'It was a mistake': Ford reversing Ontario government's decision to open Greenbelt
CTV
Premier Doug Ford said he will be reversing his government’s decision to open up the Greenbelt to developers, calling the controversial land removals a “mistake.”
Premier Doug Ford said he will be reversing his government’s decision to open up the Greenbelt to developers, calling the controversial land removals a “mistake.”
Ford made the announcement on Thursday afternoon after meeting with his caucus at a retreat in Niagara Falls earlier in the day.
"Our caucus, they shared with me what they have heard in their communities. I want the people of Ontario to know, I’m listening. I made a promise to you that I wouldn't touch the Greenbelt. I broke that promise. And for that, I'm very, very sorry,” Ford told reporters at a news conference.
“I pride myself on keeping our promises. It was a mistake to open the Greenbelt. It was a mistake to establish a process that moved too fast.”
Last month, Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk released a scathing report on the government's handling of Greenbelt land removals. The report found that certain developers received “preferential treatment” and had direct influence over the government’s decision to extract lands.
READ MORE: A timeline of the key events in the Ontario Greenbelt scandal
The process involved in selecting what parcels of land would be removed from the Greenbelt left “too much room for some people to benefit over others,” Ford said.
