Five municipalities in Ontario are still waiting for the provincial government, led by Premier Doug Ford, to reimburse them for costs they incurred due to the Greenbelt controversy. The delay in fulfilling the promise has drawn criticism from opposition Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) who accuse the Progressive Conservatives of shifting the financial burden onto local taxpayers.
Documents acquired through a Freedom of Information request by CBC News reveal that as of September 2024, the cities and towns, including Durham Region, Pickering, Grimsby, Guelph, and Wellington County, reported approximately $850,000 in expenses related to lost staff time, legal fees, and consulting fees. These costs arose from Premier Ford’s initial decision to allow development in parts of the Greenbelt in 2022, followed by a subsequent reversal of that decision almost a year later.
The briefing note, intended for senior civil servants and the then-Minister of Municipal Affairs Paul Calandra, reiterated the commitment made a year earlier to assist municipalities with planning and staffing costs incurred as a result of the Greenbelt decision. However, the document highlighted that there had been no proactive outreach from the ministry to solicit cost submissions from the affected municipalities, and no decision had been made regarding reimbursement.
Despite the promise made by Calandra in October 2023 to review the submitted costs, communities like Durham Region, Pickering, Grimsby, Guelph, and Wellington County confirmed that they have not received the reimbursement they were promised. Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe emphasized the significant resources expended by municipalities in anticipation of housing development, which were now left unreimbursed.
Opposition leaders, including Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner and NDP municipal affairs critic Jeff Burch, condemned the government for failing to honor its commitment to repay the municipalities. Schreiner likened the lack of reimbursement to a municipal “download” of expenses onto local taxpayers, while Burch criticized the government’s insincerity in making municipalities plead for the funds owed to them.
The failure to reimburse the municipalities for their incurred costs related to the Greenbelt controversy has sparked calls for the provincial government to fulfill its promise and alleviate the financial burden on local communities struggling with budget constraints. Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser emphasized that the amount owed to the municipalities is insignificant in the context of Ontario’s budget and urged immediate repayment to uphold the government’s integrity.
