Statement by Tim Gray, Executive Director

By peddling falsehoods about bike lanes, the Ontario government seeks to distract Ontarians from provisions in Bill 212 that will fast-track an unnecessary and expensive highway while undermining the Greenbelt.  

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Embedded within Bill 212 are provisions that will undermine the Greenbelt by removing key environmental oversight and safeguards if Highway 413 moves forward. By trying to distract with attacks on bike lanes, the Ontario government is hiding the fact that they are taking another run at the Greenbelt.

If passed, Bill 212 would completely exempt Highway 413 from the Greenbelt Plan, along with other Provincial Plans, and even the Ontario government’s own Provincial Planning Statement. This would, among other things, permit the Ontario government to intentionally choose a route through the Greenbelt and a highway design that it knows would cause significantly more damage to natural heritage, hydrological features and to the Greenbelt system as a whole compared to other alternatives.

The legislation would also exempt the planned highway from the Environmental Assessment Act entirely, offering only a series of limited studies focused on “local environmental conditions” and whose findings on “sensitive natural or cultural heritage matters would be kept secret”. It would render Indigenous consultation on the most significant questions about the 413 meaningless by allowing destructive so-called “early works” on the government’s favored route to happen before consultations occur.

These moves further underscore the Premier’s often stated contempt for the environmental values that will be destroyed by the highway and emphasizes the need for the federal government to protect areas of its responsibility such as species at risk, fisheries and Indigenous rights by designating the Highway 413 for a federal Impact Assessment.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence
media@environmentaldefence.ca