August 25, 2017 Premier Kathleen Wynne The Honourable Bill Mauro The Honourable Eleanor McMahon Legislative Building Minister of Municipal Affairs Minister of Tourism, Culture & Sport Queen’s Park 777 Bay Street, 17th Floor Hearst Block, 900 Bay St., 9th Floor Toronto, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1 M5G 2E5 M7A 2E1 Dear Premier Wynne, Minister Mauro and Minister McMahon: I am writing in response to the letter of August 21, 2017 sent to you from BILD and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association concerning the recommendation from town staff to identify Glen Abbey Golf Course as a designated Cultural Heritage Landscape designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. I am pleased to share with you that Town Council unanimously approved the recommendation from staff to issue a Notice of Intention to Designate the Glen Abbey golf course property, based on the extensive research and evidence provided by leading heritage experts including Letourneau Heritage Consultants, golf architect and historian Ken Mooney, and Julian Smith, Order of Canada recipient and one of the leading cultural heritage experts in the country. Glen Abbey was found to demonstrate all three types of key attributes under the Ontario Heritage Act: design, historical and contextual value. Its precedent-setting design, status as the first Jack Nicolaus designed course, and historic importance as the setting of 29 Canadian Opens as well as the remnant features tracing back to the indigenous people, contributed to its recognition as a cultural heritage landscape. Glen Abbey has a unique identify and reputation based on its long association with the Canadian Open that extends far beyond provincial boundaries. Glen Abbey is integral to the identity of our community, and this strong connection between place and people should not be trivialized. Nor should the age of the course be held against it, as some have alleged, as age is not the determining factor in cultural heritage protection. Buildings or landscape can be relatively new and still cultural and historically important; the 50-year old “new” Toronto city hall is a perfect example. I encourage the Province of Ontario to remain steadfast in its recognition and support for cultural heritage landscapes. I don’t believe the allegation made that municipalities will use the cultural heritage designation process to protect “vast areas of privately-owned land from designation” is based on fact or experience. Not only does the rigorous designation process set out in the Ontario Heritage Act preclude that possibility, past experience does not support that allegation. Cultural heritage landscape protections have been included in Provincial Policy Statements since 1997, and Glen Abbey is only the third golf course in Ontario to be identified as a heritage golf course. I encourage the Province to continue its work to protect the culture and heritage attributes valued by our communities by providing municipalities with the appropriate tools to do, and to provide opponents with the appropriate process to appeal. Thank you. Sincerely, Mayor Rob Burton cc. Joe Vaccaro, CEO, OHBA Bryan Tuckey, President & CEO, BILD Ray Green, CAO, Town of Oakville Andrew Bevan, Chief of Staff & Principal Secretary, Office of the Premier Laurie LeBlanc, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Municipal Affairs Maureen Adamson, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport Steve Orsini, Secretary of Cabinet Hon. Kevin Flynn, MPP .