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continued from p.26 Keeping watch over the watershed a key issue The promise from the Province, to have watershed planning, is the foundation of land use. There has been a great bit of progress, in our mind, from the Province, but we need to make sure it's not just greenwash. We understand it's a slice of the pie, but we think it's a very important slice. Farmers don't do anything without water. Cities don't do anything without water. Andrew McCammon 29 | Friday, July 22, 2016 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com "In keeping with the government's approach to climate change, towards preserving agriculture... the Crombie panel weighed in and said, `This is where the government should strike a balance between growth and protection.'" Proposed modifications include: The Ontario government's proposed modifications to its four land use plans include: · Providing more guidance on achieving complete communities and requiring municipalities to plan for sustainable and livable communities · Increasing the intensification target in the Growth Plan to a minimum of 60 per cent of all new residential development occurring annually in the existing built-up area · Increasing the designated greenfield area density target in the Growth Plan to a minimum of 80 residents and jobs per hectare (excluding certain non-developable natural heritage features, such as wetlands and woodlands, rights of way for certain infrastructure and prime employment areas) · Requiring municipalities to plan for density targets around major transit stations · Supporting the development of community hubs by encouraging public services to be located together in existing facilities near strategic growth areas, as why there was no open house held in their municipality and the exclusion of the area from the Greenbelt Plan expansion. Expansion in Hamilton creates pressure Due to expansion in Hamilton, it puts more growth pressure on Brant and "you get leap-frogged development," Haley said. "You're seeing developers come to Brant County and buying prime farmland. We came because we're quite worried," said Haley. With "all the amazing farmland" locally, MacMillan said the possibility of it being developed in a proposed Brant County/ Brantford annexation deal isn't fair to farmers. "They have all this land and all this property, really good farmland that, with this annexation, it could just be paved over," said MacMillan. Haley and MacMillan want the Province to host an open house in their municipality because "this is the largest sprawl deal in southern Ontario," Haley said. "We need the Province to connect the Greenbelts, not let them be paved over. If it comes (to Brant County), it needs to look at the first Greenbelt map and do the right thing ­ grow the Greenbelt to include it," said Haley. According to Town staff, Oakville currently meets provincial requirements and growth targets through its Livable Oakville Official Plan, which sets out a mix of residential, employment, recreational, natural and cultural land uses necessary to create a livable and sustainable community. Worried about watershed Andrew McCammon, Ontario Headwaters Institute's (OHI) executive director, is worried about the government's watershed planning with respect to development. OHI is an Oakville-based registered charity working to preserve and protect Ontario's headwaters. Without watershed preparation, McCammon said development is going to make mistakes. "The promise from the Province, to have watershed planning, is the foundation of land use. There has been a great bit of progress, in our mind, from the Province, but we need to make sure it's not just greenwash," said McCammon. "We understand it's a slice of the pie, but we think it's a very important slice. Farmers don't do anything without water. Cities don't do anything without water." While Merchant noted there is no timeline yet for the government's final decisions on the plans, he encouraged people to continue submitting their concerns and questions in writing and online until Sept. 30. For information, visit www.mah.gov.on.ca. Ontario Headwaters Institute (OHI) executive director accessible by active transportation and transit · Establishing stronger environmental, agricultural and planning criteria in the Growth Plan for settlement area boundary expansions · Requiring municipalities to identify and protect prime employment areas · Requiring the Province, through direction in the Growth Plan, to establish a standard methodology used by all municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe for assessing land needs. Ella Haley and Cassandra MacMillan came from Brant County to express concerns, such Advertorial A Action Towing and Recovery helps Habitat Halton Mississauga `move' their world Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga recently put out a call for some help moving equipment and lumber from their Milton build site to their Plains Road location. Who came to their rescue? A Action Towing and Recovery, a locally owned company that has been providing the Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Hamilton areas with safe, reliable towing services for 21 years with its fleet of 47 trucks. Originally founded in 1995, the company was later purchased by Doug Murray in 2008 and has developed a reputation for unsurpassed customer services, which include everything from lockout vehicle entry to machinery and equipment moving. When asked about running the company operations on a daily basis, Doug stated, "There's no set guideline because every call is different, every customer is different and every circumstance is different. It takes a lot of creativity on the operator's level to get the job done and satisfy the customer. There's also a lot of pressure from the danger of operating on the side of the road. These guys are working on the QEW with cars whizzing by them at 140 kilometers an hour. The first thing I tell my new hires is, never trust traffic and never turn your back on the traffic. You must always have eyes on what's coming at you." Operations manager Helio De Sousa explains how important it is for the company to donate their trucks and drivers to Habitat's cause. "Tow companies get a bad reputation because we're taking cars hostage sometimes (due to criminal offences and parking violations). It's the nature of the business. We're the agent of the police so we're seen as the bad guys." But A Action Towing and Recovery are working hard to change that stigma. As Doug adds, "There's also a good feeling of giving back to the local communities, giving back to the people that - at the end of the day - feed us and feed our families." Helio is raising a son with special needs and knows firsthand what it's like to receive the support of friends, coworkers, and the community. "One reason I like working for Doug is that we're like a family here." Doug added, "We have a big problem getting people to come into our industry; nobody graduates from high school and says `I want to be a tow truck driver', but the people we do have are great! The core group of guys that have been with us from the beginning are the type of guys that jump right on board, ready to help Habitat as they build homes for families in need." Thanks to the team from A Action Towing and Recovery for their outstanding generosity and commitment to Habitat's mission - demonstrating their belief in making a difference, not simply a donation. Are you interested in making a difference? Visit habitathm.ca to find out how. True to their commitment of giving back to local communities, A Action Towing & Recovery transports much needed wood to volunteers at Halton Mississauga's Plains Road site. Helio De Sousa - Operations Manager and Doug Murray - Owner of A Action Towing & Recovery For more information on how you can become an HFHHM partner and join us on a build, please contact our Resource Development Team: Sandy Bartel at 289.400.9459 or sbartel@habitathm.ca for Mississauga or Melissa Foley at 647.470.8413 or mfoley@habitathm.ca for Halton/Halton Hills. habitathm.ca