My question is to the Minister of Agriculture. Proposed changes in Bill 97 and the PPS allow for increased residential lots on agricultural land. Ontario also has specific minimum distance separation standards that determine setback distances between residential lots and livestock barns, manure storages, and anaerobic digesters—and for good reason.

Planners are raising concerns that there is a conflict developing—particularly Wayne Caldwell, professor of rural planning and development at the University of Guelph: “On a typical concession block the proposed new PPS will allow at least 30 residential lots. With minimum distance separation, there will be virtually no space left for growth in the livestock sector. Indeed we should ask the question, is this the beginning of the end for animal agriculture in Ontario?”

That question needs to be asked. When someone decides that they’re going to build a new dairy barn, hog barn, and there’s a residential lot within the minimum separation distance, what’s going to happen?