Author: GCFRG (Page 3 of 45)

Town Committee/Board Open House/Member Recruitment – February 15, 2023

February 10, 2023 / GCFRG

With the Town moving away from the Committee of the Whole governance system and re-establishing Standing Committees, opportunities have re-opened for residents to be an active part of the municipal decision-making process through committee membership.

Oosterhoff Formally Snubs Council’s Meeting Invitation & Visits Real Estate Office

January 13, 2023 / GCFRG

The agenda for this Monday’s Committee of the Whole/Council meeting has a letter dated December 19, 2022 from MPP Oosterhoff. In the letter he trumpets the sunshine that Bill 23 and changes to the Greenbelt will mean to Ontarians and Niagara… and says he will not show up at Council, despite the invitation.

The $10 Million Waterfront Gamble: Part 3 – How Did 502 Winston Get In The Province’s Greenbelt Proposal?

December 15, 2022 / GCFRG

With Bill 23 now passed by the Ford Government and having received Royal Assent, the proposed Greenbelt changes have now come into focus. This has spurred calls for the Premier to resign, an MPP launching a complaint to Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner and many calling for a criminal investigation due to the issue not passing the “sniff test”. With media linking possible names and political donations to the PC party, it seemed timely to return to our own local Greenbelt parcel of controversy, 502 Winston Road.

Motion Invites Oosterhoff To Council To Talk On Bill 23 and Greenbelt

December 6, 2022 / GCFRG

Members of Council got straight to the point on Monday by fast-tracking a motion at the Committee of the Whole inviting our Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff to Council in regards to the proposed Greenbelt changes and the much-panned Bill 23. Like many of us, Members of Council have a whole lot of questions that need to be answered by our Provincial representative.

Niagara Planning Staff Does Not Object To Greenbelt Changes, Wants More Removed From Grimsby, Regional Council Gets Confused

December 3, 2022 / GCFRG

At the Regional Council meeting on December 1st, a report was put forward by the Region’s Planning Commissioner, Michelle Sergi, stating that her department’s opinion was that they “do not object” to the proposed changes by the Province on the two impacted Greenbelt properties in Grimsby. The report went further to suggest that two additional sites, including the area south of Grimsby’s proposed GO Station, adjacent to the Woodlot, and one in Lincoln (East Prudhomme’s) should be considered for removal from the Greenbelt.

Town Announces Departure of CAO Harry Schlange

December 1, 2022 / GCFRG

The Town released a media statement today regarding the departure of CAO Harry Schlange. Mr. Schlange will no longer be with the Town as of December 5, 2022 based upon a “mutual agreement” between him and the Town.

This move was not unexpected, given some of the controversies during his tenure in Grimsby and the common “shuffling of the CAO deck” by new terms of Councils in the province.

The Director of Legislative Services/Municipal Clerk, Ms. Sarah Kim, will fill the role as Acting CAO in the interim.

The full statement from the Town can be read at this link here.

Council Sends Strong Message on Bill 23, Councillors Call For Oosterhoff To Appear

November 29, 2022 / GCFRG

With Monday night’s Special Council initially scheduled to address the proposed Greenbelt changes in Grimsby, including a Specialty Crop area on the lakeshore and another parcel near Main Street West, things took a different turn with the Provincial government “plowing ahead” and passing Bill 23 on Monday morning.

Niagara Centre MPP Burch Calls Out Associate Minister of Housing on Greenbelt & PC Donations

November 16, 2022 / GCFRG

Tuesday morning’s Question Period at Queen’s Park had an interesting exchange between Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch and Ontario’s Associate Minister of Housing, Michael Parsa. Burch makes some great points about the Greenbelt, existing land for development and included a glimpse into the “coincidences” of Greenbelt-owning land developers also being generous with donations to the PC party.

Ottawa Planning Staff Analyze Bill 23: Local Impacts Are Grim

November 10, 2022 / GCFRG

When Premier Ford decided to drop Bill 23 aka “More Homes Built Faster Act” on October 25th, a day after the municipal election, planning staff in many municipalities scrambled to analyze what this bill would mean. We know it will line the pockets of Ford’s developer friends, but how will it impact municipalities… and ultimately the taxpayers that fund them.

The Planning Staff in Ottawa scoured over the document and looked at what the changes would mean for the City and prepared a report for the consideration of their Council. Their findings paint a grim picture of the local impacts that the Bill will have upon their city, and by extension, other municipalities.

The $10 Million Waterfront Gamble: 502 Winston, Part 2 – The Path To Paradise?

November 9, 2022 / GCFRG

We are back and picking up where we left-off in August on the proposed agricultural “re-designation” of the Greenbelt waterfront property at 502 Winston Road. While there was intent to follow-up with another post shortly after the “open-house” meeting in September, we listened to an inside voice that said just wait.

Apparently this was a wise move, as Premier Ford’s government is now attempting to intervene in what should be a municipal/regional application process with its plan to pave over large sections of the existing Greenbelt to have “More Homes Built Faster”. The waterfront Greenbelt lands at 502 Winston Road are part of that controversial proposal.