Ontario Premier Doug Ford has pledged to review the remaining parcels that made up the Greenbelt land swap plan.
Following a cabinet shuffle over Labour Day weekend, Ford spoke to reporters Tuesday to provide an update on the Greenbelt situation. He has directed the new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Paul Calandra, to conduct a reevaluation of the remaining land swap sites in the Greenbelt region.
"Minister Calandra will spend the coming days and weeks working with his officials to design and launch this review," said Ford. "He'll be informed by recommendations put forward by the auditor general."
The premier pointed out that the previous government had legislated a review of Greenbelt lands at least every ten years.
Ford has also said a non-partisan facilitator will review the 15 sites identified by the provincial government to be removed from Greenbelt lands for housing development.
The announcement is a reversal from Ford's previous announcement that his government would not consider a reevaluation of the land swaps, only one of the 15 recommendations made in the auditor general's report. Ford said at the time that his government would move to implement the remaining 14 recommendations made by the auditor general.
Ford also reminded reporters that any proposals for Greenbelt development will be subject to intense scrutiny, which he first indicated during a testy exchange with media last week.
"These proposals will have to survive on their own merit," said Ford. "Last week, when we started the process of putting the Ajax lands back into the Greenbelt, we made it very clear. We have no tolerance for anyone who does anything that doesn't support building homes quickly."
The review came after Housing Minister Steve Clark resigned from his position in cabinet over the Ministry's handling of the Greenbelt land swap. Clark will stay on as the MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.
Ford named Calandra the new Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing as part of the cabinet switch-up. He also took time during the press conference to thank Clark for his ministerial service.
-with files from Ruby Sweeney, Tamara Thornton, and Craig Needles