Several Ontario municipalities say they’re still waiting for hundreds of thousands of dollars the Ford government promised to pay them after it backtracked on its plans to develop the province’s protected Greenbelt.
The cities of Pickering and Guelph, and the Region of Durham confirmed to CTV News they have not been paid. But, they all stressed they would like to continue working with the province on municipal priorities.
“The City of Pickering had initially requested reimbursement from the province of approximately $360,000 in direct and indirect costs,” the city said in a statement to CTV News.
“Although the city has not received reimbursement for these specific costs, it has received more than $15 million from the province through the Building Faster Fund and is very appreciative of the support.”
Green Party leader Mike Schreiner slammed the situation, saying the PC government spent a great deal of time on a scandal-plagued process that is still being investigated by the RCMP, but hadn’t paid to fix its consequences.
“The Ford government is downloading the cost of their Greenbelt scandal onto the backs of the municipalities and the people of Ontario,” Schreiner said in an interview.
The Ford government had planned to develop parts of the Greenbelt in 2022 in a bid to build some 50,000 homes, contradicting a pledge that he made in 2021 not to open up the Greenbelt to development.
But amid news reports that these properties had changed hands shortly before any announcement, and that some had attended Ford’s daughter’s stag-and-doe party ahead of her wedding, Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner and Ontario’s Auditor-General launched probes into the plan.
Ontario’s auditor general found that all but one of the 15 sites were not suggested by civil servants, but by then-Housing Minister Steve Clark’s chief of staff, Ryan Amato. Both Clark and Amato resigned.
CTV News reported that one minister, Kaleed Rasheed, had a massage at the same time at the same Las Vegas spa with one of the developers, prompting his and a staffer’s resignation.
By September, Ford announced an about-face on the whole plan to develop the Greenbelt, saying: “I made a promise to you that I wouldn’t touch the Greenbelt. I broke that promise. And for that, I am very, very sorry.” Ford said to earn back the people’s trust, he would reverse the changes and not make further changes.
However, by that point, several municipalities had spent money on staff time and legal fees. And, then-Housing Minister, Paul Calandra, said in a statement he would “work with impacted municipalities to assist with related planning and staffing costs.”
The outstanding bills were first reported by CBC News.
That pledge also included municipalities whose boundary adjustments were walked back as well. However, several in that category contacted by CTV News, including Ottawa, Waterloo, and Peel, said they had not requested any reimbursement costs.
“Peel remains focused on working with all levels of government to help get more homes built and continue to foster strong partnerships and practical solutions that support well-planned growth in Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga,” a spokesperson for the region said.
The RCMP investigation continues, according to a spokesperson for O Division in Ontario.
“Be assured that the RCMP Sensitive and International Investigations Unit is conducting a thorough investigation. That investigation is ongoing. To protect the integrity of the investigation, we cannot provide information at this time.”
