Ontario looks to return land to Greenbelt after owner lists property for sale
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that the province is considering returning land to the Greenbelt that a developer recently sold
The two parcels of land in Ajax, Ontario, were part of the Greenbelt land removal, and the owner did not inform the government of their intention to sell
The province is exploring several options, including returning the land to the Greenbelt, and this serves as a warning to other owners of sites removed from the Greenbelt for housing to meet the government’s conditions and begin building by 2025, or the land would be returned to the Greenbelt
Last year, the province removed 7,400 acres of land from the Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes and replaced it with about 9,400 acres elsewhere
The auditor general found earlier this month that the province gave preferential treatment to certain developers when it removed land from the protected Greenbelt.
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province is looking at returning land to the Greenbelt that a developer recently sold.
In a written statement today, Ford says the government learned the owner of two parcels in Ajax, Ont., that were part of the Greenbelt land removal had listed the properties for sale.
The premier says the owner of the properties did not tell the government it planned to sell and the province is now looking at several options that include giving the land back to the Greenbelt.
Ford says this is a warning to other owners of sites removed from the Greenbelt for housing to meet the government’s conditions and begin building by 2025, otherwise that land would be returned to the Greenbelt.
Last year, the province took 7,400 acres of land out of the Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes and replaced it with about 9,400 acres elsewhere.
The auditor general found earlier this month the province gave preferential treatment to certain developers when it removed land from the protected Greenbelt.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2023.
The Canadian Press
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