Following public consultation and engagement with Indigenous communities this fall, Greenbelt protection of the Fourteen Mile Creek urban river valley could be extended south to where it connects with Lake Ontario.
The Town of Oakville, Conservation Halton and Conservation Ontario suggested the addition as part of a 60-day initial consultation to grow the Greenbelt last spring and has the support of Halton Region.
"We heard loud and clear that the community in the Town of Oakville wants to see Fourteen Mile Creek urban river valley added to the Greenbelt," said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. "I am proud to say that we are listening to communities across the Greenbelt as we undertake what could be the largest expansion since its inception in 2005."
"Protecting Oakville’s Fourteen Mile Creek urban river valley by putting more of it into the Greenbelt is great news for our community," said Effie Triantafilopoulos, MPP for Oakville North—Burlington.
"Our government is committed to enhancing and preserving our natural environment, and I am pleased that we are bringing the entire creek into the Greenbelt. Our rivers and streams are important, and protecting the lands around them plays a key role in our community’s environmental health and well-being."
This fall, the government intends to consult with the public and engage with Indigenous communities on maps showing land that could be added to the Greenbelt, including the Fourteen Mile Creek extension, other urban river valleys and a draft Paris Galt Moraine boundary.
"Minister Clark continues to deliver for the residents of Oakville on important local issues," said Rob Burton, Mayor of the Town of Oakville and Chair of Municipal Leaders for the Greenbelt. "From saving Glen Abbey to now announcing the intent to grow the Greenbelt, I am proud of our strong partnership with the province."
