Ford vowed to return land to the Greenbelt

The Ontario government is reversing course on its controversial decision to open up Greenbelt land to development

The Ontario government is reversing course on its controversial decision to open up Greenbelt land to development — a move applauded by advocates, political opponents, and residents alike.

Ford may have vowed to return all 2,995 hectares of land back into the protected Greenbelt, but that only becomes official with legislation. The Ontario legislature returns to Queen's Park on Monday.

When the province removed lands from the Greenbelt, it also added about 3,804 hectares elsewhere. The auditor general found that about 971 hectares of it was already protected by existing policies.

Ford confirmed Thursday that the lands added into the Greenbelt will stay.