Region responds to legal challenge
Waterloo Region- The Region of Waterloo received a notice of application for judicial review seeking an injunction to stop ION Stage 1 Light Rail Transit (LRT).
This notice claims that the Region’s ION LRT Project does not conform to the Region Official Policies Plan (ROPP) and is contrary to Section 24 of the Ontario Planning Act. This Act prohibits the undertaking of a public work that does not conform to an official plan in effect in a municipality. The notice also claims that the Region has not followed the necessary Environmental Assessment processes.
“We feel strongly that this claim is unfounded and without substance,” said Regional Chair Ken Seiling. “The Region intends to vigorously defend this claim in court.”
The ROPP, approved by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on November 23, 1995, is currently in effect. The ROPP was amended in 2007 and contains rapid transit policies and mapping which provide for the LRT project. Accordingly, the Region maintains that the LRT project conforms to the ROPP and the Region is in compliance with Section 24 of the Planning Act.
“The Region has undertaken more than 10 years of planning and studies, and an unprecedented public engagement process for this project,” said Mike Murray, CAO. “We will provide clear and compelling evidence to the Court that the Region is fully in compliance with Section 24 of the Planning Act, with all relevant Environmental Assessment requirements, and has done everything necessary to move the project forward to this stage.”
On March 4, the Planning and Works Committee voted 10-4 in favour of staff’s recommendation to award GrandLinq the design, build, finance, operate and maintain contract for LRT between Kitchener and Waterloo. This recommendation will be brought to Regional Council on Wednesday March 19.
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For more information please contact:
Bryan Stortz, Director of Corporate Communications 519-575-4408