Large turnout anticipated at Greenbelt meeting in Ancaster Thursday night

The City of Hamilton is expecting a large turnout for a community meeting Thursday night to discuss changes to Greenbelt land in Ancaster.

The meeting will now take place at the Ancaster Fairgrounds to accommodate the substantial numbers expected after last week’s meeting quickly hit capacity.

The goal of the Greenbelt meetings is to allow for community members to provide feedback on how the land removed from the Greenbelt should be used.

The Sept 14 Special Meeting of Planning Committee has been moved to the Ancaster Fairgrounds. The meeting will be in-person, and streamed virtually on YouTube. Details regarding the HSR shuttle and how to register for public delegation can be found at: https://t.co/cSNSnjTjsD https://t.co/J6qyof6jE4

— City of Hamilton (@cityofhamilton) September 12, 2023

Land being discussed at the meeting is one of three parcels that have been removed from a protected land status by the Ontario government. The other two are located in Mount Hope and Winona.

The City is encouraging property owners from in and around the area to come out to the meeting to share their thoughts on the matter.

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Paul Calandra, the province’s newly appointed housing minister, says that he will be moving forward with the controversial land removals despite public outcry against the move and in direct opposition to the Auditor General’s recommendation to restore land status.

Environment Hamilton and Environmental Defence are two groups planning rallies outside of the meeting to protest this decision to build on the Greenbelt and to emphasize the urgency of protecting these lands.

This follows a series of rallies that have taken place throughout the GTA since Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk released her report on the land rezoning back in August.

Phil Pothen, the provincial Environment Program Manager for Environmental Defense, says the meetings thus far have shown that Hamilton residents are less concerned about the details of the land development and more about restoring its protected status.

The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. both in person and virtually. The planned rallies are set to begin just before the meeting itself.

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