BREAKING: The federal government has decided it will step in and take over the environmental assessment of the Ford government's Highway 413 project.
This is huge news. Many believe this decision will effectively kill the project as the fed EA is much more rigorous. #onpoli
Federal Environment Minister @JonathanWNV has decided not to do the same for the Bradford Bypass, the other controversial Ford government highway project. That will remain in Ontario's hands. #onpoli
STORY: Ottawa has taken charge of the environmental assessment for the Ford government’s contentious Highway 413, throwing the project's fate into a state of uncertainty. #onpoli. nationalobserver.com/2021/05/03/new…
I've reached out to @C_Mulroney's office and will update if I hear back.
NEW: Statement from @C_Mulroney on the federal government’s decision to do a full EA of Highway 413 #onpoli
Mulroney’s office also sent out a copy of this March 2020 letter from the feds to MTO, which they say shows the feds already “reviewed the evidence” and decline to intervene. That’s not correct, though — this review didn’t include endangered species impacts
Basically, for a highway project to be automatically designated for a federal EA, it needs to be a certain length. This letter is the feds confirming that the 413 falls under that automatic threshold. But anyone can request a fuller look, which is what happened here.
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THREAD: The Ford government handed down six ministerial zoning orders (MZOs) last night. I did some quick analysis today, and I found half override environmental concerns.
Two of the new MZOs apply to lands in Markham that are close to the Greenbelt. They're not protected under the GB, but too much development there can degrade GB lands.
The other Flato MZO for the Beeton area of New Tecumseth, roughly an hour north of Toronto.
This one is more complex: it's next to a floodplain. Also, the water supply in the area is already strained. Other future developments there are still waiting for water distribution.
NEW: Juicy stuff from @OntarioNDP in question period about the Durham Live MZO. The Apostolopoulos family — which owns Triple Group, the developer behind Durham Live — donated nearly $5000 to the PCs days before gov introduced a bill to approve the project, NDP point out. #onpoli
In response, the PCs point out that the same developers have donated to the Liberals. That's true, but it was prior to the PCs forming government — developers have donated to the PCs since then.
Here's some more background on Triple Group and billionaire family behind the company. They're taking some heat right now from officials in Detroit who are threatening to file a lawsuit against them, alleging the company failed to maintain a historic tower nationalobserver.com/2021/03/08/new…
Update to the update: it’s been three months since I ‘recovered’ from covid, and my ability to exercise is slowly coming back. But it feels like I’m starting from scratch, which is weird for someone like me who’s always been very active!
Things I can do now that I couldn’t in January:
- long walks without feeling exhausted after
- up to 45 min bike rides with hills (but afterwards I’ll have a headache and heavy fatigue)
- 5 min of biking as fast as I can (will be extremely sore for days after)
For the sake of comparison, I used to be able to do active things all day with little issue. Bike across the city to play soccer, hike for half an hour to go rock climbing, etc.
Update: It's been a month since I was released from covid isolation, and lest anyone think this virus wasn't serious, let me assure you: I am still a long way from my former self (thread)
Disclaimer: I don't think I count as a long-hauler since it's only been a month for me, and I know a lot of folks have it worse. I don't want sympathy, just sharing so folks understand how serious this can be.
That being said, here's where I'm at a month after covid: I still cannot exercise. A 10-minute bike ride makes me feel like I'm going to faint. I still have to walk slowly if I'm going anywhere more than 15 minutes away, or if I have to carry anything.
A Saturday evening #onpoli shocker: the chair of Doug Ford’s Greenbelt Council, former PC MP David Crombie, has resigned over changes to conservation authorities. Calls them “disastrous, and “high-level bombing” that “needs to be resisted.”
Crombie, who is also a former mayor of Toronto, says the changes will stifle or shut down public debate and “cuts out the heart” of watershed planning.