Bill 23: The Rug Pulled Out From Under Our Feet

Bill 23, the More Houses Faster Act, has very little to do with housing and more to do with controlling a market to direct who wins and prospers.

The Bill was proposed before new councils were in session, and the last time something similar was proposed by this government, municipalities opened fire and got it shut down. But this Bill is different – it’s bigger and scarier, and it was passed while the municipal-cats were all away.

Still, between proposal and passing, there has been public outcry- the Bill has been opposed by all factions and all sectors. Economists say it will cost municipalities billions; developers say it defiles the market and taints free enterprise; housing experts say it is a red herring, unnecessary and will only lead to costly sprawl that no one in the province can afford, only foreign buyers; and environmentalists say it will lead to the biggest destruction and wildlife losses equivalent to colonization that lead to the Dustbowl and Dirty 30s. Even next generations are weighing in and speaking out. As a generation raised with the treat of Climate Change, and under the weight of Boomer spending sprees, Millennials and Y’s are saying this Bill will lead to a dark road of devastation; of increased emissions, homelessness and widespread bankruptcy.

Bill 23 majorly alters 12 pieces of legislation; it removes our rights to know about, comment on, and appeal decisions in our communities, and it goes further to allow the Premier to overturn any plans and decisions by our elected officials – on a whim. It removes powers of Conservation Authorities that were created to keep Ontarians safe from floods and help municipalities create watershed based housing and development plans, and therefore the Bill exposes us to risk – and without the benefits of any insurance. It goes even further to remove fees paid to municipalities by developers, leaving costs to be carried by taxpayers. And Bill 23 throws out protections for the most important wildlife habitats and natural areas across the province. These changes are only half of what the Bill touches.

This Bill is touted as “providing solutions”, meanwhile, even this government’s own research has shown that there is ample room for all the housing needed, including that surge from immigration, in development-ready lands within the existing urban boundaries of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Why pass a Bill that is so devastating to our communities, that up-ends our traditions, and removes the rug out from our hard work and legacies? That is the question of the day! Especially when this government passed over $4M to Muskoka for the District to conduct watershed planning to protect the natural features and systems that the Bill destroys everywhere else in Ontario, touting that they recognize that the same natural systems are what keeps Muskoka’s health and economy thriving. But what about our drinking water, flood control, hunting heritage, ecosystem services, and biodiversity everywhere else?

Find out more about Bill 23 and what can be done to turn the tides here.