For Immediate Release
Dec 1, 2010

MPP DUNLOP: DEMANDING EXTENSION FROM MCGUINTY LIBERALS ON SIMCOE COUNTY GROWTH PLAN

Queen’s Park:  Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is continuing to press the McGuinty Liberals to extend the deadline for a response to the amendments to the Simcoe County Growth Plan.

The Notice of the Proposed Amendments to the Growth Plan from the Ministry of Infrastructure was released to regional municipalities on October 28, 2010, advising that comments are required to be submitted no later than

January 31, 2011. Dunlop is upset that newly elected municipal councillors will not have enough time to get up to speed on the issues. Dunlop raised the matter in the Ontario Legislature again today with a question to the Minister of Infrastructure, Bob Chiarelli.

“It really annoys me that on November 18, Minister Bob Chiarelli refused to extend the ridiculous deadline of January 31 for a response, then last Tuesday, when I asked the question again he sent  his Parliamentary Assistant , Haliburton- Kawartha Lakes- Brock MPP Rick Johnson , who had no idea what he was talking about,” said Dunlop.

“The Parliamentary Assistant said that there were only seven new councillors elected in Simcoe County, when in fact there has been a changeover of 50%, with 70 new councillors being elected from across the County of Simcoe. It’s clear to me that the Parliamentary Assistant is completely uneducated,” added Dunlop.

“This is about planning for the next twenty years and it is our area of Simcoe County that is at stake. They are treating this like it is all about the greater Golden Horseshoe and our municipalities have nothing to say,” noted Dunlop.

Dunlop is hoping that given the facts, the Minister will extend the deadline or at least attend the next meeting of Simcoe County Council in January.

The Simcoe County Growth Plan is part of a provincial plan which acknowledges that all of Simcoe County is growing. The population is forecast to reach about 670,000 people by 2031, a 52 per cent increase from the county’s 437,100 population in 2006.

Attached: Instant (Draft) Hansard: Dec 1, 2010   

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CONTACT:

Garfield Dunlop, MPP
705-327-4500 (cell)

Instant (Draft) Hansard: December 1, 2010

Growth planning

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: My question is to the Minister of Infrastructure. Minister, on November 18, you refused to extend the ridiculous deadline of January 31 for response to the amendments to the Simcoe growth plan.
Last Tuesday, I called for a late show because clearly you didn’t understand the question and instead found ways to insult me because I was standing up for my municipalities.
Then, for the late show, you sent the parliamentary assistant, who had no idea, what he was talking about. For an example, he said, “There were only seven new councillors elected in the whole county....” In fact, Minister, there was a changeover of 50%, with 70 new councillors being elected from across the county of Simcoe.

Now that I have given you the ...

L077-1125-01 follows

(Mr. Garfield Dunlop)

For an example, he said, “There were only seven new councillors elected in the whole county....” In fact, Minister, there was a changeover of 50%, with 70 new councillors being elected from across the county of Simcoe.

Now that I have given you the facts, will you extend the deadline dates so that newly elected councillors can be properly educated on a process that will impact their municipalities for the next 20 years?

Hon. Bob Chiarelli: I thank the member for the question. First of all, Simcoe County is part of the greater Golden Horseshoe planning area, under the Places to Grow Act, and there are certain very significant principles that are involved in that.

First of all, it’s to prevent urban sprawl, to have organized growth, to identify employment areas, to identify where the growth will occur and to identify the green spaces for a particular community. That occurred in Simcoe County.

What happened was, an official plan was prepared by Simcoe County. The plan did not go far enough, so my ministry started a very, very significant consultation process where we received over 100 submissions over 18 months. The consultation was extremely significant. We are now having another three months of consultation.

The Speaker (Hon. Steve Peters): Supplementary?

Mr. Garfield Dunlop: Well, again, you never answered the question. I asked for an extension.

Minister, I have received letters from the county of Simcoe, numerous municipalities, trade unions, the construction industry and chambers of commerce which basically call your process a sham. They all wonder why you are trying to move the amendment process through at lightning speed after sitting on it for 18 months. They also question why you are micromanaging the Simcoe growth program and not other municipalities’ under Places to Grow.

Minister, will you make a deputation, then, at the January meeting of Simcoe county council; explain your reasoning; answer questions to the 15 new mayors and deputy mayors, as other ministers have done in the past under Places to Grow; or will we have to clean up this mess next fall, next October?

Hon. Bob Chiarelli: We’re very proud of our growth plan in the greater Golden Horseshoe. Two years of extensive consultations on Simcoe’s strategy have taken place. We now have a three-month consultation period, which will give new municipal councillors time to review the draft amendment which has been put forward.

Many municipal councillors and officials attended three technical sessions we’ve already held to help everyone get up to speed on the draft amendment. Two more are scheduled. I also have an open door for any person, any stakeholder, from the county who wants to come to my office and speak about this issue. We’ve done it with many, and we’ll continue to do so.

The process is responsible. The process is responsive to the people in Simcoe. We intend to move forward with our three-month consultation process before we consider the final draft.