protests have been occurring around Ontario the last few weeks, including several in Simcoe County, but have ramped up since the government’s Bill 23, also known as the More Homes Built Faster Act, passed into law on Monday.
Prophet wants to see the protests continue.
“I hope to see more of the same. We have started to see a strong unity between groups that don't normally come together, from different regions that don’t normally come together, and as far as our coalition goes, that's exactly what we’re going to do,” she said.
It was announced Wednesday that, according to the province’s auditor general, the Ontario government ignored its own experts when it pushed to prioritize building eight highways, including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.
Recent news articles have also suggested some developers who are Progressive Conservative donors are set to benefit from the opening of development on the Greenbelt.
On Wednesday, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark denied allegations that he tipped off developers ahead of announcing changes to the Greenbelt. The integrity commissioner is looking into the claims.
The current plan is to build 50,000 homes on 15 different areas of the Greenbelt.
