Introduced April 6, 2023, Bill 97 “Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan April 2023” is a Province of Ontario omnibus bill that aims to amend 7 pieces of legislation (Planning Act, Municipal Act, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act, Development Charges Act, etc.) and 8 sets of regulations. It also proposes a new Provincial Planning Statement which would replace both the Provincial Policy Statement and the Growth Plan (A Place to Grow, 2019). You can see the government’s announcement and media Q&A here.
Please click on each of the headers below to see the content.
Actions
Submit comments via the Environmental Registry of Ontario until August 4, 2023 (some listings may have earlier deadlines). Click on each individual Environmental Registry of Ontario Posting that you wish to comment on:
- Review of proposed policies adapted from A Place to Grow and Provincial Policy Statement to form a new provincial planning policy instrument. Deadline extended to August 4, 2023
- Site Plan for Residential Developments of 10 or Fewer Units – Two Proposed new Minister’s Regulations under the Planning Act and the City of Toronto Act, 2006 Deadline May 21, 2023
- Seeking Feedback on Future Regulations To Create A Balanced Framework Around Municipal Rental Replacement By-Laws Deadline May 21, 2023
- Proposed Planning Act, City of Toronto Act, 2006, and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act Changes (Schedules 2, 4, and 6 of Bill 97 – the proposed Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act , 2023) Deadline May 6, 2023
Legal firms’ plain English interpretation
Policy refresh – Ontario government proposes key changes to provincial planning policy (Osler)
Proposed 2023 Provincial Planning Statement: Comparison and Concordance to the 2020 Provincial Policy Statement (Osler)
Ontario Makes a Statement: An Overview of the Proposed Provincial Policy Statement, 2023 (airdberlis.com) (April 14, 2023)
Analyzing Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 (airdberlis.com) (April 14, 2023)
Petitions
Alliance for a Livable Ontario, Province poised to deliver fatal blow to agriculture and the environment while worsening the housing crisis
Environmental Defence, Save Ontario’s Farms, Forests & Wetlands
Green Party of Ontario, Reverse course on your Greenbelt land grab, repeal Bill 23 and invest in livable and affordable communities
LeadNow, Prime Minister Trudeau and Environment Minister Guilbeault: Intervene to protect the Greenbelt and its at-risk species
Ontario Farmland Trust, Draft suggested submissions: The new Provincial Planning Statement must be revised to help protect the future viability of Ontario’s local food system
Ontario Nature, Retain Provincial Policy Statement and Growth Plan policies designed to curb sprawl and protect farmland and natural areas
Ontario Water Guardians, Support for the Greenbelt and the retention of the existing Provincial Policy Statement
MPP Peter Tabuns, Protect the Greenbelt – (March 2023)
Bill 97 Related Statements
Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, Statement on Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act
Alliance for a Liveable Ontario (ALO), Review of Existing Housing Unit Capacity
ALO Report – Province Poised to Deliver Fatal Blow to Agriculture May 18 More info at ALO website.
ALO, It’s Time for the Premier to Tell the Truth
Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO), Proposed Provincial Planning Statement will bulldoze Ontario’s heritage
Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), Is Ontario Really Strengthening Protections for Tenants?
Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO), Submission to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy
Canadian Environmental Law Association, Comments to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy in relation to Bill 97
Dan Schneider, “The new PPS and “protected heritage property”
Environmental Defence, Ontario to kill Growth Plan: Proposed new planning rules would kneecap housing supply efforts and unleash unprecedented sprawl on Ontario’s forests, farmland and wetlands
Environmental Defence, New Mapping and Analysis Discredits the Ontario Government’s Excuses for Forcing Suburban Boundary Expansions and Removing Greenbelt, Floodplain and Wetland Protections
Green Party of Ontario, “Bill 97 is bad for Ontario’s renters“
Hal Jaeger, “In the Name of Housing Affordability“
Hold The Line, Ontario forces massive sprawl on Waterloo Region, breaches Countryside Line
MPP Jessica Bell (Ontario NDP critic of housing, tenant rights, and urban planning), “Ford’s latest housing bill doubles down on bad planning“
Liberal Party of Ontario, “Ontario Renters Require Real Rent Control“
Ontario’s Farm Leaders Joint Statement on Bill 97 and Proposed Provincial Planning Statement
Ontario Farmland Trust, Impacts of New Proposed Provincial Planning Statement: Lot Creation Policies
Ontario Farmland Trust WEBINAR -Impacts of New Proposed Provincial Planning Statement: Lot Creation Policies
Ontario Federation of Agriculture, “OFA Standing Committee Address on Bill 97“
Ontario Nature, ERO Submission on Proposed Provincial Planning Statement
Regional Planning Commissioners of Ontario, Inventory of Ontario’s Unbuilt Housing Supply
Bill 97 Related Media Coverage
Has Ontario’s housing ‘plan’ been built on a foundation of evidentiary sand? | The Conversation (January 22)
Ontario proposes new powers to allow cities to expand boundaries for housing | CBC News (April 6)
Ontario just cut protections for farmland — again | The Narwhal (April 6)
Critics warn Ford’s housing target plan will boost sprawl | The Star (April 6)
How Ontario’s latest housing plan encourages sprawl | CBC News (April 7)
Cities must take immediate action against ‘renovictions’ to address housing crisis | The Conversation (April 20)
Let Us Figure Out How it Works – Mayors aren’t willing to give up local control | The Record (April 20)
Sprawl for all? What Doug Fords proposed changes to planning rules might mean for future growth | The Star (April 20)
Alliance for a Livable Ontario, Webinar Building Hope 1: Where is the land we need for housing? – YouTube (April 21, 2023)
Experts say PC’s proposed Bill 97 is a Sprawl Inducing “Full Frontal Assault” on Ontario Agriculture | The Pointer (April 24)
Wayne Caldwell on The Agriculture Show (April 25)
Bill 97 not a perfect fit for region Dryden Now (April 27)
Toronto makes developers replace demolished rental units. The city fears the province plans to change that Toronto Star (May 10)
Wellington County farmland at risk through provincial planning moves: OFA The Trillium (May 18, 2023)
Farmers say Bill 97 imperils ‘the future of agriculture’ in Ontario CBC News (May 22, 2023)
Doug Ford’s plans for Ontario’s farmland put us all at risk (May 24, 2023)
Farmers pressure Doug Ford government to reverse course on housing plan (May 30, 2023)
Ontario abandons proposal to sever farmland lots in response to farmer opposition (May 30, 2023)
Ford government backtracks on plan to sever farmland for housing, Newmarket Today (May 30, 2023)
Ford government cancels ‘clueless’ plan to allow housing on farmland after backlash, Toronto Star (May 31, 2023)
Ford Government Backtracks On Plan to Sever Farmland for Housing, Newmarket Today (May 30, 2023)
(OpEd) Calling the Greenbelt A Scam Goes Beyond the Pale | Orillia Matters (June 1, 2023)
PC housing Bill limits environmental protections, scraps complete communities but farmers win key fight against developers, The Pointer (June 2, 2023)
Has Ontario’s housing ‘plan’ been built on a foundation of evidentiary sand? | The Conversation (January 22)
Ontario proposes new powers to allow cities to expand boundaries for housing | CBC News (April 6)
Ontario just cut protections for farmland — again | The Narwhal (April 6)
Critics warn Ford’s housing target plan will boost sprawl | The Star (April 6)
How Ontario’s latest housing plan encourages sprawl | CBC News (April 7)
Cities must take immediate action against ‘renovictions’ to address housing crisis | The Conversation (April 20)
Let Us Figure Out How it Works – Mayors aren’t willing to give up local control | The Record (April 20)
Sprawl for all? What Doug Fords proposed changes to planning rules might mean for future growth | The Star (April 20)
Alliance for a Livable Ontario, Webinar Building Hope 1: Where is the land we need for housing? – YouTube (April 21, 2023)
Experts say PC’s proposed Bill 97 is a Sprawl Inducing “Full Frontal Assault” on Ontario Agriculture | The Pointer (April 24)
Wayne Caldwell on The Agriculture Show (April 25)
Bill 97 not a perfect fit for region Dryden Now (April 27)
Toronto makes developers replace demolished rental units. The city fears the province plans to change that Toronto Star (May 10)
Wellington County farmland at risk through provincial planning moves: OFA The Trillium (May 18, 2023)
Farmers say Bill 97 imperils ‘the future of agriculture’ in Ontario CBC News (May 22, 2023)
Doug Ford’s plans for Ontario’s farmland put us all at risk (May 24, 2023)
Farmers pressure Doug Ford government to reverse course on housing plan (May 30, 2023)
Ontario abandons proposal to sever farmland lots in response to farmer opposition (May 30, 2023)
Ford government backtracks on plan to sever farmland for housing, Newmarket Today (May 30, 2023)
Ford government cancels ‘clueless’ plan to allow housing on farmland after backlash, Toronto Star (May 31, 2023)
Ford Government Backtracks On Plan to Sever Farmland for Housing, Newmarket Today (May 30, 2023)
(OpEd) Calling the Greenbelt A Scam Goes Beyond the Pale | Orillia Matters (June 1, 2023)
PC housing Bill limits environmental protections, scraps complete communities but farmers win key fight against developers, The Pointer (June 2, 2023)
Waterloo Region to Roll Up Sleeves to Make Housing Happen | The Record (June 5, 2023)
Put 70 Hectares of Land Back into the Countryside Line, says Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe | The Record (June 10, 2023)
Hamilton Councillors Upset with Ontario’s Handling of Greenbelt Development | CHCH TV Hamilton (June 13, 2023)
(OpEd) Ford’s attack on the Greenbelt could be his undoing | National Observer (June 21, 2023)
What’s happening to Canada’s Farmland? | CBC (June 23, 2023)
Doug Ford’s Right Hand Man, PC MPP went to Las Vegas with Greenbelt Developer | The Trillium (June 29, 2023)
An Update Regarding the Proposed Provincial Planning Statement (ontariofarmlandtrust.ca) | July 14, 2023
Doug Ford’s Tories brace for auditor’s report into controversial Greenbelt land swap (thestar.com) | August 8, 2023
Horwath says Ford government’s Greenbelt land swap ‘stinks to high heaven’ (cbc.ca) (August 9, 2023)
Greenbelt area residents want Ford to kill land swap (yahoo.com) (August 9, 2023)
How did the Ontario Greenbelt decision get made? Here’s the timeline (cp24.com) | August 9, 2023
Ford government favoured developers, Greenbelt land not needed for housing target: auditor general (citynews.ca) | August 9, 2023
Ford-friendly developers influenced Greenbelt changes, says auditor general (tvo.org) | August 9, 2023
Ontario Greenbelt development plans were ‘biased’: AG report (toronto.ctvnews.ca) | August 9, 2023
Ford government under fire after Auditor General’s scathing Greenbelt report (citynews.ca) | August 9, 2023
The Greenbelt report proves it: The Ford government is corrupt (tvo.org) | August 9, 2023
Auditor General finds Ontario Government’s Greenbelt plan favoured certain developers (chch.com) | August 9, 2023
Ontario auditor general report: Developers influenced Greenbelt land removal (globalnews.ca) | August 9, 2023
Housing Minister’s top staffer picked lands removed from Greenbelt after meeting with developers who stand to make billions from changes (thetrillium.ca) | August 9, 2023
The province’s gerrymandering of the Greenbelt is worse than we thought — heads should roll (thestar.com) | August 9, 2023
Hamilton developers given special access to lobby for Greenbelt land removal stand to make billions from changes (thepublicrecord.ca) | August 9, 2023
Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk delivers Greenbelt land swap report today (thestar.com) | August 9, 2023
LILLEY: Plenty of Greenbelt opposition is driven by lies, not facts (msn.com) | August 10, 2023
Greenbelt area residents say Ford should kill development plans (yahoo.com) | August 10, 2023
Horwath reacts to Ford’s Greenbelt decision (cbc.ca) | August 10, 2023
New Poll: Huge Public Support for Building Housing in existing towns and cities, not on the Greenbelt (liveableontario.ca) | August 10, 2023
Simcoe County Greenbelt Media Statement – Auditor General on Greenbelt Take-Outs (simcoecountygreenbelt.ca) | August 24, 2023
Housing minister broke law in Greenbelt land swap: Integrity commissioner (thetrillium.ca) (August 29, 2023)
Ford government’s Greenbelt land swap ‘unprecedented’ in Ontario history: Ajax mayor (citynews.ca) (August 29, 2023)
Housing minister being investigated first in Greenbelt scandal, integrity commissioner says (thestar.com) (August 30, 2023)
Ontario housing minister violated Integrity Act over Greenbelt land swap: report (citynews.ca) (August 30, 2023)
Ontario housing minister violated Integrity Act over Greenbelt land swap: report (cbc.ca) (August 30, 2023)
Doug Ford stands by Steve Clark despite report the minister violated integrity act in Greenbelt land swap (thestar.com) (August 31, 2023)
Steve Clark has now been called out on the Greenbelt. Why is Doug Ford protecting him? (therecord.com) (September 1, 2023)
Ford government’s handling of Greenbelt lands ‘unprecedented’ in Ontario history: Ajax mayor (cbc.ca) (September 1, 2023)
Chiefs of Ontario vote to support Greenbelt land swap investigation (cbc.ca) (September 1, 2023)
For information on the Province’s response to the Waterloo Regional Official Plan, visit our ROP page.
For information on the Province’s Bill 23, visit our Bill 23 page.
