The past nine months have been a period of major change with respect to provincial policies on urban growth and development in Ontario. The October 2003 election brought with it a new provincial government that had made extensive commitments related to the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of the province’s urban communities in its election platform. These commitments included¹
The allocation of two cents per litre of the provincial gasoline tax revenues to municipalities for public transit. This was projected to result in a contribution of $312 million per year
The establishment of clear planning rules to ensure that the...
The Pembina Institute’s February 2003 report outlined a provincial policy framework for smart growth in Ontario, drawing on materials from governmental, academic, non-governmental, and institutional sources, ranging from the Federation of Ontario Naturalists27 to the Toronto-Dominion Bank28 and the C.D. Howe Institute.29
The Pembina Institute’s provincial policy framework for Smart Growth focused on five areas: infrastructure funding policies; land-use planning policies; fiscal and taxation policies; sustainable energy; and governance structures. The provincial government’s progress on issues related to sustainable energy were addressed in The Pembina Institute and Canadian Environmental Law Association’s May 2004 report Towards a Sustainable Electricity System for...
Since coming to office in October 2003, the new Ontario government has made a significant start on the reform of provincial policies needed to curb urban sprawl and promote more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable urban development patterns.
In the area of land-use planning, Bill 26, the Strong Communities Act, was introduced in December 2003. Bill 26 would require that planning decisions “be consistent” with provincial policy and limit the ability of development proponents to initiate appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) before matters have been considered by municipal councils. Discussion papers have also been released on broader Planning...