Steve Clark

18 Articles

Ontario's Peel Region votes to expand urban footprint

Peel Region will expand its urban boundaries to accommodate expected population growth, bucking a trend of nearby municipalities that have defied the provincial government’s push for sprawl.

By Jessica McDiarmid | News | April 29th 2022

Ford government pledges to protect land to compensate for MZOs

Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark said he wasn’t sure how many of the controversial land zoning orders the province plans to issue before the next election. "It's really just greenwash for the government's extraordinary misuse of MZOs to drive sprawl," said Phil Pothen of Environmental Defence.

Zoning out: Doug Ford's special land-use orders

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | June 16th 2021

Ontario city council's request for MZO broke transparency rules: report

City councillors in Stratford, Ont., should not have voted behind closed doors to seek a controversial land zoning order from the province, an independent investigator found. The order fast-tracked a since-cancelled proposal for a controversial glass factory.

Zoning out: Doug Ford's special land-use orders

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | June 11th 2021

Ford government to square off with First Nations, enviro groups in court

Last spring, Ontario’s auditor general warned the government that changes to environmental assessments in Bill 197 were “not compliant” with the law. Now, First Nations and environmental groups are asking a judge to review the decision.

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | May 17th 2021

Ontario Liberals take aim at Ford’s new Greenbelt Council chair

The new chair of Ontario’s Greenbelt Council, former environment minister Norm Sterling, has come under fire for voting against the creation of the protected area. Now, the Ontario Liberals are calling more of Sterling’s record into question, calling him “Ontario’s worst environment minister.”

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | May 5th 2021

Ontario’s new Greenbelt Council chair voted against Greenbelt creation

Norm Sterling ⁠— who oversaw cuts to the environment ministry’s budget that were later found to have contributed to what happened to the Walkerton E. coli outbreak ⁠— was a Progressive Conservative environment minister under the Mike Harris government.

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | April 29th 2021

Ford government’s bid to build warehouse on protected wetland in limbo

The developers behind the Pickering, Ont., project received a conditional permit Friday night. But in the meantime, local officials called for it to be paused and the Ontario government signalled it would be willing to backtrack.

Zoning out: Doug Ford's special land-use orders

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | March 12th 2021

Ford government approves 6 new zoning orders despite public backlash

Three of the new ministerial zoning orders involve environmental concerns, an Observer analysis shows. “We will never stop issuing MZOs for the people of Ontario,” Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday.

Zoning out: Doug Ford's special land-use orders

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | March 9th 2021

Developer donated to PCs days before bill cleared the way for Durham Live

The developers behind the controversial Durham Live project donated nearly $5,000 to the Progressive Conservatives days before the government made two moves to enable a warehouse to go on top of a protected wetland. Meanwhile, environmental groups asked a court Monday to block the developers from receiving a permit.

Zoning out: Doug Ford's special land-use orders

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | March 8th 2021

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 3 - Premier of Ontario Doug Ford. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Queen's Park, on October 3, 2018. For a feature by Fatima Syed of the National Observer about the first 100 days of the Ford Government. Carlos Osorio for the Nat

Ford government defends use of controversial land zoning orders

Under fire during question period Tuesday, the Ford government didn’t address criticism about the environmental impact of MZOs, the subject of a Canada's National Observer investigation released last week. But PC MPP Parm Gill said the government “will not apologize.” Later, the government announced renewed funding for the Greenbelt Foundation, which critics said was a distraction.

Zoning out: Doug Ford's special land-use orders

By Emma McIntosh | News, Politics | February 23rd 2021

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