Ontario Government to Reverse Urban Boundary Changes – October 23, 2023

Paul Calandra, Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing, announces he will be introducing legislation to reverse expanded urban boundaries for a number of municipalities. The urban boundaries were expanded as part of the Ontario government's plan to build more homes. The official plan decisions will be reversed for Barrie, Belleville, Guelph, Hamilton, Ottawa, Peterborough, the regional municipalities of Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo, York, and Wellington County. Minister Calandra says the past decisions of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing failed to meet the test of maintaining and reinforcing public trust.

Speaking with reporters at Queen’s Park in Toronto, the minister is also asked about the RCMP's investigation into province’s decision to open parts of protected Greenbelt lands for housing development. He also faces questions about his ongoing review of Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs) that were approved under former Housing Minister Steve Clark's tenure. (no interpretation)