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To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
WHEREAS Bill 17 prevents municipalities from enacting regulations to ensure communities are built to be energy-efficient and withstand the effects of extreme weather (Schedule 1, re: Section 35 (1.1) of the Building Code Act);
WHEREAS Bill 17 exempts all Long-Term Care Homes from Development Charges instead of only municipal or not-for-profit Long-Term Care Homes (Schedule 4, re: Section 4.4 (1) of the Development Charges Act);
WHEREAS Bill 17 weakens the capacity of a municipality to ensure a development application meets the public interest by
- limiting the means by which a municipality may screen a development application (Schedule 7, re: Section 17 (21.1) and (21.2), and Section 70.1 (1) 20.1 of the Planning Act)
- transferring municipal planning staff authority to development consultants (Section 17(6.0.1), Section 34 (10.3.1), Section 41 (3.5.1), and Section 51 (19.0.1) of the Planning Act) and
- permitting the Minister to reduce minimum setbacks by a singular percentage - province-wide - without regard for the particular zoning bylaws in effect or the particular public interest (Schedule 7, re: Section 34 (1.4) of the Planning Act);
WHEREAS Bill 17 was accompanied by an Order in Council delivering authority to the Minister of Infrastructure to issue Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs) which override all planning legislation, democratic and local decision-making and safeguards against corruption;
THEREFORE, WE THE UNDERSIGNED petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to repeal Bill 17 and revoke the authority to issue MZOs from the Minister of Infrastructure.