April 17, 2007

Statement to the Legislature: Concerning the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the 2007 Daniel Burnham Awards
David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to share with the honourable members news about how the McGuinty government has been recognized as a leader on the world stage for our work in promoting strategic, sustainable growth in this province.

Mr. Speaker, representatives from our government’s Ontario Growth Secretariat are currently in Philadelphia, as part of the American Planning Association’s annual conference. Today, Brad Graham, Assistant Deputy Minister of the OGS, received, on behalf of our government and the people of Ontario, the 2007 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan, for our government’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The Burnham Award is considered by planners across North America to be the profession’s highest distinction. And, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that this marks the first time in the history of the APA planning awards, that a jurisdiction outside the United States has won this award.

This plan was created under the leadership of Premier McGuinty, but a large and diverse group of people across this province can also take credit for this achievement. Stakeholders, policy makers, professional planners, government officials, local elected officials, environmentalists, developers, and many, many engaged citizens of our province participated in the development of the Growth Plan, and should all be proud of the recognition that comes with winning the Burnham Award.

I’m proud to report that this plan has received unprecedented support from our partners in municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. In fact, His Worship, Mayor of Toronto, David Miller has said “The Greater Golden Horseshoe plan puts Ontario on the map as an international leader in sustainable community development.”

One prominent planner, Carol Rhea, of the American Institute of Certified Planners, has said, “This plan is a landmark comprehensive plan that is both visionary and pragmatic. It provides a strategic, innovative and coordinated approach to sustainable growth and development for 110 different municipalities.”

Mr. Speaker, our Province is booming: we are looking at nearly four million more people arriving in the Greater Golden Horseshoe over the next 25 years. And planning for growth means creating opportunity, complete communities, and vibrant and diverse urban centres, while reducing development pressures on our important agricultural and natural areas. Because, Mr. Speaker, the people who are going to live in this area are going to need the right form of transit to help them get around, the right kind of public amenities and communities to live in, and a clean and sustainable environment.

In short, we are planning complete communities where people want to live, work and play.

Mr. Speaker, the award-winning Growth Plan that the McGuinty government has developed will help make sure we can continue to prosper.

And Mr. Speaker, we are also going to ensure that all this growth happens in a strategic way, a way that strengthens our economy and sustains development, while keeping the environment at the forefront of our planning efforts.

Our government has developed the Growth Plan in concert with many other key initiatives – such as a multi-year, multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment plan to support the implementation of the Growth Plan; a legislated plan that permanently protects a 1.8 million-acre Greenbelt in the heart of the Greater Golden Horseshoe; major reforms to Ontario’s laws governing how land use planning takes place; as well as efforts in brownfields redevelopment and planning.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the McGuinty government’s commitment to strategic and sustainable growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

And I am proud of the recognition we have received from the American Planning Association’s 2007 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan.

An award of this calibre reinforces that our government – the McGuinty government – is planning for a healthy, strong and prosperous communities.

Innovative, progressive, groundbreaking, cutting-edge: these are some of the words used to describe the work of the McGuinty Government. This is yet another example of Ontario being a leader on the world stage.

As the Minister for Public Infrastructure Renewal, I express to all of our partners involved in the historic – and now award-winning – Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, my most heartfelt congratulations.

Thank you.