The Ontario Municipal Board recently ruled against the Region of Waterloo for measures the Region took to curb urban sprawl. Here are the reasons why I believe they should rescind their decision.

1. Reasons to Rescind the OMB Decision
By Louisette Lanteigne
butterflybluelu@rogers.com

2. Land-Use Planning
• Traditionally, the underlying belief of planning is that collective
rationality can be brought into the way our cities are built rather than
leaving it up to individuals in the marketplace where inefficiencies
may prevail especially with respect to long-term thinking (Makuch,
2004).

3. Land Use Planning and
Private Development Bias
• Planning is a highly charged financial process - development or
redevelopment can mean big bucks for private individuals.
• Private interests may have deleterious implications despite the
benefits they may bring about and thus must be reconciled with the
interests that the public has for appropriate development that takes
into consideration other values such as environmental protection
and not overburdening municipal services (Swaigen, 1993).

4. Planning Act
• The Act contains myriad policies in support of strict
prohibition of proposed development
• Section1.1 outlines the purpose:
(a) to promote sustainable economic development in a
healthy natural environment within the policy and by the
means provided under this Act.

5. Supporting PPS Provisions
• 2.1.1 Natural features and areas shall be protected for
the long term.
• 2.1.2 The diversity and connectivity of natural features in
an area, and the long-term ecological function and
biodiversity of natural heritage systems, should be
maintained, restored or, where possible, improved,
recognizing linkages between and among natural
heritage features and areas, surface water features and
ground water features.

6. Planning Act cont’d…
• Section 2 stipulates the Provincial Interest in broad
terms:
(a) the protection of ecological systems, including natural
areas, features and functions
(c) the conservation and management of natural resources
and the mineral resource base

7. Planning Act cont’d…
Provincial Interest cont’d
(d) the conservation of features of significant architectural,
cultural, historical, archaeological or scientific interest;
(e) the supply, efficient use and conservation of energy
and water;

8. Planning Act cont’d…
Provincial Interest cont’d
(h) the orderly development of safe and healthy
communities;
(l) the protection of the financial and economic well-being
of the Province and its municipalities;

9. Planning Act cont’d…
Provincial Interest cont’d
(n) the resolution of planning conflicts involving public and
private interests;
(o) the protection of public health and safety;
(p) the appropriate location of growth and development.

10. ‘Consistency’ with Provincial Policy
Statement (PPS)
• Pursuant to Section 3 subsection 5 of the Planning Act,
all land-use decisions must be consistent with the PPS –
a more stringent standard
• The proposed site must comply to sections 2.1 Natural
Heritage and 2.2 Water from section 2.0 Wise Use and
Management of Resources, which the proposal violates.

11. Supporting PPS Provisions cont’d…
• 2.1.6 Development and site alteration shall not be
permitted on adjacent lands to the natural heritage
features and areas identified in policies 2.1.3, 2.1.4 and
2.1.5 unless the ecological function of the adjacent lands
has been evaluated and it has been demonstrated that
there will be no negative impacts on the natural features
or on their ecological functions.

12. Supporting PPS Provisions cont’d…
• 2.2.1 Planning authorities shall protect, improve or restore the
quality and quantity of water by:
a) using the watershed as the ecologically meaningful scale for
planning;
b) minimizing potential negative impacts, including cross-jurisdictional
and cross-watershed impacts;
c) identifying surface water features, ground water features, hydrologic
functions and natural heritage features and areas which are
necessary for the ecological and hydrological integrity of the
watershed;
d) implementing necessary restrictions on development and site
alteration to:
1. protect all municipal drinking water supplies and designated
vulnerable areas; and
2. protect, improve or restore vulnerable surface and ground water,
sensitive surface water features and sensitive ground water
features, and their hydrologic functions;

13. Supporting PPS Provisions cont’d…
e) maintaining linkages and related functions among surface water
features, ground water features, hydrologic functions and natural
heritage features and areas;
f) promoting efficient and sustainable use of water resources, including
practices for water conservation and sustaining water quality; and
g) ensuring stormwater management practices minimize stormwater
volumes and contaminant loads, and maintain or increase the
extent of vegetative and pervious surfaces.
2.2.2 Development and site alteration shall be restricted in or near
sensitive surface water features and sensitive ground water
features such that these features and their related hydrologic
functions will be protected, improved or restored.

14. Planning criteria not met by OMB decision makers
Pursuant to Section 51 subsection 24 of the Planning Act,
decision makers must have regard to the following:
(a) the effect of development on matters of provincial
interest as referred to in section 2;
(b) whether the development beyond the country side line
is premature or in the public interest;
(c) whether the plan conforms to the official plan;
(d) the suitability of the land for the purposes for which it is
to be used;
(h) conservation of natural resources and flood control;
(l) the physical layout of the plan having regard to energy
conservation.

15. Summary of Issues and Concerns:
Leads to Environmental Degradation of the Community
• Water quantity and quality issues
• Incomplete environmental assessments
Does not conform to all necessary Provincial policy and
legislation
• Non-conforming to Planning Act and March 2005
Provincial Policy Statement
Therefore, the OMB decision appears to represent bad planning!

16. Ontario Farmlands

17. Where do Farmlands Come from?
That answer is as easy as dirt!
Aggregate distribution governs all aspects of the surface and
subsurface geological characteristics of an area. Aggregates
shape topography, mineral contents and ph levels
influencing the plants that grow and the species that thrive.
Aggregate distribution impacts water quality, water volumes,
water flow and flow rates heading to wells and tributaries. It's
role in retaining water, either above or below the ground,
impacts atmospheric temperatures. It supports a web of
biodiversity both above and below and in soil layers. It helps
to controls floods, prevents drought and provides water for
agriculture, tributaries, lakes and rivers which supports
communities and industries.
Aggregates are the keystone for all of this!

18. A View of Ontario's Farmlands
2011 Census of Agriculture
Ontario has the biggest agricultural output as
measured by farm cash receipts, with 12.6
million acres in agricultural production, just 5.6%
of Ontario’s land base.
Though Ontario has less than a quarter of the
farmland of either Saskatchewan or Alberta, the
combination of soil and climate mean yields on
Ontario farmland are often double or more than
that of the Prairies.

19. Farming in Ontario = $50 billion/year
Direct employment in the automotive sector in 2010 was
31,500, while food processing hit 127,000.
The Alliance of Ontario Food Processors also reported the
farming created an additional 90,000 jobs.
In 2010, the auto sector had $43.6 billion in revenue in Ontario,
while food processing, agriculture products and farming
grossed nearly $50 billion.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/food-processing-beats-auto-industry-ontario-report-says-110736478.html

20. Farmlands in Ontario at risk
Number of farms in Ontario dropped 9.2%
from 2006 to 2011
The area farmed in the province fell 4.8%
from 2006 to 2011.

21. The reason for decline of Ontario farms:
“It’s subdivisions, it’s shopping malls,
it’s roads,” said Mark Wales, president of
the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
“We’re developing good farmland that in
the long run will not be available to grow
food, fibre and fuel for the world.”

22. Mark Wales, President of
Ontario Federation of Agriculture states:
“Canada is expected to be one of only
six countries in the world to be a net
exporter of food.”
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012/06/04/19836431.html

23. Global water & food crisis due to declining aquifers
World's largest aquifer going China's north that produces food for
dry 400 million people is running out of
The Ogallala aquifer is the world's
water because they are depleting the
largest underground water system, underground aquifers.
irrigating one-third of the US corn
Thomas Fingar, chairman and deputy director
crops and providing drinking water to
US National IntelligenceCouncil and
Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
Texas and Wyoming. It’s one of the
fastest-disappearing aquifers in the
world and the water is not coming
back. ( Associated Press)
The failure of governments to limit
pumping to the sustainable yield of
aquifers means that water tables are now
falling in countries that contain more than
half the world's people, including the big
three grain producers--China, India, and
the United States.
Lester R. Brown,Earth Policy Institute, Washington D.C.

24. According to the Word Bank:
Drought-affected areas would increase from 15.4% of
global cropland today, to around 44% by 2100.
The most severely affected regions in the next 30 to
90 years will likely be in southern Africa, the United
States, southern Europe and Southeast Asia.
http://climatechange.worldbank.org/content/climate-change-report-warns-dramatically-warmer-world-century

25. Agricultural lands WITH WATER are in high demand.
• Countries such as China, Korea and the United Arab Emirates are buying or leasing agricultural
land to help meet their own food needs.
The International Food Policy Research Institute
• The World Bank estimates that demand for food will rise by 50 percent by 2030.
The National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2025
• Global Economist project that agricultural lands will surpass the value of development lands in
the near future due to rising oil production costs, population increases, higher standard of living, water
shortages climate change and drought.
First photo: China, Second Photo: The US Third: Waterloo Ontario

26. 2012 view of US Drought

27. US drought resulted in toxic feed
Cattle are being poisoned by cyanide-laced weeds in Arkansas. Across the
Midwest water-soluble fertilizers are concentrating in soils and plants, making
them harmful rather than productive. And in Missouri, samples suggest that
more than half the corn crop isn't fit for human consumption, thanks to
unusually high levels of nitrogen. There was not enough water for
photosynthesis and high nitrate build up made the corn toxic.
http://current.com/10b70kc

28. Atrazine contaminated US water supplies.
Drought and depleted aquifers reduced groundwater to dilute.

29. This is Africa

30. This is America's Midwest in 2012

31. Think Globally

32. Act Locally!
Protect our A1 farmlands and primary recharge areas
from quarries and development.
Expand the Greenbelt Save Don't Pave
Primary Recharge Areas

33. Save food and water resources
for generations to come!