A recent development involving an “asphalt arrow” painted across Halton Region’s official plan highlighted the need for immediate and collective action.  On October 27, 2010, the Ministry of Municipal and Housing Affairs (MMHA) issued a requirement to Halton Region to include a new highway corridor on its official plan.  The new corridor was changed from previous routes.  It now passes through North Burlington’s rural area:  from Tremaine Road / 407 to Mt. Nemo, through Lowville, Kilbride and Carlisle then Westward to the Ancaster / Hamilton area.

When Halton Regional Council accepted ROPA 38, it did not include this highway corridor.  Until the amendment, this portion of highway had not been included in any other documents related to the Niagara GTA study, but is clearly intended to be part of the highway.  The MMHA’s attempt to include a new section of highway in an official plan circumvents the legislated process put in place to protect valuable land.  It is an attempt to extend the NGTA highway without completing an Environmental Assessment nor other studies required for such a project.  It is one more attempt to chop up the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve.

Due to the tight timeframe to address this attempt to circumvent the process, COPE, along with other groups, have  taken steps to advise our government and the MMHA that we know what their doing and it is not acceptable.

This does not distract from our longer term fight to stop the Niagara GTA Highway that is currently planned for Flamborough and North Burlington – stretching from the 403 at Ancaster, ripping through the escarpment and joining with the 407 toll-road in Burlington.

Nor does it distract from our protests against Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak’s irresponsible and unsubstantiated position to pave the Niagara GTA Highway across the escarpment from For Erie to Burlington – as originally proposed by his mentor – Mike Harris.

In the short term – ROPA 38 must be removed from the Halton Regional Plan.
In the long term – new highways on the Niagara Escarpment must be stopped.

 

MMHA Letter to Halton Region (401 K PDF) | COPEs Map Enhancement (1.48 M PPT)