LATEST STORIES:
Grimsby calls on province to reimburse Greenbelt land swap planning costs

In the wake of land being returned to the Greenbelt, the Town of Grimsby and City of Pickering are both looking to the province to pick up the bills for the thousands of dollars lost to planning to rezone the land.
Grimsby Councillor Nick DiFlavio says the town’s planning department incurred legal and financial consulting costs trying to meet the tight timelines provided by the province to rezone former Greenbelt lands.
A parcel of greenspace at Grimsby on the Lake is now slated to be put back into the Greenbelt, but town officials say that preparations have already cost them $82,000.
DiFlavio says that both projects and studies for roads and other infrastructure took a back seat to the Greenbelt after the Ford government announced the decision to remove lands.
WATCH MORE: Ontario’s Housing Minister introduces bill to return lands to the Greenbelt
The two parcels of land in Grimsby that were unlocked are found at Hunter Road and Winston Road, with the other just a few kilometres away between Main Street West, Kelson Avenue and Oakes Road.
In Pickering, mayor Kevin Ashe says similar costs were raked up for a planned development in the Duffins Rouge Preservation area.
Doug Ford told you that no public money was wasted on the Greenbelt Grab – their failed attempt to rig the system to make a few of their insider land speculators even richer.
That’s not true.
Pickering is on the hook $360,135. Grimsby, $82,000.#ONpolihttps://t.co/UhDk8zXw6G
— Marit Stiles (@MaritStiles) October 20, 2023
Ashe is now asking for the province to refund the over $360,000 lost since their decision was reversed.
Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles took to social media Friday calling Premier Doug Ford’s promise to keep public money out of the Greenbelt, highlighting the expenses to both municipalities.
Di Flavio says there is still a chance the lands could still be given the greenlight to be developed. He says the appeal window to inquire about rezoning the areas closes on Nov. 30.
WATCH MORE: RCMP launches investigation into Ontario’s Greenbelt land swap