RCMP interviewing witnesses in Greenbelt probe, Ford’s office says

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office says the RCMP has started interviewing witnesses in its investigation into the government’s decision to open up parts of the protected Greenbelt for housing development.

Ford has previously said he is confident nothing criminal took place, but following a significant public outcry the premier reversed course and returned all parcels of land in question to the Greenbelt and promised not to touch it again.

The RCMP’s “sensitive and internal investigations” unit began a Greenbelt probe in October, and the premier’s office now says interviews are underway.

Ford has said he and his government will co-operate with the investigation.

Reports from both the auditor general and the integrity commissioner found that the government’s process to remove 15 parcels of land from the Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes favoured certain developers.

Ontario created the Greenbelt in 2005 to protect agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area from development.

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The province removed land from the protected Greenbeltin 2022 as part of its broader push to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, with Premier Doug Ford citing the housing crisis and rising immigration numbers as justification for the move.

Two legislative watchdogs found the process to select which lands were removed from the Greenbelt was flawed and favoured certain developers who stood to gain some $8.3 billion in profits.