TORONTO — Five Ontario communities that spent money dealing with the Progressive Conservative government’s Greenbelt land removals and later reversal say they are still waiting for the reimbursements Premier Doug Ford’s government promised years ago.Documents show the province was aware as of September 2024 that Durham Region, Pickering, Grimsby, Guelph, and Wellington County were seeking approximately $850,000 for lost staff time, legal fees, and consulting work. All five confirmed in recent weeks they have received nothing.The costs stemmed from Premier Doug Ford’s November 2022 decision to remove 15 parcels of land from the protected Greenbelt for housing development, followed by his September 2023 reversal after reports from the auditor general and integrity commissioner found the process rushed and favourable to certain developers. The RCMP investigation into the matter remains ongoing.Then-municipal affairs minister Paul Calandra stated in October 2023: “In recognition of the costs incurred by municipalities arising out of this decision, the province will work with impacted municipalities to assist with related planning and staffing costs.” He added that he would review submitted claims..A subsequent internal briefing note restated that commitment but recorded that the ministry had conducted no proactive outreach to solicit cost submissions and that “no decision has been made on reimbursement to these municipal costs.” The province did not respond to requests for comment on the current status.The briefing note also indicated that Ottawa and Hamilton told the government they had incurred costs but did not provide detailed submissions. Ottawa confirmed it never made a formal claim. Hamilton did not respond to inquiries.According to the briefing note and municipal statements, Pickering reported more than $360,000 in direct legal and consulting costs plus staff time. Durham Region reported $322,000 in direct and indirect costs. Grimsby reported $82,000 for staff and consulting time related to the removal process. Guelph estimated nearly $64,000 in labour and an engineering study tied to official plan reversals. Wellington County had not provided detailed figures.In 2023, Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe wrote to Calandra stressing that the costs were incurred “sometimes at the direction of the province itself.” A city spokesperson said this week that while the specific Greenbelt-related costs have not been reimbursed, Pickering has received more than $15 million through the province’s Building Faster Fund..Opposition politicians criticized the delay as another download of provincial costs onto local taxpayers. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the province is “downloading the cost of their scandals onto municipalities, which is completely unfair,” especially for residents who may face higher property taxes or service cuts.NDP municipal affairs critic Jeff Burch called the original pledge “disingenuous,” saying that if the intent to make municipalities whole had been sincere, “they wouldn’t have made municipalities come back and beg for the money.” He described it as “a kick in the teeth to municipalities that are struggling with budgets and trying not to raise property taxes on folks.”Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser noted that $850,000 is a “rounding error on a rounding error” in the province’s $244-billion budget. “It’s not the money,” he said. “It’s the fact that you owed it. You said you’d pay it back, and then you didn’t.”The Ford government has maintained that the Greenbelt is now protected in legislation for generations and has directed significant spending toward housing-enabling infrastructure and municipal support programs. The five communities, however, continue to wait for resolution of the specific reimbursement claims arising from the earlier policy changes.
