Released For Publication - August 12, 2021
Through chants of “Hey hey, ho ho, we don’t want no MZO!” Cambridge residents marched alongside the non-profit residents’ group Blair Engaged to show opposition to Cambridge Mayor & Council’s request for a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) from Steve Clark (Minister of Housing & Municipal Affairs ) to build a mega-warehouse in historic Blair Village.
The group started their walk at the former heritage site of the Preston Springs Hotel, another controversial site which was unceremoniously demolished in late 2020 amidst Cambridge residents’ efforts to further protect the historic building.
Blair Engaged member Ed Vos
spoke to the symbolism of starting their journey at the demolition site saying,
“We thought it was appropriate to start the march here because when this very iconic hotel was demolished last year, a lot of the citizens were shocked and had questions for council, but it was too late. It’s not too late to stop the MZO in Blair and demand democracy prevail in Cambridge.”
The residents of the heritage village note they are not opposed to development on the site, but rather the lack of due diligence from Mayor & Council on the new project proposal for a mega warehouse. Most of the project site had formerly been approved in 2015 for a 14-lot small business park through an extensive public participation process – a compromise with Cambridge residents to honour the heritage designation of Blair while also creating economic opportunities for residents.
Blair resident Andrew Rowbotham noted,
“The project that was approved in 2015 does not bear any resemblance to the mega-warehouse project now being requested by developer Broccolini.”
Rowbotham added,
“Why then would Cambridge Mayor & Council support an MZO for this new proposal?”
Alan Van Norman of Blair Engaged spoke after the twenty-five person group (maximum allowed under current public health measures) marched to the warehouse site. Van Norman described MZOs as “the atomic weapon of planning” because they allow developers to bypass regular planning processes that protect the environment, give consideration to various potential development impacts, and allow citizens to provide input into the future of their city.
Residents marched with a banner reading,
“Do the right thing – rescind support for the Amazon warehouse MZO.”
Speaking to next steps, Van Norman said,
“We have an opportunity here to keep this debate going. We’re going to take it and we’re going to try to protect our community.”
He added,
“We demand restoration of the original 14-lot business subdivision.”
With honks of solidarity from passersby filling the air, Rowbotham concluded his remarks saying, “There’s one thing the Cambridge City Council does not want to see and that is growing public support because it’s also the one thing that will keep Minister Clark from issuing an MZO.”
Blair Engaged demands the Cambridge City Council
• rescind their support for an undemocratic MZO
• engage in meaningful public consultation for the proposed project
• follow all planning processes which apply in Blair, including the Heritage Act of Ontario and those pertaining to provincially significant wetlands
This march through Cambridge is part of the third week of the Ear To The Groundwater tour organized by Wellington Water Watchers. The purpose of these walks is to raise awareness of how Doug Ford’s open-for-business agenda hurts local democracy & the environment, including the impacts of MZOs and expanding gravel quarries, which contribute to urban sprawl.
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About Blair Engaged: Blair Engaged is a citizens’ group who opposed the issuance of a Minister’s Zoning Order in Blair Village for a mega-warehouse, instead in favour of meaningful public consultation and adherence to local & provincial planning processes for the development.
About Wellington Water Watchers: Founded in 2007, Wellington Water Watchers (WWW) is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization based in Guelph, Ontario, with a focus on the Grand River watershed. WWW is committed to the protection, restoration and conservation of groundwater. WWW works to influence local water policy and protect water sources.
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