Launch of mandatory Ontario Greenbelt review months overdue: internal docs

Shawn Jeffords · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 10, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Ontario appears to beryllium months down launching a mandatory reappraisal of the Greenbelt, and absorption politicians and environmentalists are asking for a wide-ranging and transparent survey of the protected lands to sphere their future.

A mandatory 10-year-review of the Greenbelt Plan, which created the protected portion from development, was to person started earlier this year. As of precocious March that reappraisal had not formally begun, according to documents obtained by CBC News done a state of accusation request.

Civil servants warned caller Municipal Affairs Minister Rob Flack that the process should person started connected Feb. 28, the day aft Ontario elected the Ford authorities to a 3rd term.

"To date, (the Ministry) has initiated interior argumentation probe and analysis, including processing imaginable approaches to consultation and Indigenous engagement," civilian servants told the caller curate successful a March briefing note.

The Greenbelt was created successful 2005 to support workplace onshore and immoderate of the astir ecologically delicate areas of the Golden Horseshoe region. The instrumentality provides biology extortion and specifies wherever improvement should not occur.

The Greenbelt has been the taxable of ungraded for the Ford authorities since 2022, erstwhile it announced it would swap 15 pieces of onshore from the protected country and unfastened them up for development. Reports from the auditor wide and integrity commissioner recovered that the process to prime lands was rushed and favoured definite developers.

The spot owners with onshore removed from the Greenbelt stood to spot their onshore worth emergence by $8.3 billion, the auditor wide recovered successful her ain Greenbelt investigation.

Ford reversed people aft heated nationalist outcry and the RCMP continues to analyse the matter.

WATCH | Ontario's 4 large parties accidental they would not physique lodging connected the Greenbelt:

Greenbelt instrumentality requires mandatory reappraisal each 10 years

The authorities that created the Greenbelt requires a reappraisal each decade. That involves consultations with municipalities wrong the protected country and members of the public. It besides requires the authorities perceive from its ain Greenbelt Council, a assemblage of 10 representatives it appoints to conscionable regularly and supply proposal to the curate connected onshore usage readying related to the protected area. 

But the civilian servants accidental that arsenic of March, the assembly lone had 1 member and nary chairperson. According to the Greenbelt council's website Monday, the sole remaining appointee's word expires connected June 24.

Seven members of that body, including erstwhile Toronto politician and PC furniture curate David Crombie, resigned successful 2020 successful protestation implicit changes the Ford authorities made to the powers of conservation authorities. 

But the civilian servants are besides wide astir the parameters of the reappraisal — it's not meant to shrink the protected zone.

"Amendments shall not person the effect of reducing the full onshore country of the Greenbelt Plan," the briefing enactment says.

Minister Flack's bureau did not respond to questions from CBC News connected the presumption of the reappraisal oregon the Greenbelt Council. The briefing note puts the Greenbelt reappraisal astatine the apical of a database of aboriginal priority decisions for the minister, labelling it a "medium" operational and reputational hazard for the government.

Critics acrophobic astir imaginable 'minimal' review

Given the governmental occupation the authorities has had with the Greenbelt, NDP situation professional Peter Tabuns said he's not surprised work connected the reappraisal has been dilatory to progress. 

"The less times the connection Greenbelt is uttered successful public the amended for them," helium said. "Having a truly minimal reappraisal propulsion done rapidly would astir apt beryllium politically the easiest happening for them."

While the reappraisal whitethorn look similar a elemental formality, it's needed to assistance fortify the protected zone, Tabuns said. He urged the authorities to consult wide connected however to fortify the law.

"Every 10 years you've got to look astatine it to marque definite it's successful bully shape," helium said. "To marque definite it's protected successful the anticipation that immoderate aboriginal onslaught volition beryllium blunted."

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said he's acrophobic the state has astir reached the halfway constituent of the twelvemonth and hasn't made immoderate meaningful advancement connected the review.

"I deliberation it is critically important for nationalist assurance that this reappraisal instrumentality place, that it beryllium rigorous, and it beryllium designed successful a mode to inquire questions astir what we tin bash to fortify the Greenbelt," helium said.

Review could assistance bolster nationalist confidence: MPP

In airy of the scandal, the authorities should usage the reappraisal arsenic a mode to bolster nationalist assurance successful its absorption of the Greenbelt, Schreiner said.

"I would accidental to the government, this is an accidental to assistance you determination guardant successful presumption of the Greenbelt ungraded and the nationalist absorption that flowed from that, to say, 'We learned a lesson, and we're going to behaviour a Greenbelt review, and we're going to bash it successful a mode that talks astir however to fortify the Greenbelt,'" helium said.

The reappraisal indispensable beryllium expansive and the authorities indispensable consult widely, said Tim Gray, the enforcement manager of Environmental Defence. The past study, done a decennary ago, took years and was substantive, helium said.

WATCH | The relation nationalist sentiment had connected Ford's Greenbelt plans: 

"It is important that we bash a cheque successful and upgrade it wherever necessary, grow it wherever necessary, and code threats to it wherever it's necessary," Gray said.

Tony Morris, conservation argumentation and campaigns manager astatine Ontario Nature, said he's acrophobic the authorities volition privation to execute a speedy reappraisal that "tinkers astatine the edges." 

"It's captious that the process beryllium transparent and it beryllium science-based," helium said. "It indispensable beryllium unfastened to Indigenous communities and each stakeholders to really beryllium progressive and consciousness similar they're being heard, which means that it has to beryllium a good thought retired process with due timelines."