Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he will be reversing changes he proposed to the Greenbelt and will not make any more in the future. .The Greenbelt is a series of protected lands in Ontario that were barred from being opened for housing, which Ford had sought changes to. .“It was a mistake to open the Greenbelt,” said Ford at a Thursday press conference. .“It was a mistake to establish a process that moved too fast.” .He called this process one that “left too much room for some people to benefit over others.” It caused people to question the Ontario government’s motives. .Even if people take action for the right reasons with the best of intentions, he said it can be wrong. He has been clear opening the Greenbelt can make a substantive difference. .By opening the Greenbelt, Ford said it would create 50,000 homes for 150,000 people. But he said the Ontario government moved too fast and made the wrong decision. .While Ontario is growing at a fast speed, he said doing more of the same and accepting the status quo will make the housing crisis worse. Ontario needs to build homes and change the way they are built. .Some solutions he offered include building more density in growing cities close to public transit, using modular homes to make housing more attainable for young families and newcomers, holding builders and municipalities accountable to deliver on their commitments and cutting red tape to speed up approvals. He has heard from municipalities that they are ready to build and have the land to do so. .When faced with making tough decisions, he pledged to always choose what is right for Ontarians. When he makes mistakes, he said he will “fix them and will learn from them, because that’s what I promised I will do.” .“In the next election, you’ll have the chance to decide how I’ve done, to decide if I’ve kept my promises, if I got it done,” he said. .The RCMP confirmed on August 22 it has received a referral from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to investigate irregularities in the disposition of the Greenbelt. .READ MORE: RCMP takes over investigation from OPP over Greenbelt scandal.“We will review and assess the information received and will take appropriate action as deemed unnecessary,” said the RCMP. .“As the investigation is in its infancy and is ongoing, we decline to offer any further comments.” .Former Ontario housing and municipal affairs minister Steve Clark resigned from cabinet on September 4 after weeks of pushback from political opponents, First Nations leaders and residents following multiple investigations into the ministry’s handling of the Greenbelt land swaps..The Ontario integrity commissioner investigated Clark's conduct and recommended he be reprimanded, saying he failed to oversee the process which led to protected Greenbelt lands being selected for housing development..The Ontario Auditor General found the process for choosing which parcels of land would be open for housing development was influenced by a small group of well-connected developers who stood to make billions of dollars.
