For Immediate Release

RESIDENTS APPLAUD PROVINCIAL INVOLVEMENT IN APPEAL OF OMB RULING

Waterloo Region, Ontario – Local residents are commending the provincial government for its decision to stand with the Region of Waterloo in court to defend the Region’s Official Plan against a disastrous Ontario Municipal Board ruling.

“We are very pleased that the provincial government has taken this rare and significant step to defend our region and our province against urban sprawl,” said Mike Boos, Kitchener resident and co-founder of Smart Growth Waterloo Region. “The Province of Ontario is sending a strong message that our community’s plan for balancing development in new and old areas can’t just be pushed aside by developers trying to protect their profits.”

“This is an important step, but this fight is far from over,” added Kate Daley, Waterloo resident and site co-founder. “If the Divisional Court doesn’t overturn this ruling, the Province will need to step in with all the policy tools at its disposal to protect the Region’s Official Plan and make sure the precedent set by the ruling doesn’t continue to threaten smart growth across the province.”

The Ontario Municipal Board ruling (PL110080) in favour of developers and against the Region of Waterloo’s Official Plan requires the Region to open up eleven times more land to urban sprawl between now and 2031, and creates a precedent that threatens the province’s Places to Grow Growth Plan and democratic local decision-making across Ontario.

Smart Growth Waterloo Region, hosted at www.smartgrowthwaterloo.ca, is a website launched by local residents on April 5, 2013 to raise awareness of the Ontario Municipal Board decision, and to encourage citizens to speak out and take action against the ruling.

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Media Contact:

Kevin Thomason
Phone: 519-888-0519
Mobile Phone: 519-240-1648
E-mail: media@smartgrowthwaterloo.ca