Catherine Soplet of Mississauga has shared reflections about Bill 108 hearings she attended at Queen’s Park

A sept. 19, 2018 Mississauga News article is entitled: “Meet your English public wards 1 and 7 trustee candidate: Catherine Soplet.”

I follow Catherine Soplet on Twitter. She has shared some reflections with me after attending two days of hearings about Bill 108 at Queen’s Park.

I have many posts at this website regarding the OMB Reform legislation hearings that were held by the previous government, before the reform legislation was passed.

I attended one day of the reform-legislation hearings at Queen’s Park and downloaded the Hansard transcript of both the day I attended, and another day of hearings.

I was impressed to know that for the current two days of Bill 108 hearings at Queen’s Park, Catherine Soplet attended on both days.

Catherine Soplet’s reflections from two days of Bill 108 hearings

I am not focused on the current Bill 108 hearings to same extent as I was in attending to the OMB Reform hearings some time ago. However, I have made an online submission regarding my views on Bill 108 and have written a few posts about the proposed legislation.

Below are some reflections that Catherine Soplet has shared with me via Twitter direct messages.

Please note: I have not included all of her comments, but these will serve as a start, for such site visitors as may wish to follow Catherine Soplet’s reflections regarding the hearings. I also look forward to reading the online Hansard transcripts of the two days of hearings once available.

Catherine Soplet, June 3, 2019:

“[I] was at Queen’s Park for Friday hearings [May 31, 2019] at Justice Committee [at Queen’s Park]. Shocking disregard by government MPPs for the enviro and heritage presentations. Witnesses were bullied to the point where Opposition called point of order”

Jaan Pill, June 3, 2019: “That is most interesting to know. I will check out the Hansard transcript when it’s posted. I wrote about the previous hearings, which I found inspiring, that took place when the OMB Reform legislation hearings were held by the previous government.”

Catherine Soplet: “Participants in the prior hearings were sucker punched by this government. By way of protest, today at line-by-line review, MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers gave Notice to Recommend Voting Against each and every section of Schedule 11. The NDP supported by giving Notice to Recommend Voting Against Schedule 11 in its entirety.

“I was the only spectator to attend the entirety of the two days on Bill 108.”

Jaan Pill: “That is most valuable that you were there the full two days. I will try to find the Hansard transcript online as it may make for an interesting post at my website. What accounts for your particular interest in the topic of land-use decision making?”

Catherine Soplet: “the value of land is linked to the value-add of pro-social human endeavour: location + connection => prosperity.

“Not all human endeavour has cash value and so is overlooked in the valuation of Land. GDP does not capture value of increased learning until there is a market transaction – volunteers add value and benefit people, but their time is not counted into business plans – and often volunteers have to pay to play.

“Value of libraries is not fully costed – yet that is where people pre-dispose to self-regulate and be ready to learn. People designing Ford government policies are intentionally reverse engineering what is known and researched to benefit people and prosperity, to create legislation that enforces the opposite result.

“The impact on environment will unzip UNESCO biosphere protection of Great Lakes – St. Lawrence waterways. IMHO pressure from US via Chicago where Doug Ford managed Deco Labels and Tags

“Disposition Management of school lands will be enacted at discretion of Minister of Education, under Bill 108.

“Heritage protections will be eliminated, without consultation of experts, under Bill 108. Target is Ottawa envisioned heritage plan, now on deck for financing.

“Soft DCs [Development Charges] conjoin with Section 37 and Parkland in lieu of DC payments, to be unenforceable and reduced. Municipalities have relied on DC scheduled payments as a receivable for financing that gets infrastructure shovels into the ground. Loans will be called – municipal fiscal health is at risk.

“Ecological protections axed – emergent endangered species popping up in new habitats because of migratory pressure caused by climate change will be dead before they can be protected.

“Something is up with the proposed airport build in Barrie – in Q & A, a developer sputtered angrily about DCs being directed to airports in Barrie.

“BILD legal advisor David Bronskill is enraged that parkland reserves in Toronto amount to $1.4 billion, accuses Toronto of not materializing the reserves – Toronto Planner in Q & A responded that parkland cannot develop until built footprint is in place.

“BILD legal adviser will be a key architect for as-yet unreleased regulations for Bill 108.

“Ontario Library system saw budgets cuts of 50%. Libraries get federal settlement funding, regional funding for programs, provincial funding for enterprise, provided essential access to internet for cash poor, anad partner with school boards.

“Builder charities such as Habitat for Humanity will be entitled to 20-year deferred payments of associated DCs. I wonder if this will create a grab for Canadian Legion lands.”

May 22, 2019 Additional Agenda Item – Mississauga City Council

Also of interest:

May 22, 2019 Additional Agenda – City of Mississauga

Video of May 22, 2019 presentations at Mississauga City Council regarding Bill 108

Click here to access the above-noted video >

City of Mississauga Response

Click here to access City of Mississauga response to Bill 108 >