It’s always wonderful to spend some quality time with my colleague from Guelph. I know we spend time together in our respective ridings because we share, obviously, some service managers in that. I’m always happy to spend time with Mr. Green.

The member from Ottawa South and the member from Thornhill, earlier, were mentioning that we are digging. We are digging; we are digging foundations for new homes in Ontario, I’m proud to say.

From day one, we’ve been focused on building more homes for the people across this province.

What you hear from the typical opposition parties is about more obstacles being put in the way of actually getting more homes built, more shovels in the ground—just like the members who usually sit around the member from Guelph. He is surrounded by independent Liberal caucus members who did just that—especially the member from Ottawa South, when he was part of the government. They put obstacles in the way of building more homes. At committee, we heard from a former minister in the Wynne government. The mayor of Vaughan said that the housing crisis began at the cabinet table when he sat it at. So this has been ongoing, and they have put obstacles in the way.

We’re seeing now that we’re actually getting more homes built across Ontario. Our housing supply action plans are working. We’re seeing rental-housing starts increase year over year; they are at the highest levels ever in the province of Ontario. And this is despite the high-interest-rate policies of the federal Liberal government, and the high-carbon-tax policies which are putting so many people out of the market for that new home.

What we’re going to do is return the dream of home ownership to the people of the province of Ontario by getting more shovels in the ground, reducing costs and removing obstacles.

It’s a pleasure to rise this afternoon to speak on Bill 136, Greenbelt Statute Amendment Act, 2023. It’s a pleasure to speak here, this afternoon, for third reading of our government’s proposed bill before this House.

I want to lead off with an overview of the bill, but I know my colleague across the way mentioned—just for the record, I know this was a debate at committee on Friday; thank you to the committee members for working with us on a Friday.

And before I forget, as I mentioned at committee, my thoughts and prayers are with the member’s family, during this difficult time, on the passing of her aunt.

At committee, we debated about the amendments you mentioned earlier. This bill, actually, ensures that the greenbelt is protected in whole and that those two additional amendments, which were in the original Greenbelt Act, are not required. It would actually create duplication and red tape. We are ensuring the greenbelt is protected and whole—to be clear, for the record. Just to read that into the record here, this afternoon—they would not be necessary.

The proposed Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023, would amend the Greenbelt Act, 2005, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, 2001, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act. If passed, the bill would enact the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2023—that is, our proposed legislation would effectively restore the protections that were previously provided by an earlier act dealing with the agricultural preserve.

There are many pieces to this proposed legislation, so I will highlight the major actions and what they would do.

I’ll speak on how we are proposing to put the lands back into the Greenbelt. I’ll talk about the lands that we’ve recently added to the greenbelt and look at our proposals to strengthen the protection of the greenbelt. We’re proposing to return 15 sites, totalling 7,400 acres—or, for those who prefer metric, 2,995 hectares—of land that were redesigned or taken out of the greenbelt in Oak Ridges moraine areas in late 2022. The lands in question, which we propose to return to the greenbelt, are in the cities of Hamilton, Markham, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, the towns of Ajax, Grimsby, Whitchurch-Stouffville, the township of King and the municipality of Clarington. As I mentioned, we are also proposing to reverse the redesignation of land in Grimsby, which is the protected countryside of the greenbelt, and the land in King township, which is the Oak Ridges moraine area.

We’re also proposing to update the land use schedules of the greenbelt plan. This would help us restore the same protections to the lands that they had before the change in late 2022.

I should mention that some of the lands we are restoring or redesignating also come under the policies of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act. For the lands that also fall under the policies of the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, we’re also proposing to reverse the redesignation made in 2022. A redesignation changes the uses that are allowed on a parcel of land, and in this case, we would be restoring the designation of those lands to “countryside” from “settlement area.” This would have the effect of limiting the uses of these lands and giving them the protection that they had prior to the changes in 2022.

We’re also proposing to restore protections previously provided by the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2005. This would mean reinstating the easements and covenants provided for the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve. These easements and covenants restrict development by limiting the land to agricultural uses, restoring them to what they were before the changes in late 2022, and would recognize the importance of the agricultural lands in this area. It would also ensure their sustainable use for present and future generations.

Speaker, as my colleagues have mentioned in this place on many occasions around this legislation, on parliamentary conventions and procedures, this legislation, if passed, would codify the greenbelt into legislation.

Interjection.

If a future government—I know we have a new Liberal leader—no offence, Speaker. I know you’re in the Chair right now. We have a new Liberal leader who has said that she’s open to opening the greenbelt. That is her prerogative, and if they ever—hopefully many, many years from now—form government, they may choose to open the greenbelt, but they will have to answer to the people of Ontario if they do that. And to do that, they would have to bring forward legislation to change the greenbelt and the Oak Ridges moraine and the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve as well.

This legislation would enshrine the boundaries of the greenbelt and the Oak Ridges moraine areas in legislation. It would also remove the regulatory authority to change these boundaries in the future. Just like the very bill we’re debating today, any changes to the boundaries of the greenbelt area or the Oak Ridges moraine area would need to be debated and passed in this House. All the same due diligence needed for regulation would continue, such as including consultations on any boundary changes on the Regulatory Registry and the Environmental Registry of Ontario, also known as ERO, most commonly.

We’re also proposing the additional protection of the boundaries through the legislation because Ontarians have made it clear that they want an enhanced level of protection across these lands while still making sure lands are available for important infrastructure, as was intended when the original Greenbelt Act was passed in this place in 2005.

Speaker, I’ve talked mostly about what our proposed legislation would do to reverse actions taken since 2022. Back on that date, lands were also added to the greenbelt, as I mentioned earlier. Lands on the Paris-Galt moraine were added, and 13 urban river valleys were added as well, or expanded. The lands that are designated as urban river valleys provided a corridor of protection for natural heritage, like wooded areas and waterways, that run through urban areas as well. These corridors connect the greenbelt to the Great Lakes, inland lakes and areas beyond the greenbelt’s boundaries.

Speaker, in addition to protecting natural features and water features, urban valleys protect recreation, tourism and cultural opportunities in all natural settings. While some privately owned lands may be included in urban river valleys, the policies of urban river valleys apply only to publicly owned lands, and they rely on municipal official plan policies for their implementation. In these official plans, urban river valley lands are mostly designated as parks, open spaces, recreational areas and areas for conservation protection and/or environmental protection.

Speaker, taking together all of these reversals and additions, we’re adding 9,400 acres—or, again, for those metric individuals watching this afternoon, 3,800 hectares—to the greenbelt.

Let me tell the House a little bit about the Paris-Galt moraine. The moraine extends from Caledon to the Paris-Brantford area and is home to critical groundwater resources. It’s about 130 kilometres long and spans as wide as 11 kilometres at certain points. We’ve added land in the Paris-Galt moraine to the greenbelt area, and we’ve designated it as a protected countryside with a natural heritage system.

Speaker, the future of the greenbelt is bright. As the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing stated earlier this year, our government will soon be proceeding with the planned 10-year review of the greenbelt. This review will be led by impartial, non-partisan experts in conservation, agriculture and the environment, and it will include engagement with Indigenous communities and municipalities. Once the experts have finalized their recommendations, they will be provided to the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Environment for consultation. This is to ensure that the review process is fair and guided by recent recommendations to improve the process.

Speaker, the greater Golden Horseshoe is one of the fastest-growing regions in North America. I know as I was sitting here listening to the debate this afternoon from my colleagues, the member from Essex was so kind as to give me a Christmas card. Within that Christmas card, he wrote a lovely note congratulating me on recently—well, not recently—getting engaged this year. Then, he said, “I hope you have a marriage happy and long and that you have lots of children.” Well, that’s not up to me, Speaker; it’s up to me and my partner. I don’t know how Meghan feels about that, but it demonstrates that our—

Interjection.

Thank you to the member from Whitby for his very important and good question. The review is in the act right now, as the member may know, but we’re going to, obviously, codify the greenbelt in legislation. That review will consult with environmental experts. It will consult with, as the minister mentioned as well in his remarks, the Indigenous community. And it will consult with the municipalities in the greenbelt, obviously, as well, ensuring that all voices are heard through the process and ensuring that we have a robust greenbelt for years to come.

They are very important points raised by the member from Windsor–Tecumseh. As another young member, if I can be so bold as to say that, of our caucus, I am really focused on ensuring, as I mentioned in my remarks, that home ownership remains a reality for Ontarians, ensuring that new Canadians are able to purchase their own homes.

As well, Speaker—I mentioned a bit of it in my remarks, and to answer my colleague’s question—some of the changes were made around life leases. Life leases and an ownership in one of those communities provide an avenue to build some equity, to start that process for young people in that community. I know our government remains focused on ensuring that those are viable options, to ensure that we have housing for all individuals in Ontario.

It’s an honour to share the government’s time today as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and speak to the Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023. As the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing outlined in his remarks just a few moments ago, our government is introducing legislation that would, if passed, restore all properties that were redesignated or removed from the greenbelt and the Oak Ridges moraine areas in late 2022. We’re also proposing to keep 9,400 acres that were added to the greenbelt in 2022. The proposed legislation would enhance protections by ensuring any future changes to the greenbelt boundaries can only be made through the legislative process.

At the same time, Speaker, we remain focused on and committed to tackling Ontario’s housing supply crisis. We can’t lose sight of the fact that Ontario’s population continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. While the Associate Minister of Housing has spoken about our housing supply action plans and the changes they have driven, today I’d like to update the Legislature on what we have done and our progress stemming from the Housing Affordability Task Force.

The task force is comprised of industry leaders and experts. They consulted with municipalities, both urban and rural, the public and industry to identify measures to address the housing supply crisis and get homes built faster. The urgency behind the work of the task force is clear. Housing prices in Ontario have almost tripled in the past 10 years, growing much faster than incomes. This has placed home ownership beyond the reach of most first-time homebuyers across the province, even those with well-paying jobs. Finding affordable rental accommodations has also become an immense challenge. We know the system isn’t working as it should.

The report from the Housing Affordability Task Force was published in February 2022. It serves as a long-term road map for our government as we work to boost the supply of new homes and address the affordability crisis we’re currently in. The report sets out, as many will know in this place, 55 high-level recommendations. To implement these effectively, some recommendations require multiple actions. When these actions are included, we arrive at a total of 74 recommendations from the report.

I’m pleased to report that of the 74 recommendations, 23 are fully implemented, 14 are in progress and the remaining 37 are under review. Speaker, as you will know, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, when he assumed his role a few weeks ago, reached out to the municipalities to get their feedback on the remaining 37 and 14 currently in progress from the Housing Affordability Task Force recommendations, and I know that deadline just recently passed. I know, talking to my own local municipal colleagues, they really appreciated that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing reached out to consult on those implementations and to get their ideas and feedback on how best we can continue to implement those moving forward, working with our partners, as the Associate Minister of Housing mentioned—our municipal partners and our federal colleagues—to ensure that we continue to build homes in communities across Ontario, whether it’s in downtown Toronto or downtown Listowel.

The 23 recommendations I’m going to discuss today have been all implemented by our government, either in their entirety or with some amendments. Recommendation number one was to set the bold goal of building at least 1.5 million new homes in 10 years. This recommendation is now at the heart of our government’s housing strategy. Everything we do to boost housing supply is driven by the goal of building at least 1.5 million new homes in the province by 2031. This has included introducing legislation, re-examining the process and, in some cases, enshrining new ways of working, similar to what brings us here today.

A number of recommendations and actions that have been taken have helped streamline the planning process. Recommendation number 3 was to limit exclusionary zoning in municipalities through binding provincial actions. Related action 3(a) was to allow as-of-right residential housing for up to four units and up to four stories on a single residential lot. The More Homes Built Faster Act amended the Planning Act to override zoning by-laws to allow as-of-right; in other words, without the need to apply for re-zoning, the use of up to three units per lot in most existing residential areas.

Municipalities are also encouraged to adopt official plan policies, the zoning by-law amendments that exceed the three unit per lot minimum, as some municipalities have chosen to do so, as my colleagues in this place will know. This will help them meet their provincially assigned housing targets. I know it was great to see many of the municipalities who were assigned housing targets sign on to those pledges and their commitment to work with our provincial government to meet our shared housing objectives. Ontario is supporting this outcome through measures such as the Building Faster Fund, as the Associate Minister of Housing referred to in his remarks. The fund will provide financial incentives for municipalities that meet or exceed their housing targets.

Recommendation number 5 was to permit as-of-right, secondary units, garden suites and laneway houses province-wide. The More Homes Built Faster Act amended the Planning Act by overriding bylaws to allow as-of right. As I have mentioned, this would permit the use of up to three units per lot in most residential areas that currently exist. One of these three units can be an auxiliary structure, such as a laneway house.

Another recommendation, number 12, was to create a more permissive land use, planning and approval system. Related action 12(a) was to repeal or override municipal policies, zoning or plans that prioritized the preservation of the physical character of a neighbourhood. The More Homes Built Faster Act amended the Planning Act to limit the scope of site plan control. It did this by removing the municipal ability to regulate architectural designs and aesthetic aspects of the landscape design. The next action under this recommendation, 12(b), was to exempt from site plan approval and public consultation all projects of 10 units or less that conform to the official plan and require only minor variances.

The More Homes Built Faster Act amended the Planning Act to remove all aspects of the site plan control for most residential developments up to 10 units.

Speaker, I’ll now tell you about the recommendations and actions that strike a balanced approach to reviews and consultation. Recommendation number 15 required the mandatory delegation of site plan approvals and minor variances to staff with pre-approved, qualified, third party technical consultants. This would be accomplished through a simplified review and approval process without the ability to withdraw council’s delegation. The More Homes for Everyone Act amended the Planning Act to require that site plan control decisions be made by staff instead of municipal councils or committees of council.

The next two action items under the umbrella recommendation number 16 are preventing abuse of the heritage preservation and designation process. The first action, number 16(a), was to prohibit the use of bulk listing on municipal heritage registers. Changes to O. Reg 9/06, criteria for determining cultural heritage value or interest, established that non-designated properties included on a municipal register must meet one or more of the criteria outlined in the regulation.

The More Homes Built Faster Act amended the Ontario Heritage Act to introduce requirements that properties can only remain listed for a minimum of two years. If not designated during that time, they must be removed from the register and cannot be relisted for a period of five years.

The second action under this recommendation—16(b)—was to prohibit reactive heritage designations after a Planning Act development application has been filed. The More Homes Built Faster Act amended the Ontario Heritage Act to introduce a requirement that only properties that were already listed on a municipal heritage register can be considered for designation. This pertains to where a property is subject to certain Planning Act applications. This new requirement provides property owners with increased certainty. It also prohibits reactive designation on properties not previously noted as being of potential cultural heritage value or interest to a municipality.

Recommendation 18 was to restore the right of developers to appeal official plans and municipal comprehensive reviews. The More Homes, More Choice Act removed restrictions on “de novo” hearings by repealing sections 38 to 42 of the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal Act. “De novo,” in this context, means where the hearing starts anew, focusing on facts without any reference to decisions already taken. This broadened the grounds of appeal and supports the Ontario Land Tribunal in making the best planning decision.

The task force’s recommendation number 19 suggested enshrining in legislation timelines at each stage of the provincial and municipal review process. The Planning Act now includes statutory decision-making timelines with an ability for applicants to appeal matters to the Ontario Land Tribunal if timelines are not met. This is also addressed through gradual fee refunds for rezoning and site plan if decisions are not made within timelines.

Recommendation number 20 of the task force was to fund the creation of “approvals facilitators” with the authority to quickly resolve conflicts among municipal and/or provincial authorities and ensure timelines are met. The Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act amended the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act to allow for the appointment of up to four deputy facilitators in the Office of the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator.

Recommendation number 24 was to allow wood construction up to 12 storeys. Amendments to Ontario’s building code allow encapsulated mass timber buildings to be constructed up to 12 storeys high.

Under recommendation 27, the expert panel put forward measures to prevent abuse of process. The Ontario Land Tribunal has the authority and processes in place to deter appeals that are without merit.

A related recommendation—27(b)—was to require a $10,000 filing fee for third-party appeals. Third-party appeals for consents and minor variances were eliminated as a result of amendments to the Planning Act made by the More Homes Built Faster Act. This means only certain persons, such as the applicant or relevant municipality, are allowed to appeal minor variance or consent decisions. However, increasing the filing fees for third-party appeals may result in concerns about access to justice.

Recommendation number 28 was to encourage greater use of oral decisions issued the day of the hearing, with written reasons to follow. This allows those decisions to become binding the day that they are issued. The Ontario Land Tribunal is providing updated training to members to encourage use of oral decisions when appropriate. In some cases, the complexity of the matter before the tribunal may require the member to reserve the decision.

Recommendation number 34 was to prohibit interest rates on development charges higher than a municipality’s borrowing rate. The More Homes Built Faster Act made changes to the Development Charges Act to set a maximum interest rate that can be levied for the development charge freeze and deferral provisions. The rate is the Canadian banks’ prime rate plus 1% per year.

Recommendation number 38 was to amend the Planning Act and Perpetuities Act to extend the maximum period for land leases and restrictive covenants on land to 40 or more years. The More Homes Built Faster Act amended the Planning Act to allow these land lease communities with leases for periods of up to 49 years to be exempted from subdivision control and the need for any approval. The exemption applies if a land lease community’s proposal has gone through the site plan control process. Changes to the Perpetuities Act were not required.

Speaker, the expert panel recommended calling on the federal government to implement an urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing strategy. Ontario has called on the federal government to implement these Indigenous housing strategies. The province has also raised the issue at both bilateral and multilateral federal-provincial-territorial meetings.

Other recommendations and actions pertain to developing workforce skills for housing. Recommendation number 45 was to improve funding for colleges, trade schools and apprenticeships, as well as to encourage and incentivize municipalities, unions and employers to provide more on-the-job training. Ontario is, as my colleagues will know in this place, investing $224 million to build and upgrade training centres across Ontario. This funding will help unions, Indigenous centres and industry associations to build new training centres or upgrade and convert existing facilities into new training centres with state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

The next recommendation, number 46, was to undertake a multi-stakeholder education program to promote skilled trades. Ontario has invested more than $1 billion in the skilled trades over three years, along with the launch of Skilled Trades Ontario, as part of its strategy to attract more people into the trades.

Recommendation number 47 was that the federal and provincial government prioritize skilled trades. It also called for an adjustment to the immigration point system to strongly favour needed trades and expedite immigration status for these workers. The recommendation also encouraged the federal government to increase from 9,000 to 20,000 the number of immigrants admitted through Ontario’s program. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, also known as OINP, plans to use 40% of its 16,000 allocation for 2023 to nominate individuals in the skilled trades. Changes have been made to the expression of interest scoring system to award more points to candidates in priority occupations and sectors. The federal government is also prioritizing selection of some skilled trades occupations through category-based selection. Ontario will encourage the targeting of additional occupations through federal immigration selection programs.

Other recommendations and actions deal with keeping track of our progress. Recommendation 52 was to resume reporting on housing data and require consistent municipal reporting. Through the municipal planning data reporting regulation, large and fast-growing municipalities are now required to provide the province with planning application data on a regular basis. Ontario is working with municipal partners on reporting data and tracking progress.

As mentioned earlier, the Building Faster Fund is tied to performance in meeting provincial housing targets. We’ll launch an online tracker tool once reporting processes are finalized.

Recommendation 55 was to commit to evaluate the task force’s recommendations in the next three years, with public reporting on progress. An online tracking website went live in September—those who are interested can go online and see it for themselves—so that any interested parties can monitor the government’s progress in implementing the task force’s recommendations.

Speaker, I appreciate your indulgence on that in highlighting key initiatives we’ve taken on our 74 recommendations from the housing task force. The reason I did so was to provide an update to this House, but also to highlight that when we work with our municipal colleagues, we can continue to get more homes built. We can continue to work with our non-profit sector in implementing the things that they are saying to us. I know many individuals in this place meet with them often and hear their recommendations on how we can get more homes built faster. I know some of it may seem mundane and extremely detailed, but these are the important things that we need to get more homes built faster, working with our planning departments and working with our municipal colleagues to streamline the process, to get more homes built.

I know I’ve mentioned in this place on a couple of occasions, particularly around amending the appeals process—in my community, there was a proposed development. Not to the same extent as downtown Toronto, only a few storeys high—this was before our government came into power in 2018—and they were proposing to build it for seniors in my community, to allow those seniors who helped build that community to remain in their community. Unfortunately, this development was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal and it held up the development for over a year. It added an extra $1 million in costs to the home builder, and the project still has not begun.

Now we’re challenged with higher interest rates, and those seniors do not have a place to remain in their community, the community they built. They don’t have a place to, as many will hear as well—some of our seniors are over-housed. They live in bigger homes and they want to downsize now that their families have homes of their own or have moved out, and they can’t do that. They can’t stay in their own community, and it’s because of this appeal where this one project, for example, wasn’t able to move forward. So it’s just one example of the changes we have made.

Speaker, I know our government, in the last election, ran on a policy of tabling a housing supply action plan—a minimum of one every year of a four-year mandate. Some colleagues may wonder, “Why wouldn’t we just do it all at once?” The challenge with that is, we’re not sure what will work in what community, so by tabling a housing supply action plan every year for four years, it gives us an opportunity to move forward, to see what’s working, to see what’s not working, to work with our municipal colleagues, to build on the successes we’ve had, whether that’s as-of-right of three units, or whether that’s also working to streamline the development process.

So tabling a housing supply action plan every year of a four-year mandate will allow us to correct that. It’s not just one sweeping solution to this housing supply crisis. I always tell people that if there was one magic bullet, no matter the government, they would have fired that bullet already. I know our government appreciates that feedback from all our municipal colleagues and community-builders across Ontario, and I think we’re seeing great progress in that.

The associate minister, in his remarks, mentioned that our housing starts in 2022 were at record highs. Purpose-built rentals were also at record highs in 2022, which is very important to see—to ensure that we do have those truly affordable units coming online for all Ontarians. It doesn’t matter your budget. You should all be able to have a place to call your own, Speaker. I know our government continues to work to achieve that goal through all of our housing supply action plans.

Really, again, as I mentioned in my remarks, achieving our 1.5 million housing target is at the centre of our government. Every single ministry is focused on helping us achieve that target, whether it’s the Minister of Infrastructure, whether it’s the Minister of Transportation or working with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on transit-oriented communities. It’s ensuring that we continue to build those communities that will thrive for generations to come, Speaker. It’s working across government to ensure that we achieve that. It’s working with the Minister of Finance and recommending to the federal government that we rebate the HST on purpose-built rentals, ensuring that we get more of those online, continuing to build on past successes.

Speaker, the challenges ahead are immense—I’m not going to mince words—but I know that by working together with our municipal colleagues, we’ll be able to achieve those targets and ensure that every family, whether you’ve been here for a few generations or whether you’ve just arrived to our shores, is able to call a place their own. I know on this side of the House and in the majority middle over there, we continue to strive to ensure that home ownership remains a dream for Ontarians and ensure Ontario remains a great province to live, work and play.

I thank my honourable colleague from Whitby for his remarks.

Just reflecting on my remarks that I gave in this House a few minutes ago—I stated that Ontario would maintain all of the greenbelt protections, including the policies of our environmental and agricultural lands.

My question to the great colleague from Whitby is, how do you see this bill and our proposed changes with the provincial policy statement and A Place to Grow help construct a mix of housing in your riding, whether that’s single-detached, apartments, townhomes? How do you see this helping your constituents?