Dear Candidate,
Re: Three practical commitments for Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is at the heart of York—Simcoe. It supports our drinking water, farms, local businesses, tourism, recreation and quality of life. Protecting it is not simply an environmental issue. It is also about affordability, housing, public safety and responsible growth.
Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition’s 2025 Protect Our Plan report sets out practical steps the Province can take to protect the lake while making life better and more affordable for the people who live here.
During this by-election, we are asking each candidate to support three clear commitments. They are:
1. Cut property taxes for people who protect the lake
Natural vegetation along rivers, streams and shorelines helps keep phosphorus, sediment and other pollution out of Lake Simcoe. It also reduces erosion, protects wildlife habitat and helps prevent flooding.
Landowners who preserve or restore these areas provide a public benefit, but they often bear the cost themselves.
Ontario should create a Lake Simcoe riparian property-tax incentive that reduces the taxes charged on certified naturalized buffer areas.
The Province should reimburse municipalities for any lost revenue so the program does not increase taxes for other residents.
The principle is straightforward: home owners, property owners and farmers who voluntarily protect the lake should receive a tax break for doing so.
2. Keep people safe while reducing unnecessary road salt
Road salt helps keep roads, parking lots and sidewalks safe during the winter. However, too much salt is being applied, damaging vehicles, roads, bridges, drinking-water sources and the lake itself.
One reason for over-salting is fear of lawsuits. Contractors and property owners may use more salt than conditions require because they are worried about being sued after a slip and fall.
Ontario should establish clear salt-application standards and provide limited-liability protection for properly trained and certified contractors who follow those standards and keep appropriate records.
This change requires a simple amendment to Ontario’s Occupier’s Liability Act. It would not weaken public-safety requirements. It would give responsible contractors clear rules, reduce unnecessary salt use and lower costs for municipalities, businesses and property owners.
The goal is simple: use the right amount of salt to keep people safe, rather than encouraging everyone to use as much as possible.
3. Build more homes in existing communities, not on farmland and natural areas
Ontario needs more housing people can afford. The answer should not be to expand outward onto farmland, wetlands and other natural areas that protect Lake Simcoe. Ontario should help municipalities build more homes within existing settlement boundaries, particularly near transit, existing roads, water and sewer services.
That means supporting infill housing, gentle density, townhouses, apartments and mixed-use development in the places where infrastructure already exists. It also means investing in the stormwater, transit and municipal infrastructure needed to make those projects possible.
Building homes and transit in existing communities can reduce infrastructure costs, create more attainable housing choices, support local businesses and protect the farmland and natural areas that help keep Lake Simcoe healthy.
The principle is clear: build more homes and transit, by growing up rather than always growing out.
We are therefore asking you to confirm whether you support:
- cutting property taxes for landowners who protect natural areas beside rivers, streams and shorelines;
- reforming winter-maintenance liability rules to keep people safe while reducing unnecessary road salt; and
- building more homes within existing, serviced communities instead of encouraging further sprawl while expanding transit.
These are practical, affordable and achievable proposals. They would reward environmental stewardship, reduce unnecessary costs and allow our communities to grow without sacrificing the lake, farmland and natural heritage that make York—Simcoe such a desirable place to live.
We also invite you to endorse the broader direction of Protect Our Plan and to make the implementation of the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan a priority at Queen’s Park. To date, nine municipalities and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority have shown their support for the report and its recommendations.
Lake Simcoe has historically received support across party lines. We hope every candidate in this by-election will commit to practical action to protect it.
We would be pleased to meet with you or your campaign to discuss these proposals.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Scott
Executive Director
Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition