Five municipalities in Ontario that were promised reimbursement by Premier Doug Ford’s government for costs related to the Greenbelt controversy have not yet received the funds, despite the pledge made years ago. This delay has drawn criticism from opposition Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) who accuse the Progressive Conservatives of shifting the financial burden onto local taxpayers in these communities.
Documents acquired through a Freedom of Information request reveal that as of September 2024, the cities and towns, including Durham Region, Pickering, Grimsby, Guelph, and Wellington County, claimed approximately $850,000 in expenses, such as lost staff time and legal and consulting fees. These costs were incurred due to Ford’s initial decision to allow development in parts of the Greenbelt in 2022, followed by his subsequent reversal of the decision almost a year later.
The briefing note, meant for senior civil servants and the former minister of municipal affairs Paul Calandra, reiterates the commitment made by the minister in October 2023 to work with affected municipalities to cover planning and staffing costs. However, there has been no proactive effort by the ministry to solicit cost submissions from the municipalities, and no decision has been made regarding reimbursement.
Opposition leaders, including Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner and NDP municipal affairs critic Jeff Burch, have condemned the government for not fulfilling its promise to repay the communities. Schreiner likened the failure to pay these costs to a form of financial burden shifting onto local taxpayers, while Burch criticized the government’s insincerity in making municipalities request the funds after the initial commitment.
The communities, which include Durham Region, Pickering, Grimsby, Guelph, and Wellington County, detailed their incurred costs, with Pickering mentioning over $360,000 in legal and consulting expenses, Durham Region citing $322,000 in direct and indirect costs, and Grimsby revealing $82,000 spent on staff and consulting time. Guelph and Wellington County also reported costs resulting from policy reversals but did not provide specific figures, while Ottawa and Hamilton mentioned costs without submitting detailed claims.
Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser emphasized that the amount owed to these communities is minimal compared to the province’s budget and urged immediate repayment, highlighting the importance of honoring commitments made to municipalities.