Legislative Assembly of Ontario

The committee met at 1231 in room 151.

Committee business

The Chair (Ms. Laurie Scott): Good afternoon, everyone. The Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy will now come to order.

We’re joined by staff from legislative research, Hansard, and broadcast and recording.

Please wait until I recognize you before starting to speak. As always, all comments should go through the Chair.

Are there any questions before we begin? Seeing none, we are meeting today to consider the text of a non-amendable motion proposing the consideration by the committee of a bill or other matter within the mandate of the committee, pursuant to standing order 120. Everyone has that in front of them. Who would like to move the motion, please? MPP Rae.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Hello, Chair. Hello, everyone. I have two motions, but the first motion:

I move that the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy meet immediately for the purposes of considering committee business, pursuant to standing order 113(a), respecting a possible study of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing policy related to land use for unlicensed event venues.

The Chair (Ms. Laurie Scott): MPP Rae has moved the motion. Pursuant to standing order 120(c), 30 minutes shall be allotted to debate the motion, at the end of which time the Chair shall put the question. I will apportion 12 minutes to the government, 12 minutes to the official opposition and six minutes to the independent member of the committee.

Is there any debate? Seeing none, are the members ready to vote? All those in favour of the motion by MPP Rae, please raise your hands. All those opposed, please raise your hands. I declare the motion is carried.

Is there any further business? MPP Rae.

Mr. Matthew Rae: My second motion:

I move that, pursuant to standing order 113(a), the committee conduct a study of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing policy related to land use for licensed event venues; and

That the committee meet to conduct public hearings on:

—Tuesday, August 13, 2024, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. in Stouffville, Ontario; and

—Wednesday, August 14, 2024, from 10 a.m. until 12 noon and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. in Caledon, Ontario; and

That the deadline for requests to appear be 2 p.m. on Monday, July 29, 2024; and

That if all requests to appear cannot be accommodated, each member of the subcommittee or their designate may provide the Clerk of the Committee with a prioritized list of presenters to be scheduled, chosen from the list of all interested presenters for those respective hearings by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2024; and

That for any meeting of the committee to conduct public hearings regarding the committee’s review of land use for unlicensed event venues the following apply:

That the Clerk of the Committee be authorized to immediately post notices regarding the hearings on the Ontario parliamentary channel, on the Legislative Assembly’s website and with Cision; and

That the Clerk of the Committee, in consultation with the Chair, may place advertisements in news outlets for several days in Stouffville, Caledon and surrounding areas regarding the hearings, if possible; and

That the Clerk of the Committee be authorized to arrange travel for up to two staff persons to be designated by the government member of the subcommittee on committee business, up to two staff persons to be designated by the official opposition member of the subcommittee on committee business, and one staff person to be designated by the independent member of the committee to travel with the committee, space permitting, and that reasonable expenses incurred for travel and meals be paid for by the committee upon receipt of a properly filed expense claim; and

That each presenter be allotted 10 minutes to make an opening statement followed by 20 minutes of questioning, divided into one round of 7.5 minutes for the government members, one round of 7.5 minutes for the official opposition members, and one round of five minutes for the independent member of the committee; and

That witnesses appearing at consultations shall appear in person or virtually and that notice of this requirement be included in the notices published by the Clerk of the Committee; and

That the subcommittee on committee business be authorized to revise hearing dates and deadlines, if necessary.

The Chair (Ms. Laurie Scott): I’ll just take a second. The Clerk is just going to pass some copies of the motion MPP Rae has just spoken to.

I think everybody has the motion, the gist of it. Is there any debate? MPP McMahon.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: Am I allowed to ask a question?

The Chair (Ms. Laurie Scott): Sure.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: I’m just wondering if you can define “unlicensed event venues”?

The Chair (Ms. Laurie Scott): MPP Rae, if you wish.

Mr. Matthew Rae: To my lovely colleague from Beaches–East York, you will find out at the committee hearings.

The Chair (Ms. Laurie Scott): Any further debate? Okay. Are the members prepared to vote?

All those in the favour of the motion, please raise your hands. All those opposed, please raise your hands. I declare the motion carried.

Any further business? Seeing none, that concludes our business for today. The committee is now adjourned. Thank you, all.

The committee adjourned at 1237.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON HERITAGE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND CULTURAL POLICY

Chair / Présidente

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock PC)

Vice-Chair / Vice-Présidente

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong (London–Fanshawe ND)

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong (London–Fanshawe ND)

Mr. Ric Bresee (Hastings–Lennox and Addington PC)

Mr. Rick Byers (Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound PC)

Mr. Joel Harden (Ottawa Centre / Ottawa-Centre ND)

Mr. Logan Kanapathi (Markham–Thornhill PC)

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon (Beaches–East York L)

Mr. Matthew Rae (Perth–Wellington PC)

Mr. Sheref Sabawy (Mississauga–Erin Mills PC)

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock PC)

Mr. Dave Smith (Peterborough–Kawartha PC)

Substitutions / Membres remplaçants

Ms. Laura Smith (Thornhill PC)

Clerk / Greffier

Mr. Isaiah Thorning

Staff / Personnel

Mr. Nick Ruderman, research officer,
Research Services