Doug Ford vs Ontario’s Greenbelt | Timeline

A working timeline of Doug Ford & co’s comments & actions relating to the Greenbelt

• February 13, 2016: Jeff Ballingall started “Ontario Proud” as a right-wing Facebook viral meme-maker. (Ballingall previously worked for Sun News Network as well as in the administration of Stephen Harper, previous PM + as a comm manager for Jim Prentice, previous premier of Alberta)

2018: THE YEAR OF DOUG FORD’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES OF NOT TOUCHING GREENBELT (TO ESCAPE BACKLASH FROM BEING EXPOSED FOR SECRETLY TELLING DEVELOPERS HE’D OPEN UP A BIG CHUNK OF IT)

• February 12, 2018: During his election campaign, Doug Ford secretly told developers “[w]e will open up the Greenbelt — not all of it, but we’re going to open a big chunk of it up — and we’re going to start building and making it more affordable and putting more houses out there.”4
• April 2018: Ontario Proud appealed for funding from various business groups incl OGCA (Ontario General Contractors Association). A posting in a OGCA group showed that Ontario Proud was looking for up to $700,000 to fully fund its election strategy.
• April 30, 2018: Doug Ford said he would allow development of the Greenbelt — the world’s largest permanently protected green space — if elected premier. He further suggested that the idea of opening the Greenbelt for construction came from developers “I’ve already talked to some of the biggest developers in this country, and I wish I could say it was my idea, but it was their idea as well.” (Joe Vaccaro, CEO of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, said there is a government process that developers respect and follow when it comes to the Greenbelt, and changes to the legislation do no happen in secret.)
• May 1st, 2018: “The people have spoken. I’m going to listen to them, they don’t want me to touch the Greenbelt, we won’t touch the Greenbelt.”
• May 7, 2018: During debate when Wynne tells him he doesn’t need to open the greenbelt, and that there’s enough land two build 2 cities the size of Mississauga (in GTA + Hamilton) to develop, he says “I’m not touching the greenbelt”
• June 7, 2018: PCs win majority govt, after 15 years of Liberals.
• June 20, 2018: ,Yuchen Lu/2615898 Ontario Inc. purchased the Nicholas Austin Heritage Property aka Site (104 acres of land at 765 and 775 Kingston Rd. E. in Ajax) five years ago for a reported $15.8 million. It has one of the oldest (c. 1850) remaining dwellings in the town, a collection of interesting agricultural buildings built in the mid 1800s and a rare example of an early airplane hangar. historically significant for its associations with early Quaker settlement in Pickering Township and the Red Wing Orchards / Stonehaven Farm property. property was likely built for Nicholas Austin (1792–1863), who purchased the land from his brother-in-law, Eleazer Brooks Orvis (1797–1879) in 1827. Both men emigrated from Vermont to Pickering in June 1821 to buy farms and build log homes
• December 11, 2018: It was revealed that of the over half million dollars of funding Ontario Proud received, the large majority ($460,000) was from corporate donations, of which 89% came from land-development and construction industries. Ontario Proud was active in the 2018 Ontario elections, attacking Premier Kathleen Wynne and Andrea Horwath. They went door-to-door, microtargeted with social media marketing, and spent $60000 on TV ads. Leading up to the election, they boasted that their content was viewed almost 67 million times, more interactions than all other leaders, parties, unions, and all other political advocacy groups combined. The five largest donations were from: Mattamy Homes ($100,000), Merit Ontario ($50,000), Nashville Developments ($50,000), Opportunities Asia Ltd. ($30,000),and Shiplake Properties Limited ($25,000). Seventeen other companies, mostly related to housing development, also donated $10,000 each.
• Dec 26, 2018? Doug Ford & Lecce were with Michael DeGasperis at a hockey game in a luxury suite in Miami over Christmas holidays
• Dec 2018: Housing Minister Steve Clark “We will reject any request from a municipal government to put the Greenbelt at risk…I am making that commitment today. We will protect the Greenbelt. This government will protect the Greenbelt.” — “We’ve been very clear as a government that we’re not going to touch the Greenbelt in its entirety. That’s our commitment to Ontarians. We made the commitment during the campaign. I make it here today.”
• Education Minister Stephen Lecce tweeted a photo with Michael DeGasperis who was awarded the Order of Vaughan
• 2018: the name “Vaughan Working Families” was registered in 2018 by a group called Vaughan Health Campus of Care whose chair is Michael DeGasperis. Other directors include Quinto Annibale, Sam Ciccolini, Robert Colelli, Robert Maggisano. The group has registered as a third party advisor and put out ads calling on Vaughan to vote for the Ontario PCs from at least 2014. In 2011, Stephen Harper gave this group a $10 million grant — while Michael DeGasperis served as fundraising chair for former Harper cabinet minister Julian Fantino’s 2010 by-election campaign. Julian Fantino’s spokesperson at the time, Stephen Lecce, defended this as investment that will benefit Vaughan families.

2019:

• 2019: wife and sister of Rice Group was appointed as vice-chair to board of the Greenbelt Foundation (only org solely dedicated to ensuring the Greenbelt remains permanent, protected and prosperous)
• January 20, 2019: Education Minister Stephen Lecce rang in new year at DeGasperis’ private golf club
• May 2019: Housing Minister Steve Clark: We’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again today: We’ll protect the Greenbelt in all its beauty.
• June 2019: Premier Ford has been crystal clear on this: We will preserve the Greenbelt in all of its beauty.
• September 2019: Copper Creek Golf Club, owned by the De Gasperis’, hosted a $1000 per plate dinner and reception organized by the King-Vaughan Ontario PC party
• October 2019: Michael De Gasperis was seen at a campaign event in Vaughan with federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer held in a suburban subdivision

2020:

• Feb 2020: “Vaughan Working Families” placed $150,000 anti-teacher ads in Canada’s biggest newspapers, paid for by Loopstra Nixon LLP (Quinto Annibale is a partner and serves on the board of directors of the Vaughan Health Campus of Care/The Vaughan Health Care Foundation/Vaughan Working Families).
• Quinto Annibale was vice-chairman of the LCBO at the time
• Vaughan Working Families Chair is Michael DeGasperis (TACC/Arista Homes/Opus/Deco/etc) and the lawyer responding about this was Stephen Thiel of Gardiner Roberts LLP
• There was no website or social media pages for the group except for a Twitter account which misspelled: Vaughn and only followed Doug Ford, Stephen Lecce and the provincial and federal PC parties
• Housing Minister Steve Clark: Our government knows how important the Greenbelt is to all Ontarians and to the environment. I want to assure everyone that I am committed to protecting the Greenbelt for future generations.
• April 2020: A numbered company associated with Marcelo Perez-Hassaf/Torca II Inc and Bernardino Qunito/Orca Equity acquired property on McCowan Road in Whitchurch-Stoufville for $12.5 million
• June 2020: Housing Minister Steve Clark: Our commitment to protecting the Greenbelt has not changed. We will not entertain any requests for minister’s zoning orders inside the Greenbelt.
• August 7, 2020: Modified map for 413 shows roadway cut through Greenbelt, 800 acres of farmland, 85 waterways, 220 wetlands etc
• September 2020: Marcelo Perez-Hassaf/Torca II Inc (connected to Bernardino Qunito/Orca Equity) purchased more than 29 hectares at 12045 McCowan Road for $25 million in September of 2020
• October 2020: Housing Minister Steve Clark: We’ve made it very clear to people who have sent us resolutions about developing in the Greenbelt that the answer is no. If you’re going to give us a request to develop property within the Greenbelt, we have one short answer: No.
• December 7 2020: Doug Ford: “ I have committed not to be paving anywhere in the Greenbelt.” “We committed to expanding the quality and quantity of the Greenbelt in 2020. During the election, I said I wasn’t going to touch the Greenbelt… I have not touched the Greenbelt. We won’t touch the Greenbelt. We won’t build on the Greenbelt.”
• December 8 2020: Doug Ford: “We aren’t touching the Greenbelt. We said we weren’t going to touch it. We support the Greenbelt. We’re pouring money into the Greenbelt.”
• December 2020: 7/10? members of Greenbelt Council resign incl a former PC MP & Toronto Mayer, David Crombie. Due to govt disempowering conservation authorities and because the province was fast tracking development on the Lower Duffins Creek wetland east of Toronto
• Nico Fidani Diker leaves his role as Executive Assistant and then Manager of “Stakeholder Relations” to Premier Ford to work for Ontario PC Party as “Manager of Stakeholder Relationships & Development” (and completes the number of years after which he can lobby government?)

2021:

• January: Michael Degasperis, Carlo Fidani, Mike Harris, Bob Runciman, Enrnest Eves, Hazel McCallion appointed to the Order of Ontario for 2020 (and 2019, a year late) which is supposed to be kept non-partisan and transparent
• February: Housing Ministry posts proposal notice on Environmental Registry for a 61-day consultation period to expand the Greenbelt by adding 13 URVs and lands from the Paris Galt Moraine
• March: “We’re expanding the Greenbelt. We will not build on the Greenbelt. We’ll make sure we protect the Greenbelt.”
• The Greenbelt council was muzzled from speaking to he media. A new media relations protocol was put in place — obtained by The Narwhal via access to information laws — saying the chair can only answer reporters’ questions about the council’s mandate and policies. All council deliberations are now confidential and all other media questions are to be sent to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
• Housing Minister Steve Clark: We’ve been clear that we are expanding the Greenbelt and will not develop any part of it. — I have been, on behalf of our government, extremely clear that we will not accept a proposal to develop in the Greenbelt.
• April 3, 2021: Toronto Star/National Observer investigation reveals Highway 413 land owners donated to Ontario Progressive Conservatives election bid. 8 most powerful developers own land near it and at least 4 donated/lobbied/worked with them in some way.
• April 2021: Doug Ford: “I’m not touching the Greenbelt.”
• May 2021: Housing Minister Steve Clark: I believe we have a great opportunity to grow the Greenbelt in a very significant way since its creation in 2005.
• Silvio De Gasperis paid $50 million in May 2021 for 100 acres/40 hectares of farmland north of Canada’s Wonderland, in Vaughan. It was alleged that to cover their purchase, they borrowed $100 million from CIBC at an interest of 21% annually.
• September 2021: Bernardino Qunito/Orca Equity (connnected to Marcelo Perez-Hassaf/Torca II) acquired property again on McCowan Road in Whitchurch-Stoufville
• November 15, 2021: Housing Minister Steve Clark issued MZO for Bernardino Qunito/Orca Equity’s new property acquisitions in Whitchurch-Stoufville
• December 2021: Ontario govt establishes the Housing Affordability Task Force to accelerate progress in closing housing supply gap to improve housing affordability
• 2021: Weixiang Wang/Wyview’s 3 numbered companies acquired 3 addresses for more than $80 million

2022: THE YEAR DOUG FORD IS RE-ELECTED AND IMMEDIATELY STARTS DISMANTLING THE GREENBELT

• Feburary 8, 2022: Housing Affordability Task Force reports Ontario needs to build 1.5 million new homes over next 10 years to fill housing gap
• March 2022: Greenbelt Council’s terms of reference are changed to weaken its mandate to protect the environment, including to make its advice confidential
• Ryan Amato worked with Michael Rice’s daughter on a fundraiser for Minister Caroline Mulroney (who Ryan was working for at the time) attended by approximately 25 people
• March 24, 2022: Housing Ministry decides not to expand Greenbelt into the Paris Galt Moraine saying it needs to understand housing and employment growth impacts. However they claim they will add the 13 URVs to the Greenbelt and post a proposal notice again on the Environmental Registry for a 30-day consultation period
• April 27, 2022: On the day they are scheduled to submit the Greenbelt addition proposal to government for final approval, Ministry staff receive direction that the Province is no longer proceeding with the proposal to expand the Greenbelt with the 13 URVs either
• April 2022: Luca Bucci, Housing Minister Steve Clark’s Chief of Staff leaves (??)
• May 3, 2022: Mr. Rice identifies 280 hectares of Greenbelt in King to purchase from Bob Schikedanz (previous CEO of OHBA) for $80 million but didn’t close on it until 4 months later
• May 30, 2022?: Luca Bucci registers to lobby the ministry, however, in the application, it states that he “has not and will not lobby the minister of municipal affairs and housing, the office of the minister of municipal affairs and housing and until at least April 1, 2023.”
• June 2, 2022: Doug Ford wins second term with a bigger majority as Premier, no mention of plans to alter Greenbelt during campaign. He promised to expand the Greenbelt.
• June 8, 2022: Luca Bucci appointed CEO of Ontario Home Builders’ Association
• June 14, 2022: Nico Fidani-Diker co-founded ONPoint Strategy Group (but told Wake it was on or about July?)(why launch only after Doug Ford is re-elected?) who Michael Rice and Peter Tatenbaum became clients of for the summer and fall —
• June 24, 2022: new post-election cabinet
• June 28, 2022: Doug Ford’s feedback into a 47-page slide deck on govt policy doc discussing the Greenbelt and other topics, but the govt redacted the contents of deck before releasing it. He had a “return to the legislature meeting” with his senior leadership team later that day
• June 29, 2022: Doug Ford had a cabinet meeting as well as six hours blocked off. He sent a mandate letter to Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, including key direction for fall 2022 to “complete work of codifying processes for swaps, expansions, contractions, and policy updates for the Greenbelt”
• July 4, 2022: Mr. Amato was appointed as Minister Clark’s new Chief of Staff by Premier’s CoS Jamie Wallace?, and began work on July 4, 2022. Mr. Amato had not previously worked as a chief of staff. He said he received no training upon taking this role. Previously he was Director of “Stakeholder Relations” in Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and familiar with developers.
• July 2022: Ryan Amato said UrbanCore Developments’ Sergio Manchia’s Fifty Road land in Stoney Creek was the first site brought to his attention after a phone call that month.
• August 1, 2022. Ryan Amato texted Kirstin Jensen, “The premier needs to stop calling this guy” referencing UrbanCore Developments’ Sergio Manchia
• August 9, 2022: BILD & OHBA release a 5 point plan to address the housing crisis in Ontario, #3 is to “make new land available to build housing”
• Peter Tatenbaum and Mr X contract to remove lands from greenbelt, rezone and disposes for $6000/month plus a million in a Greenbelt fee as well as a Rezoning fee (payment continegent on degree of success in lobbying not allowed in the Lobbyists Registration Act, 1998)
• August 11, 2022: Premier’s daughter’s stag & doe party which developers attended. $150-a ticket. Niko Fidani Diker attended. Matt Johnson, UrbanCore Developments’ Sergio Manchia representative attended.
• August 17, 2022?: Luca Bucci registered to lobby the Housing Ministry on behalf of OHBA
• August 18, 2022: Mr X emailed Peter Tanenbaum with an update about having spoken to Clariginton’s Director of Development Services and that he’s calling MMAH contact about legislation (Streamliner Properties Site 3)
• August 25, 2022: Mr X emailed Tanenbaum that he’s scheduling his meeting with “MMAH staff that is writing the order in Council for the week after next” (Streamliner Properties Site 3)
• Aug 30, 2022: Mr. Amato, Ms. Manson-Smith, her executive assistant and Mr. Fraser met on August 30, 2022 to discuss the Greenbelt options as per Ryan Amato’s request.
• Housing Ministry CoS requested info from Ministry’s public service staff on policy options to change Greenbelt and was advised of 2 options: system-wide review or site-specific review. They advised that site-specific review carried much higher risk of negative public and stakeholder reaction and would be more limited to meet govt priorities.
• September 1, 2022: Peter Tatenbaum’s contract with Nico Fidani-Diker for $10000/month (Streamliner Properties Site 3)
• September 7, 2022: Ryan Amato meets Cabinet Office officials and officials from his ministry, including Ms. Manson-Smith: “MMAH — Minister’s Mandate Priorities Discussion w/PO/CO” and invitees included senior staff from the Premier’s Office, Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Mr. Amato.
• OnPoint Strategy Group launch or GREENBELT party, a property development lobbying and public affairs firm — where many attended including Amato and Steve Clark, and many land developers, elected officials and political staff. Alana De Gasperis says she met Ryan Amato here. It was co-founded in June by Nico Fidani-Diker, a very close, ex aide of Doug Ford, who registered to lobby on behalf of 21 clients, 16 of which are for property development.
• ?? September 9, 2022: text between Ryan Amato and Manson-Smith’s EA that Ryan was having his last meeting with a “special project stakeholder tmw and that he would sketch out what he thought the path forward should be and would talk to M (Minister Clark) ??
• September 10, 2022: Ryan Amato last meeting with a “special stakeholder” according to text from day before
• September 14, 2022: BILD (faction of OHBA) event where Degasperis & Rice “gave packages” (1, 9) to Ryan Amato (2/3 of removed greenbelt lands). (One of the developers provides info on 3 more sites (4,12,13) later on — these 5 sites ultimately make up 92% of all Greenbelt land removed in 2022).
• September 15, 2022: Mr. Rice closes on 280 acres in King.
• Ryan Amato met with Steve Clark, Premier Ford and Patrick Sackville and apparently told Steve Clark “leave it with me” referring to the greenbelt item
• Ryan Amato texts Deputy Chief of Staff Kirstin Jensen that Pat and premier are very serious about greenbelt swaps.
• September 16: Ryan Amato informed the Housing Ministry that govt wished to initiate a site-specific review. He communicated 3 priority sites: DeGasperis DRAP lands (“Cherrywood”), Former OBHA CEO’s site in King Township that Michael Rice just closed on the day before, as well as a site near Hamilton airport (Degasperis-Fieldgate) (ie. 91% of land that ended up removed from Greenbelt)
• September 18, 2022: Mr X emailed Tanenbaum that he had a lunch meeting the next week with Kirstin Jensen and that Ryan Amato was expected to attend and the he also has them coming to golf as well as a Raptors game. He says he met with Nico Fidani and expects his proposal by Friday (23rd). He mentions that the process maybe ‘even more’ expedited. (Streamliner Properties Site 3)
• September 21, 2022: Ryan Amato meeting with Mr Fraser and ministry’s legal director with a discussion document titled “confidential briefing 09.14.22.pdf”. Mr Fraser recalls 2 properties brought forward to remove from the greenbelt, one he recalled as, Cherrywood (aka DRAP?)
• September 23, 2022: Premier’s Director of Forward Planning Patrick Sackville gave Ryan Amato “clear direction” for an hour about “everything + GB” and that it needed to happen fast, which he conveyed to Deputy Minister. (Mr. Amato texted Ms. Manson-Smith at 4:07 p.m: “I will call you in a bit. I have some clear direction. On everything + GB. OPs and bill. Just had an hour chat with Pat.”9 Ms. Manson-Smith responded “Amazing” to which Mr. Amato replied, “You won’t say that when we speak timelines aren’t helpful but clear direction.”)
• Day Nico Fidani was to give Mr X his proposal re Tanenbaum (Streamliner Properties Site 3)
• September 25, 2022:- Premier’s daughter — Karla Ford’s wedding where Cortelucci, etc sat at Doug Ford’s table, incl. developer network for Sites 10, 14, 15 (Weixiang Wang’Wyview/ Shakir Rehmatullah’s Flato/Torca’s). Niko Fidani Diker attended
• September 27, 2022: Law firm sends request to Ryan Amato by email to remove Shakir Rehmatullah’s Flato’s site 15
• Kirstin Jensen and Amato went to Joeys at Eaton Center with Mr X (for site 3) though Ryan Amato says he didn’t attend
• September 27/28: Mr. Rice met with Ryan Amato at his own office about rationale for removing the land — John McGovern, Susan’s husband, pulled together that package of information dated Sept 27
• September 29, 2022: Same law firm as before sends letter to Steve Clark by email to Ryan Amato requesting Weixiang Wang’s/Wyview site 10 to be rezoned through Official Plan review of York Region
• Same law firm sends another request to Ryan Amato to remove Shakir Rehmatullah/Flato and Torca’s site 14 from greenbelt.
• 3 sites and meeting with special project stakeholder already mentioned by Ryan, without criteria/process, to Deputy Minister of Municipal Housing team. Ryan Amato had meetings around this date blocked off on calendar without details and says he can’t recall them or the one the EA mentioned. (Ms. Manson-Smith’s executive assistant sent a text message to Mr. Amato at 3:48 p.m. It said: “Hi Ryan — trying to figure out good timing for next G Chat with Sean/Mark. I believe you were going to come back with info on the 3 sites so we can understand criteria and pathway forward (can we/how to solve). Have you had your meeting with the special project stakeholder?”10 Mr. Amato responded “Yeah. I have it. Last meeting tomorrow. I’ll sketch what I think it should be talk to M. So if we can meet Monday morning. I’ll also have the areas so we should discuss how to make a reality.”)
• October 2022: Ryan Amato had at least 1 meeting every 3 days from Sept 21-Nov 4 with ministry officials, not including additional minister’s briefings and Premier’s Office briefings. “He was directed by the Premier’s Office to direct project to change the Greenbelt” and a three week time limit for the small team of public servants to do so, without being able to speak to anyone about their work under confidentiality agreements
• October 3, 2022: Ryan Amato gave a list of criteria and 8 folders about 8 different properties to ministry officials — or the so-called “Greenbelt Project Team” was created after this. Ministry officials showed evidence that Ryan Amato gave direction that the govt had identified lands it wanted to post for removal from the Greenbelt and to do the work to remove them by around the same time Bill 23 was announced
• Susan McGovern didn’t mention her conflict of interest via her brother and her husband during the Greenbelt Foundation meeting this day.
• First week of October: Ryan Amato instructed the Housing Deputy Minister to assemble a small team of 6–10 public servants. The Deputy Minister assembled a team of six people, the Greenbelt Project Team, that included members of the Housing Ministry’s Planning and Growth Division and its Assistant Deputy Minister. (Sean and Mark part of this or ??). Ryan Amato directed the Team not to disclose info to any external group and required team members to sign security attestation forms confirming their understanding. He told them to complete site assessment portion of the project in less than 4 weeks of providing site-specific info on Oct 6th, to align with Bill 23 coming out.
• October 3–5, 2022: 6 person greenbelt team is formed. All greenbelt team members, except Ryan Amato? were required to sign an attestation of confidentiality on or by around Oct 5th. Premier’s office and political staff were required to too. They did not use email for this project, only Microsoft Teams to share documents for the purpose of confidentiality to given the political sensitivity. Additional measures mentioned by Ryan Amato was holding in-person meetings and “not a lot of document creation” and keeping the team small.
• October 6, 2022: Nico Fidani-Diker meeting with Ryan Amato where he passed on Penta Properties document on behalf of Paul Paletta (Site #5) and Mr. Fidani-Diker requested shape files and legal descriptions from his client that day
• Greenbelt team’s 1st meeting. Ryan Amato provided hard copy info from packages he received on eight sites to the team (1, 3, 4, 9, 12, 14, 15 and one not chosen)
• 2 senior planners created a very limited table of the properties (which didn’t have much criteria because they weren’t allowed to speak to municipalities etc and didn’t have time either) and used it in a meeting. It was identified that legal descriptions and GIS mapping or shapefiles were needed to assist with the mapping exercise required to remove properties from the Greenbelt.
• Degasperis 3 properties: Cherrywood, Leslie Elgin and Book Road are already on their table of properties. But not Block 41 yet
• Developers knew the Greenbelt was being opened up. Peter Van Loan and Ryan Amato communicated about Greenbelt changes. Ryan stated “I think he reached out to me when he was … there was a big rumour mill, because obviously we started asking people for GIS shapefiles and things like that. The development community is a lot like a high school, they all start talking to each other. So I think he had heard enough of it from people he was representing, not on these files … And he reached out to me and ask if … very pointed, if we were doing something.”
• October 7, 2022: Same law firm that emailed Ryan Amato about Weixiang Wang/Wyview Site 10 before, emails again to have it removed
• Mr X wrote to Tanenbaum that Ryan Amato asked for “legal description” of the Clarington lands and a “GIS shape file” no later than Tuesday (Oct 11)
• 2nd week of October: Site 11 is identified by the Greenbelt Project Team as a proposed property for removal (.5%)
• October 11: deadline Ryan Amato gave for Mr X and Tanenbaum to submit legal description and GIS shapefile (Streamliner Properties — Site 3)
• October 13, 2022: 2nd greenbelt team meeting: 2015–2017 site specific requests were considered but dismissed
• Notes from ministry officials included “Clarity on Gormley — Ryan — decision on [York Region] areas is with PO [right now] — believes there’s a few properties around GO station they want to develop out — premier doesn’t understand it’s in the [Oak Ridges Moraine] — was hoping to discuss today but it’s gonna be Monday — need clarity on [Oak Ridges Moraine].”
• Only one of the note takers attended this meeting. In their notes of the discussion about adding land in the Paris Galt Moraine area, this official noted “Ryan — Ministers [sic] preference is 18000 acres.”
• Second half of October (13–31): 5 USB keys provided to Greenbelt Project Team by Ryan Amato on proposed sites for removal (Buena Vista’s 2, Penta-Alinea’s 5, DeGasperis 13) and additional info on previously identified sites
• October 17, 2022: Ryan Amato said he was briefing the Premier’s Office about the Greenbelt project from this day onwards.
• Truesdell, the Premier’s Director of Housing Policy, claims he only learned of Amato’s work from the mandate letter in a meeting with other senior staff. The meeting wasn’t related to the Greenbelt and Amato wasn’t ready to brief them though he was planning to bring it forward around when Bill 23 was planned to be introduced (8 days later)
• Ryan Amato sent texts to Kirsten Jensen that he understood these staff from the Premier’s Office were surprised to hear the plans with respect to the Greenbelt removals.
• Ryan Emailed Sackville, Truesdell, and Deputys Chief of Staff to Premier for time to review a project he has been working on
• October 19, 2022: Ryan meeting with Premier’s office at 3:30
• USB stick with DeGasperis Block 41 material modified date
• Kristen Jensen, deputy chief of staff, was brought to Ryan Amato’s meetings with ministry officials
• Housing Deputy Chief of Staff provides Sites 6, 7 and 8 to Ryan Amato — these properties have been assessed through the Official Plan review(??)
• De Gasperis & Fieldgate purchased more property in Book Road area, Hamilton (site 4)
• October 21, 2022: Mr X emailed Tanenbaum 4 questions: “Do they have municipal confirmation/talked to municipality that there is support/and servicing? Has developer committed to paying for service extension/from [sic] end agreements? Have they confirmed servicing capacity? Does existing servicing go right up [sic] their property?”
• Ryan had a meeting with Premier’s Office about areas to add to Greenbelt like Paris Galt Moraine
• Degasperis’ Block 41 (Site 13) first referenced on the table prepared for the meeting under hearing “Additional Lands included on MO provided USB keys”
• meeting notes from a ministry official state “[name of senior planner] — also bringing to attention that 3 sites are included that weren’t on any list” and “Ryan — 3 additional files were given straight from premier.” (the three new items were DeGasperis’ Block 41 in Vaughan as well as Sulphur Springs Road in Hamilton, and Flato-Wyview (Shakir Rehmatulla/Weixiang Wang) properties in Nobleton
• First meeting where issue of TIMING for building homes was discussed:

[ADM Fraser] — turning it to Ryan to talk about use it or lose it — what are our options/opportunities

Ryan — convo w/PO/Minister — we want to make sure we can stand up and defend that it’s serviced, will agree that it’s private servicing!!! Wants to say that they can build immediately. In convo w/PO — ryan is in process of using [single family homes] as target — what is minimum amount of homes we’ll get from this — to use in messaging — 25k at Cherrywood

Other stuff for ministry to think about: 10% minimum affordable/attainable — path to doing it at Cherrywood. Ryan: “developer is getting unfrozen 3$billion asset”

Ryan — Want to be able to say in a couple of years that the projects have started — if you havn’t advanced project and no real reason for delay we are going to talk about putting it back in the GB. All language is going to be around crisis and shovels in the ground.

This public servant also specifically recorded:

Ryan — for Monday (24th) — needs a timeline — posting next steps to make it official — in a crisis — prove that we are managing 14 sites in a responsible way

[ADM Fraser] — all we know is whether it is adjacent to settlement areas

• October 23, 2022: Mr X emailed Tanenbaum with Nico Fidani Diker CCed w/ a doc w the answers to Qs asked before, titled “Nash Road Developments Inc. — Municipality of Clarington”
• October 24, 2022: Municipal elections held, some municipal councils are sworn in weeks after election, limiting ability to provide comments on changes to the Greenbelt posted on the Environmental Registry
• Ryan Amato called Nico Fidani-Diker for answers to the 4 questions for Penta Properties
• October 25, 2022: Bill 23 ‘initiative’ rolled out (proposal to remove properties from Greenbelt was told to ready by then but missed the deadline)
• Housing Ministry posts proposal on Environmental Registry to revoke Central Pickering Development plan which protects DRAP from development
• Ontario PC Press Office posted an image about building more homes near transit etc that day and Alexandra De Gasperis reposted it
• October 26, 2022: Minister Steve Clark received a briefing about the Greenbeelt from non-partisan staff. Ryan Amato says he briefed him though.
• other members of the minister’s staff began to join Ryan Amato’s meetings with ministry officials
• Chair of Greenbelt Council resigns and is replaced by Hazel McCallion (102 year old queen of sprawl)
• October 27, 2022: Date Mr Patrick Sackville claims to recall being first briefed about the Greenbelt project at a meeting facilitated by the Cabinet Office (despite being friends with Ryan Amato and being described by Ryan as the decision maker in the Premier’s office, and Ryan’s texts on Sept 15 stating that the Premier and Sackville were serious about Greenbelt, and Sackville was the one who gave Ryan Amato “clear direction” on Sept 23rd, Ryan stating that he spoke to Sackville about the Gormley site during the first couple weeks of October, Ryan stating Pat knew about it in texts to Kirstin Jensen on Oct 17th and said he emailed him + others in PO to meet about it at least by Oct 17th)
• October 31, 2022: Greenbelt Project Team second briefing to Premier’s Office political staff
• October end: Andrew Sidnell, who worked for the Premier from right before he was elected left his role of Head of Policy at the Premier’s office to become a VP of ‘Special Situations’ at Kingsdale Advisors where one of his main clients was First Capital REIT.
• Ryan Amato claims he proposed to the minister, Steve Clark, of 15 properties to be either removed from the Greenbelt at this point.
• November 1, 2022: Ryan Amato meeting with ministry where they indicated some properties could not be removed without further legislative changes
• Housing Ministry briefs Housing Minister/Associate Minister on proposed removal of land sites from the Greenbelt
• Ford became aware of specific land sites (auditor general’s report). He said he did not know which land sites were going to removed before he was briefed and shown on Nov 1
• November 2, 2022: De Gasperis & Fieldgate purchased more property in Book Road area (Site #4)
• this matter went before cabinet. Jamie Wallace claims Premier Ford was very interested to see the list of properties selected that morning. Ford claims that was the first time he saw the list (integrity commissioner’s report)
• Cabinet approves Housing Ministry’s proposal to begin public consultation process to amend the Greenbelt
• November 3, 2022: developers/property owners notified their land is being proposed for removal from Greenbelt
• November 4, 2022: Ontario govt announces plans to open 7400 acres of Greenbelt for development. Doug Ford’s reversal of long-standing promise not to touch Greenbelt.
• 15 sites were removed of which 92% belonged to mainly DeGasperises, along with Rice
• Susan, Michael Rice’s sister, revealed this to the Greenbelt Foundation after this supposedly.
• Housing Ministry posts four proposal notices on the Environmental Registry and initiates a 30-day public consultation period
• November 7, 2022: Briefing on the Greenbelt Project is provided to the recently appointed Greenbelt Council
• November 10, 2022: Luca Bucci appeared before Standing Committee of Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy on behalf of OHBA in support of Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act
• November 16, 2022: Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022 is introduced in the Legislature
• November 17, 2022: Narwhal/Toronto Star investigation finds eight of 15 Greenbelt areas opened were bought by developers after Ford was elected
• November 22, 2022: Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry posts an exception notice on the Environmental Registry exempting the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022 from the public consultation process
• November 28, 2022: Legislature passes Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022 which makes significant changes to the Planning Act, the Conservation Authorities Act, the Ontario Heritage Act and the Ontario Land Tribunal Act
• Mike Schreiner asked for Integrity Commissioner to investigate Doug Ford and Steve Clark but the Integrity Commissioner said there were insufficient grounds based on the information Schreiner provided.
• November 30, 2022: Housing Minister Steve Clark acknowledged ‘he had spoken with developers before the announcement of the Greenbelt plans were made’
• Parks Canada said Ontario’s decision to open parts of the Greenbelt would violate its agreement with the federal government and cause ‘irreversible harm’
• November, 2022: Susan McGovern quit Greenbelt Foundation and went to work as an advisor to Finance Minister Peter Bethenfalvy.
• December 1, 2022: Luca Bucci, again appeared before Standing Committee of Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy on behalf of OHBA in support of Bill 39, Better Municipal Governance Act
• December 8, 2022: Legislature passes the DUffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022.
• Marit Stiles, asked for Integrity Commissioner’s opinion on whether Minister Clark contravened sections 2(Conflict of Interest) and 3(Insider Information) of the Members’ Integrity Act, 1994.
• December 14, 2022: Housing Ministry implements Greenbelt changes, revoking protections to DRAP, alll this was approved by Cabinet earlier that day. No changes were made to the proposal to address the public’s concerns.
• Cabinet revoked the Central Pickering Development plan
• December 15, 2022: Lieutenant Governor proclaims the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act, 2022.
• December 21, 2022: Head of Ontario species at risk agency resigns over changes to Greenbelt
• December 2022: Doug Ford shuffled his staff promoting Patrick Sackville to chief of staff (someone who wasn’t registered as a lobbyist yet lobbied for and against his clients in the past)

2023: THE YEAR DOUG FORD RESPONDS TO BACKLASH FROM REMOVING GREENBELT PROTECTIONS FROM HIS DEVELOPER NETWORKS’ LANDS CALLS BY CALLING IT A SCAM & DOUBLING DOWN ON DISMANTLING IT EVEN FURTHER

• January
• January 2023: Susan McGovern became executive adviser to Peter Bethenflavy (Finance Minister)
• January 6, 2023: Ontario Provincial Police said they’re working to determine whether they should investigate
• January 11, 2023: Auditor General receives joint letter from all 3 opposition party leaders requesting a value-for-money audit and an assessment of the financial and environmental impacts of the govt’s decision to remove lands from the Greenbelt
• January 18, 2023: Auditor General announces audit
• Integrity Commissioner of Ontario initiates investigation
• What’s left of The Greenbelt Council, the frail almost dead Hazel McCallion expresses public support for development of the Greenbelt
• The Premier and Housing Minister claim that lands were selected by public servants and they didn’t know until a few days before it was presented to Cabinet, in their submissions to the Integrity Commissioner
• February 2023: Auditor General starts investigating
• February 23, 2023: Marit Stiles asks integrity commissioner to issue opinion on Doug Ford’s actions surrounding his daughter’s stag and doe event which involved some developers who are friends
• March 2023: OPP: “We have no evidence yet to prove anyone in the Provincial Government acted in a dishonest, partial, corrupt or oppressive manner,” “It may look that way but no one has come forward with proof this occurred.
• March 9, 2023: Regional Planning Commissioners of Ontario (RPCO) releases a report indicating Ontario’s municipalities already have 85% of the 1.5 million housing units in their approval pipelines. They don’t support removal of lands from the Greenbelt to address Ontario’s housing needs
• March 15, 2023: Topless woman interrupts Junos in Edmonton with “Save the Greenbelt” protest on her lower back (Avril Lavigne)
• March 16, 2023: Office of the Integrity Commissioners launches investigation as to whether the Housing Minister contravened sections 2 and 3 of the Members’ Integrity Act, 1994
• March 17, 2023: Memo to Guilbeault finds 29 at-risk species live in opened Greenbelt lands
• March 21, 2023: Federal government launches study on potential environmental impacts to Rouge National Urban Park
• April 6, 2023: Government’s new bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 is tabled to make amendments to several acts
• April 24, 2023: Luca Bucci, CEO of the OHBA (Ontario Home Builders Association) and previously, Chief of Staff to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister, Steve Clark, boasted that “we helped the government create and implement Bill 23. We employed a province-wide advocacy campaign that we pulled together in five days.” Etc. He even referenced the provincial government: “We are three years away from the next provincial election and, to my provincial government colleagues in the room, our hope is that we continue on the current political direction that we’re currently facing on home building issues.”
• May 2023: “It was just a big scam as far as I’m concerned. “I think we’re doing pretty good on the so-called Greenbelt … as the Liberals made up that name.” “Let’s just be honest, the Greenbelt was a failed policy, a flawed policy from the Liberal government.”
• May 12? 2023: Silvio De Gasperis wins Lifetime Achievement award from BILD
• June 2023: Ontario developers, including De Gasperis of TACC group, spent nearly $173 million to buy 524 acres of land in the former protected Greenbelt region over just five days in early June. This includes lands in the ecologically important Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve, known as the “crown jewel” of the Greenbelt.
• June 8, 2023: Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 receives royal assent requiring landowners to enter into agreements with Housing minister and municipalities. Also gives Housing Minister power to exempt lands subject to MZOs from complying with provincial policies and Official Plans, such as subdivision plans.
• Late June 2023: Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk issued summons to 2 Toronto-area developers, Silvio De Gasperis and Michael Rice. Both developers own formerly protected Greenbelt land and both bought some of it in the months between Doug Ford becoming premier and his government dropping environmental protections. — Both also seem to be major donors to the Progressive Conservative party: as the Narwhal/Star investigation reported, Rice’s companies, someone with his name and people whose names match those of his senior staff have donated $47,000 to the Progressive Conservatives since 2014. Names that match those of De Gasperis family members, their companies and senior staff donated $294,000 to the Tories.
• June 28, 2023: The elected council of Six Nations of the Grand River voted to formally object to the Ford govt’s plan to open parts of it for development, stating that the province did not meet its constitutional duty to consult First Nations, the plan “breaks the law”.
• BILD says it will resign from OHBA unless new “operational agreement” is negotiated
• Luca Bucci responded the next day with his own memo, saying the provincial association is prepared to work with BILD, while pointing out that the industry is best served by unified “one voice” collective advocacy efforts.
• June 30, 2023: Doug Ford’s government unveiled a list of 91 lawyers, largely his MPPs and other Conservative lawyers, to receive the long-abandoned King’s Counsel “K.C” designation
• July 20, 2023: “It is solely up to anyone doing advocacy work with the government to follow all relevant rules,” a spokesperson in the premier’s office said in an email in response to questions about Fidani-Diker’s lobbying.
• July 2023: Degasperis & Riceasked a court to block or delay the auditor general of Ontario from interviewing them as part of her audit into the government’s opening of the Greenbelt.
• August 1, 2023: Luca Bucci, the Chief Executive of the Ontario Home Builders Association quit the organization abruptly with no explanation.
• August 9/10, 2023: Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s Special Report on Changes to the Greenbelt released
• August 10: Integrity Commissioner’s office says it has started a review into Ryan Amato requested by Ford’s office
• August 16: Marit Stiles asks Integrity commissioner to consider Lysyk’s mention of political staff using personal email accounts and deleting emails
• August 22, 2023: Ryan Amato resigned
• August 23, 2023: After 7 months of probing OPP offloads Doug Ford vs Greenbelt probe to RCMP to avoid ‘conflict of interest’
• August 25, 2023: Ford, in his first comments since Amato’s resignation, says he’s “confident” nothing criminal took place on the Greenbelt file.
• August 28, 2023: First Nation chiefs across the province call on Ford to return land to the Greenbelt. The Chiefs of Ontario say they are angered they were not consulted on the land swap that involves several First Nations traditional territories. The Chiefs of Ontario say the Greenbelt moves violate the Williams Treaties that were settled with the province and the federal government in 2018.
• August 29, 2023: Ford threatens to return land back to the Greenbelt after he found out one Site #2 was listed for sale
• August 30 2023: Integrity Commissioner Report found that Minister Clark contravened the Members Integrity Act and should be reprimanded for failure to comply with the act, given that evidence showed a process marked by misinterpretation, unnecessary hastiness and deception.
• September 3, 2023: End of Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s term
• September 4, 2023: Steve Clark resigns from Housing Minister position, and is replaced by Paul Calandra shortly after
• September 5, 2023: Ford & Calandra double down say they will continue development on Greenbelt and also review all Greenbelt lands