"Bill 23 is not in the interest of Ontario or Ontarians. It contains the potential to unleash
incalculable health harms starting immediately and to be entrenched for generations to come.
Bill 23 will harm not only human health, but the health of our environment, our economy and
our democracy. The Bill will worsen fundamental social determinants of health including
housing and food security, while escalating deadly air pollution and the climate crisis which
represents the single greatest human health crisis today. Bill 23 threatens Conservation
Authorities, Municipalities and their Green Standards, the world’s largest protected Greenbelt, farmland, and public/expert consultations. Resulting massive economic and insurance burdens will fall to taxpayers. The active suppression of public participation in climate decision-making by Bill 23 may contravene Article 12 of the Paris Agreement [1]
CAPE Ontario urges the Government of Ontario to fulfill its mandate to serve the well-being of Ontarians by ensuring this Bill does not proceed to implementation. We recommend
sustainable and equitable development avoiding sprawl, respecting Municipal Green
Standards, coordinated by experienced urban planners. Detailed plans have already been
completed by such urban planners working with other appropriate experts in many
municipalities. These should be implemented as ready solutions to achieve....."