More voices speaking out against development plan in rural north of Ontario community

Environmental activist Mike Borie is joining a chorus of voices urging the city to stop all development proposals in northeast Pickering until a “thorough agreement” has been reached with all parties involved, including the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

“Pickering Council members, I urge and implore you to fully read and comprehend what the letter from Chief Kelly LaRocca clearly and precisely states concerning any development proposals – including any Environmental Assessment and/or studies concerning the Northeast Pickering lands/Carruthers Creek Headwaters.”

The First Nation reaffirmed its opposition last month to the City of Pickering’s desire to open 1,600 hectares of land for development without “meaningful and legally required” consultation.

Scugog Island has been on record against developing the lands in northeast Pickering for long-term housing and employment opportunities since 2021 and is asking Durham Region to honour the bilateral agreement renewed in July that formalizes both parties’ intentions to develop strong partnerships and participate in meaningful engagement.

Chief Kelly LaRocca, in a letter signed her and her councillors sent Feb. 10 to the region’s Committee of the Whole, is asking Durham Region to not enter into an Environmental Assessment funding agreement with the Northeast Pickering Landowners Group for the regional services required to support the development in northeast Pickering.

“We have been willing partners but our concerns and requests for proper consultation have gone unanswered. Despite our continuous efforts to document our opposition to development of northeast Pickering … meaningful consultation and accommodation has not occurred on this file. Durham Region must be aware that given the failure of the City of Pickering to address these outstanding concerns,” LaRocca and her councillors said in the letter.

The First Nation officially filed a request with the housing ministry in November for an individual comprehensive environmental assessment to address “potential adverse impacts” from the development of the lands. Their request, however, “continues to be unaddressed.”

“It is also critical that Durham Region is aware that MSIFN has not entered into any form of a relationship agreement with the City of Pickering,” LaRocca said, “and any claims otherwise are misinformation.”

The letter cited four parts of the Bilateral Agreement that are being breached, noting Scugog Island’s position on northeast Pickering “has not changed.”

The First Nation said it “highly values” its relationship with the region and hopes regional council will “act in the spirit of reconciliation” and ensure further action aligns with the MSIFN-Durham Bilateral Agreement.

LaRocca said the region made commitments in the recently renewed agreement to improve processes to support the First Nation’s rights and Interests and asked that Durham Region “take the opportunity to uphold this commitment” and ensure that the environmental assessment not proceed without “meaningful consultation” that is led by the region and not the landowners group.

“It is crucial that Durham Region does not take actions that will fast track commencement of the EA.”

City staff in Pickering have prepared an Official Plan Amendment for the Northeast Pickering Secondary Plan, with the potential for the lands to attract as many as 70,000 new residents.

The plan will set the vision and guiding principles for how the area will grow over the next 30 years and will determine the land use, transportation, placemaking, built form, streetscape, and sustainable design for the area.

The land, bounded by Westney Road to the west, Eighth Concession to the north, Lake Ridge Road to the east and Highway 7 to the south, has long been the battleground of residents and activists who want to see it preserved for farmland.

Other environmental groups, such as like Land Over Landings, fresh off a celebration half a century in the making in stopping the Pickering Airport just to the west a year ago, are also in opposition to the plan.

Irene Ford, a Vaughan resident and environmental activist who has been fighting the Doug Ford provincial government for years over the destruction of the Greenbelt, has called for an end to “developer-led, sprawl-intensive” development. “Please put an end to this nonsense.”

“I am tired and exhausted of this developer-led, sprawl-intensive development, council-appeasing charade. Please put an end to this nonsense,” Irene Ford said.

Pickering Council will meet once again on the issues March 23.