June 19, 2006

Statement to the Legislature: Concerning the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe
by David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform this House … and the people of Ontario … of an exciting and historic advance in the way we will stimulate economic prosperity … manage growth … and protect the environment … in the most rapidly growing region of Canada.

I am referring to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, which was released last Friday.

I had the pleasure of announcing the plan’s release in Mississauga at an event hosted by the Canadian Urban Institute. I want to acknowledge that we have been very fortunate in having some very strong supporters.

Mr. Speaker, the McGuinty government has a vision of the Greater Golden Horseshoe as a great place to live now and far into the future. It is a vision that is based on a strong economy, a clean and healthy environment and opportunity for everyone. That's why we have developed this plan, because it supports working families and businesses and protects our environment.

The Growth Plan will build opportunities for the people of Ontario by creating better-planned communities, with more options for living, working, shopping and playing.

It will build opportunities for new investment and more jobs.

It will revitalize downtowns to become vibrant and convenient centres.

It will provide greater choice in housing types to meet the needs of people at all stages of life.

It will curb sprawl and protect farmlands and greenspaces.

It will reduce traffic gridlock by improving access to a greater range of transportation choices.

This plan places Ontario among the leaders in promoting strong communities … not just in Canada, but in North America and worldwide.

We have heard, for example, from U.S. organizations such as the Congress for New Urbanism, the Urban Land Institute and the Smart Growth Leadership Institute that what Ontario is doing is a model for North America — a model that puts us at the forefront internationally for building vibrant cities and communities.

World-renowned planning expert and public policy chair at the Urban Land Institute, William Hudnut, has said that Ontario’s Places To Grow initiative represents "a better and smarter way: strategic government planning and investment that produces communities with the right mix of housing, a good range of jobs, convenient transit, and easy access to stores and services to meet people’s daily needs."

The Honourable Members will remember the discussions that led to the passage of the Places To Grow Act last June. That ground-breaking legislation authorized the province to designate growth plan areas and develop growth plans. The Greater Golden Horseshoe is the first designated growth plan area, and this Growth Plan is the first to be developed under the Act.

It is first, because the need here is urgent. The Greater Golden Horseshoe is the engine of Ontario’s economy. It is our largest urban region by far. About two-thirds of Ontario’s people live here now, and the region will grow by 3.7 million people — and almost two million jobs — by 2031.

Without the Growth Plan, we could expect more of what we have had in the recent past:

• urban sprawl and damage to the environment;
• longer commutes to work;
• and excessive costs for the infrastructure needed to support this kind of growth.

Instead, Mr. Speaker, we will create communities that will meet the needs of Ontarians, not only today — but for generations to come.

Transit is the plan’s first investment priority. For instance, Move Ontario, an initiative announced in the March 2006 budget, provided more than $830 million to municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area — including Toronto, York Region, Brampton and Mississauga — to use for public transit.

The plan also addresses employment lands — to make sure municipalities maintain enough lands to accommodate manufacturing and major office and institutional development, as well as other employment uses.

Mr. Speaker, last year our government established the Greenbelt to protect natural and agricultural areas — demonstrating its commitment to our environmental heritage.

The Growth Plan confirms that commitment … and it goes further — by making sure that the region’s growth happens in the areas that can best accommodate it … while taking pressure off the areas we value most.

Investments in public infrastructure are being used to support this plan. More than $7.5 billion will be invested to improve infrastructure in the Greater Golden Horseshoe over the next five years.

And if the legislation we have introduced is passed, we will be creating the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority to promote the seamless movement of people and goods across the GTA.

Mr. Speaker, this plan is the result of countless hours of public consultation, policy analysis, and engagement with stakeholders. And consultation doesn’t end here. We will continue to listen and engage stakeholders and public bodies as we implement the plan.

The time is right for this initiative. People in the Greater Golden Horseshoe are well aware of the rapid growth in the region. They want to avoid the potential negative effects of traffic gridlock, long commutes, poor air quality and loss of green space. They want realistic goals and a clear plan to achieve them.

That’s what the Growth Plan provides — and that’s why I am optimistic that it will promote economic prosperity and improve the quality of life in this region for decades to come.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.