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IPC Finds Ford Government Broke Record-Keeping Laws During Greenbelt Land Removal

Missing decision records revealed by the IPC have intensified demands for accountability over the government’s land-use decisions.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to media at Queen’s Park in Toronto, on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford holds a press conference in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Sept. 21, 2023 to announce he would reverse his government’s decision to open the Greenbelt to developers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tara Walton

Overview

  • The IPC’s June 12 report says Ontario officials used personal emails and opaque codewords in Greenbelt communications, violating legal record-keeping duties.
  • Commissioner Patricia Kosseim noted that terms like “special project,” “GB” and “G*” obstructed searches in official systems.
  • The watchdog found a “near-total absence” of formal records detailing how and why 7,400 acres of protected land were removed in 2022.
  • An RCMP investigation launched in October 2023 is examining the removal of 15 Greenbelt parcels tied to up to $8 billion in developer benefits.
  • NDP Leader Marit Stiles has urged consequences for the record-keeping breaches and stronger transparency measures.