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Hello ,
The Government of Ontario is showing its true colours with recent moves to ride roughshod over protections for Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSWs). The first sign of trouble was a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) to demolish three PSWs on agriculturally zoned land in Vaughan so that a Walmart distribution facility could be constructed. The second was a decision to destroy a large coastal PSW in the City of Pickering to make room for a warehousing facility, again through an MZO. The next domino may be five wetlands within the provincially significant East Humber River Wetland Complex in Vaughan.
What is going on? Is the government declaring open season on PSWs?
Given the immense benefits that wetlands provide – flood mitigation, water filtration, carbon sequestration, recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat and more – provincial policy rightly prohibits development on those that are evaluated and deemed to be provincially significant. In fact, PSWs in southern Ontario enjoy the highest level of protection of any natural feature.
Unfortunately, developers and their pals on municipal councils have found a new way to circumvent wetland protections: MZOs. This tool, the current go-to of the Ontario government, allows the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to ignore provincial policy, bypass municipal planning processes and directly zone land for pet projects. The Minister does not have to give notice or consult with the public prior to issuing an MZO and there is no opportunity for appeal.
Wetlands are critical to building community resilience to climate change impacts such as flooding. Public participation in land use decisions is also vital to ensure they are in the public interest rather than the interest of a few developers. Please join Ontario Nature in urging the Government of Ontario to respect and uphold protections for PSWs and to stop its misuse of MZOs.
– The Team at Ontario Nature
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