Pickering Councillor Lisa Robinson – while strongly condemning council’s decision on May 20 to move forward with the Northeast Pickering expansion – expressed her deep disappointment that no councillor stepped up to second her motion to defer the plan.
The motion passed in a 5–2 vote. Councillors Robinson and Maurice Brenner voted against while the yes votes were from Mayor Kevin Ashe and councillors Linda Cook, David Pickles, Mara Nagy and Shaheen Butt, said Robinson.
“I am deeply disappointed that no member of council was willing to even second a motion to slow this process down and allow for additional public consultation,” said Robinson. “Staff themselves admitted there is no immediate urgency. They admitted shovels may not be in the ground for years. So if there is no urgency, why are we rushing to approve irreversible planning decisions before the studies are done and before residents feel heard?”
Claims That Plan Was Not Rushed
There were a couple of vocal delegations from residents at the council meet opposing the motion.
“Residents spoke passionately about their wells, groundwater, farmland, endangered species, flooding concerns, infrastructure pressures, and the future of their community,” Robinson said. “Yet despite all of that opposition, council pushed forward anyway.”
The plan also faces resistance from Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation (MSIFN). However, Mayor Ashe and council stated they have not “rushed” their legal duty to consult with MSIFN over the Northeast Pickering Lands, said a delegate and environmental advocate, Mike Borie.
“…Mayor Kevin Ashe and four other Pickering councillors repeatedly stated that most residents that have expressed opposition to the development of the Pickering Northeast Plans have been wrong by stating that the City is ‘rushing’ the approval to develop these lands,” Borie said.
Major Studies Still Required
Robinson noted that major studies required to determine the long-term impacts of the project have not yet been fully completed or undertaken, including environmental, groundwater, hydrology, flood mitigation, transportation, servicing, and fiscal impact analysis.
“To approve first and study the consequences later is not responsible planning,” Robinson said. “It is backwards planning.”
She also criticized the fact that many of the future studies associated with the development process will ultimately be funded by development interests connected to the lands.
Pickering Has Enough Lands
Robinson further emphasized that Pickering does not face a land shortage requiring immediate destruction of prime agricultural lands.
“We are not out of land in Pickering. We still have underutilized lands, redevelopment opportunities, intensification corridors, and unfinished growth areas, including Seaton itself. What we are losing instead is prime Class 1 farmland, sensitive ecological systems, wildlife habitat, and groundwater recharge areas that can never truly be replaced once they are paved over.”
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