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Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Dec. 1 that neither he nor anyone associated with his government gave advance notice to developers who bought land in the Greenbelt before it was open for development.
Earlier in the week, opposition parties asked the Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner to look into the matter. Developers bought land in a part of the Greenbelt that the government later announced would be open for development.
A reporter asked Ford on December 1: “Can you say for sure that you and no one associated with your government gave any advance notice directly to the developers or through any kind of intermediaries about this plan?”
Ford replied, “I can confirm that.”
He added, “We’re just glad that we’re going to hold these people accountable to start building accessible and affordable homes for the next generation.”
Ford cited the need to develop an approximately 7,000-acre parcel of Greenbelt land to accommodate the approximately 300,000 people who move to Ontario annually. His government allocated 9,000 hectares to the Greenbelt to replace the 7,000 that had been taken.
Tacc Developments (Block 41) Inc. is one of the developers who bought the Greenbelt land, according to the CBC. In May 2021, the company purchased more than 40 acres, mostly in the Greenbelt, for about $50 million. Green Lane Bathurst GP Inc. is another, and it bought five parcels of land for $80 million in September, according to the CBC.
The Epoch Times reached out to both companies for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner filed a complaint with the Integrity Commissioner Nov. 28. NDP MPP Marit Stiles submitted a request to the Auditor General on Nov. 25 asking for an investigation.
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Tara MacIsaac is an Epoch Times reporter based in Toronto.
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