Organizers happy with show of support at Bill 212 protest 

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

People opposed to the Province's recently-passed Bill 212, and Highway 413, attended a protest in Orangeville last Friday. 

On November 22, around 60 people rallied outside Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones' office in Orangeville to voice their opposition to the legislation and the highway it paves the way for.

Sharon Sommerville, member of citizens' group Headwaters Stops the 413, helped organize the protest. She said she was quite happy with the number of people who came out, especially considering the poor weather. Sommerville was also pleased with the number of cars and trucks passing by the protest that honked in support of it. 

“I think it speaks to broad support,” said Sommerville. 

Bill 212 is the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, and includes the Building Highways Faster and Highway 413 acts.

Among other things, Bill 212 exempts Highway 413 from the Environmental Assessment Act and removes certain rights of landowners whose properties would be expropriated to build the highway — such as their ability to apply for an adjustment to the day their property would be expropriated.

Sommerville said, at the protest, attendees talked about how unneeded the 413 is and how there are better options, such as opening the 407 toll-free to transport trucks. Attendees also talked about keeping pressure on the Province, and advocating to the Federal Government to designate the 413 project for a full environmental impact assessment.

“We are still pressuring the government, doing public education, getting people to sign our petition and giving out lawn signs… we gave out about 30 signs at the event,” said Sommerville. “There might yet be a Charter challenge to Bill 212 because it does really breach citizens' rights… there are really serious issues with government overreach for Bill 212.”

Sommerville said the 413 is a corridor for big box stores, truck depots, warehousing, and housing developments. She said it will not meaningfully reduce congestion.

“It's not going to do the job the Province is telling us it's going to,” she said.

Caledon Mayor Annette Groves recently sent a letter to the Province voicing Caledon Council's opposition to “significant elements” of Bill 212. 

“More than 45 per cent of Highway 413's length spans Caledon. Residents with properties in the 413's Focused Analysis Area have ostensibly had their land uses frozen since the

project's initiation in 2007. Family farms could not expand knowing they would never recover their capital investments before expropriation. Several homeowners could not sell due to market rate suppression due to speculation of future expropriations,” wrote Groves. “Now, Bill 212's expedited timelines to take possession of residents' lands needed for this priority highway will leave those residents vulnerable and potentially unhoused. Resident rights during the construction of Highway 413 must be upheld.”