RCMP investigating Ontario government’s plan to open Greenbelt land for development | CBC News

The RCMP announced Tuesday it has launched a criminal investigation into Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s plan to open up Greenbelt land for development.

“Following a referral from the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP O Division’s Sensitive and International Investigations (SII) unit has now launched an investigation into allegations associated to the decision from the Province of Ontario to open parts of the Greenbelt for development,” an RCMP spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday.

It added that no further updates will be provided at this time to ensure that the investigation process leads to a “fair and proper” outcome.

“While we recognize that this investigation is of significant interest to Canadians, the RCMP has a duty to protect the integrity of the investigations that it carries out.”

The criminal probe comes after the province removed land from the protected Greenbelt last year as part of its broader push to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.

Two legislative watchdogs found the process to select which lands were removed from the Greenbelt was flawed and favoured certain developers.

Last month, Ford walked back his plan to remove large swaths of land from the protected Greenbelt following weeks of public pressure and the resignation of two ministers. He apologized for the land swap and said the lands would all be returned to the Greenbelt.

Ford has also previously said he is confident nothing criminal took place.

The criminal probe comes after OPP said in August that the force had asked the Mounties to decide whether an investigation is warranted, in order to “avoid any potential perceived conflict of interest.”

CBC Toronto has reached out to Ford’s office for comment but did not immediately get a response.

More to come.