Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday the government is “exploring” putting environmental protections back on two parts of the Greenbelt in Ajax, Ont. that had been slated for development.
In a Tuesday morning statement, Ford said the sites — located at 765 and 775 Kingston Road East — had been listed for sale by the developers who own the land.
“At no point was the intention to sell disclosed to the government’s facilitator during active and ongoing discussions,” Ford said in his statement.
“This behaviour goes against everything that our government is doing to bring home ownership into reach for more people.”
Ontario created the Greenbelt in 2005 to protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area from development. Last year, the province took 2,995 hectares of land on 15 sites out of the Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes and replaced it with about 3,000 acres elsewhere.
Earlier this month, the province’s auditor general released a scathing report that showed property developers with close ties to the government influenced the decision to open up the Greenbelt to their benefit. The fallout has triggered the resignation of the housing minister’s chief of staff and the RCMP is considering launching an investigation into the matter.
Ontario First Nations leaders are also reiterating their opposition to the Greenbelt land swap. You can read more about that here.
Ford’s statement did not name the company nor did it outright say the land would be returned to the Greenbelt.
Ford did say his government is “exploring every option including immediately starting the process to put these sites back into the Greenbelt.”
He added a warning to other property owners.
“To the other property owners, you’re on notice: if you don’t meet our government’s conditions, including showing real progress by year end with a plan to get shovels in the ground by 2025, your land will go back into the Greenbelt,” Ford said.
