Bill 136 explained in plain English
Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023 amends several Ontario laws, including the Greenbelt Act, 2005, and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, 2001, to adjust land designations, enacts the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2005, and limits legal recourse related to these changes.
Bill 136, also known as the Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023, makes several changes to Ontario laws. It enacts the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2023, which confirms the validity of certain land covenants and easements made before February 28, 2005. It also repeals the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022. The bill amends the Greenbelt Act, 2005, to re-establish the boundaries of the Greenbelt Area as they were on December 13, 2022, and deems certain lands removed in 2022 to be part of the Protected Countryside and Natural Heritage System. It also revokes Ontario Regulation 59/05 concerning the designation of the Greenbelt Area. Additionally, the bill amends the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act to extend personal liability protection to Facilitators and Deputy Facilitators. Finally, it amends the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, 2001, to re-establish the Oak Ridges Moraine Area designation and deems Ontario Regulation 140/02 (Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan) to apply as if amendments made by Ontario Regulation 568/22 had not occurred, while also revoking Ontario Regulation 1/02. A key effect of the bill across multiple acts is to limit legal remedies and prevent lawsuits related to actions taken or not taken, or representations made, concerning these legislative changes.
- Enacts the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2023.
- Confirms the validity of certain land covenants and easements (DRAPA covenants and easements) made on or before February 28, 2005.
- Repeals the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022.
- Amends the Greenbelt Act, 2005, to redefine the Greenbelt Area, incorporating land removed from the designation in December 2022, and to deem certain lands as designated within the Protected Countryside and Natural Heritage System as of December 13, 2022.
- Revokes Ontario Regulation 59/05 (Designation of Greenbelt Area).
- Amends the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act to extend protection from personal liability for good faith actions to Facilitators and Deputy Facilitators.
- Amends the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, 2001, to re-establish the designation of the Oak Ridges Moraine Area.
- Deems the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (Ontario Regulation 140/02) to apply as if certain amendments (Ontario Regulation 568/22) had not been made.
- Revokes Ontario Regulation 1/02 (Designation of Oak Ridges Moraine Area).
- Includes provisions across several amended acts to limit or bar legal actions and remedies related to the enactment, amendment, or repeal of provisions, or actions taken in accordance with these laws.
- Terminates an agreement between Minotar Holdings Inc. and the Crown related to the settlement of a court proceeding.
- Landowners with DRAPA covenants and easements.
- The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
- Facilitators and Deputy Facilitators appointed under the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Act.
- Individuals and entities involved in the settlement of a specific court proceeding (Minotar Holdings Inc. and the Crown).
- Anyone seeking legal remedies related to changes in the Greenbelt Act, 2005, and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, 2001, and their associated regulations.
- The Crown in right of Ontario.
- DRAPA covenants and easements are deemed valid and binding.
- Certain actions taken in good faith by Facilitators and Deputy Facilitators are protected from personal liability.
- Legal remedies are limited or barred for claims arising from various actions related to the amendments made by this Act and related regulations.
- The Act received Royal Assent on December 6, 2023.
- Most provisions of the Act come into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- DRAPA covenants and easements are those entered into on or before February 28, 2005.
- The Greenbelt Plan is deemed to provide for land designations as they were on December 13, 2022.
- The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan is deemed to apply as if amendments made by Ontario Regulation 568/22 had not occurred.
- No direct financial or tax impacts are specified in the provided text, beyond the termination of a settlement agreement which may have financial implications.
- The bill limits legal remedies and bars certain proceedings, rather than imposing new penalties.
- The specific area described in Schedule 1 of the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2023, is defined by a red outline on a map filed with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
- The bill limits the ability to pursue legal action or claim damages in relation to the changes made by the Act, including actions taken or not taken by government officials.
- The extent to which these limitations on legal remedies apply is detailed within specific sections of the amended Acts.
Changes the definition and designation of the Greenbelt Area, and introduces provisions to limit legal remedies related to the Act and its regulations. It also confirms the status of certain lands as of December 13, 2022, and revokes Ontario Regulation 59/05.
Source: Schedule 2
This Act is repealed, and its provisions are superseded by the new Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Act, 2023.
Source: Section 4 of Schedule 1
Extends the protection from personal liability for acts done in good faith to include Facilitators and Deputy Facilitators appointed under the Act.
Source: Schedule 3
Re-enacts the designation of the Oak Ridges Moraine Area, limits legal remedies related to the Act and its regulations, deems a specific regulation to apply as if certain amendments had not occurred, and revokes Ontario Regulation 1/02.
Source: Schedule 4
The Minister under this Act may register notices related to DRAPA covenants and easements.
Source: Section 2 of Schedule 1
DRAPA covenants and easements are binding on persons with an interest in the affected land, regardless of when the interest was acquired or if a notice was registered.
Source: Section 2(3) of Schedule 1
This regulation is revoked.
Source: Section 5 of Schedule 2
This regulation is revoked.
Source: Section 5 of Schedule 4
This regulation is deemed to apply as though amendments made by Ontario Regulation 568/22 had not been made.
Source: Section 4 of Schedule 4
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.
No published representative vote breakdown
The current official sources do not publish a recorded division breakdown for this bill, so there is no representative-by-representative table to show.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced