By Benjamin Hargreaves, Digital Content and Social Media Manager, Water Docs.
There has hardly been an environmental news story from Ontario in the last couple of months that didn’t reference MZOs. So what are they and why have they been such a hot topic lately?
Put simply, ministerial zoning orders (MZO) let Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark rezone a piece of land without any public or environmental consultation. Put even more simply, MZOs allow the provincial government to freely decide how land is used in Ontario.
Courtesy of Toronto Star.
Municipalities normally ask for an MZO, but it’s not mandatory for one to be issued. Projects approved through MZOs also have to abide by rules outlined in Ontario’s master plan for planning, the provincial policy statement (PPS).
Traditionally, MZOs have been used by the government to quickly advance a project during emergencies. For example, in 2009 the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan was created under an MZO to address the lake’s worsening water quality. But even that project faces risk from the Innisfil Orbit MZO; just one in the surge of new orders we are seeing recently. And what a surge it’s been.
As of March, the Ford government has issued 43 MZOs since coming into power three years ago, according to The Toronto Star. That’s more than the provincial government had issued in the previous 19 years combined.
Courtesy of Environmental Defence.
One of the reasons they are making headlines lately, despite the sheer increase of their usage, is that they are overwhelmingly targeting Ontario’s greenbelt. Notably, the order for development on Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW) in Pickering for an Amazon warehouse.
Earlier in March, the Tories issued a staggering six MZOs in one day, half of which were found to be problematic. “Of the six directives [MZOs], an analysis by Canada’s National Observer shows half were used to override environmental concerns,” reported the National Observer.
Their story continues that, “All three environmentally sensitive proposals came from the same company, Flato Developments, whose founder donated thousands to the Progressive Conservatives in 2018.”
This is the other reason why MZOs are making headlines more frequently. There are growing concerns from environmental organizations and members of other parties that the Ford government is issuing MZOs that stand to benefit developers with ties to the Conservative party. One NDP study found that 19 of the orders issued by the Conservatives benefitted PC party donors and allies.
Historically, MZOs have been used sparingly and often as a last resort in times of need. But it seems they are being used as a go-to by the Ford government. This causes an immense amount of work for environmental organizations dedicated to protecting the land MZOs often target.
You can help by…
Visiting Ontario: Yours To Protect, a coalition of environmental organizations, to learn more about MZOs across the province and take action.