On October 20, 2024, Ontario’s new Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) officially came into effect. This overhaul of the province’s land use planning framework merges the former PPS (2020) with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, effectively dismantling the policy framework that was created to guide sustainable, well-planned growth within one of Ontario’s fastest growing regions.
While the Government of Ontario is claiming it will simply streamline processes for development, the reality is alarming. These revisions significantly weaken environmental protections and put Ontario’s natural heritage, farmland and wetlands at serious risk, while incentivizing more urban sprawl.
Sprawl, Sudbury © Mike Babcock CC BY 2.0
The government claims that more land is needed for housing, specifically beyond existing settlement areas. However, research shows this simply isn’t true. In fact, Ontario already has enough land within current boundaries to meet housing needs until 2050. The government’s own 2022 Housing Affordability Task Force report confirmed that a land shortage is not the source of the housing crisis.
Instead of focusing on sustainable growth, the new PPS encourages sprawling development patterns, which could erase much of the progress made over decades in protecting Ontario’s vital farmland and natural areas. Under the new PPS 2024, the rules for land development have become more flexible. It introduces specific targets for how densely areas should be built and gives municipalities greater freedom to allow housing developments and higher-density projects.
“These policy changes are a major setback for Ontario,” said Tony Morris, Director of Conservation Policy and Campaigns at Ontario Nature. “By prioritizing sprawl over smart growth, the government is undermining our ability to address the interrelated crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.”
Proposed Bradford Bypass Site
Here’s what Ontario stands to lose under the new PPS:
Weaker Natural Heritage Protections: Under the previous Growth Plan, key hydrological features and natural heritage features were strictly protected from development within the regional Natural Heritage System. The new PPS drops these protections, leaving only Provincially Significant Wetlands protected, which combined with a weakened wetland evaluation system, could be devastating for wetland ecosystems.
Encouragement of Urban Sprawl: The new policies reduce density targets, allowing the development of previously protected areas. This opens the door for more low-density development on the outskirts of cities, spreading into natural and agricultural lands.
Farmland at Risk: Municipalities can now expand settlement boundaries at any time, without needing to assess infrastructure or consider the impact on farming communities. This puts Ontario’s valuable farmland at risk of being fragmented or re-designated for development.
Ontario Nature is calling on decision makers to reconsider these changes and commit to evidence-based planning decisions. Ontario can balance growth with the protection of our vital natural areas and precious farmland.
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