Protestors in Stratford decry Ford's new housing legislation

A demonstration was held in Stratford Friday as opposition to the Ford government’s Bill 23 continues to grow across the province.

Bill 23, the Build More Homes Faster Act, was announced last month as part of the government’s plan to tackle the housing crisis.

In Stratford, a crowd gathered outside the local MPP’s office. Demonstrators told CTV News, there are significant environmental concerns with the bill.

“The weakening of the cities, it’s just sinful what that’s going to do to our cities and what it’s going to do to our taxes – is terrifying,” said organizer Sharon Collingwood.

Critics of the province’s plan are calling it a pro-developer deal that will erode Ontario’s Greenbelt and contribute to urban sprawl that forces more financial burden on municipalities.

“[There will be] big reductions in the ability of the people, the elected officials, here in Stratford and in other cities to actually have any impact on how developers actually behave. It’s going to cause a big jump in our property taxes,” another event organizer, Mike Sullivan, said.

In addition to the loss of some of the Greenbelt protected lands, Bill 23 would also allow the province override local planning and puts the costs of new development on municipalities.

“All this bill does is hand some money over to developers and put it on the backs of taxpayers,” Sullivan said.

There are similar concerns in the Region of Waterloo.

“We want to make sure our rural communities preserve their existing character,” said Sean Campbell, Organizer of Hold the Line WR.

The region has a unique planning tool, the Country Side Line, designed to curb urban sprawl.

“This tool helps make our community more interesting by focusing growth on our urban cores, making infrastructure more efficient, and allowing our communities to grow up and not over our farms, forests, and drinking water,” Campbell said.

He said the tool could be in jeopardy if the bill moves ahead. Campbell is calling on other residents to speak up if they have concerns about the bill.

“I think community organizing can have an effect,” Campbell said. “So hopefully by continuing to advocate and work together as a community, the province will hear us and we weren't consulted on this we weren't asked and this isn't what we want to see.”

The government believes Bill 23 is needed to increase housing supply.

“We are in a housing crisis. We made a promise during the election that we would put a plan in place to build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years,” Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark said at Queen’s Park this week.