I am commenting on the…

I am commenting on the proposal for an interim combined sewer to support development at 955 Lakeshore Blvd (Ontario Place).

I am highly opposed to the proposal which goes against decades of work by the City of Toronto to separate and replace combined sewers across the city to prevent the discharge of raw sewage into Lake Ontario.

It flies in the face of international agreements to protect water quality and habitat in the Great Lakes, such as the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The Toronto Region Area of Concern (AOC) will be directly affected by this sewage and its Impacts, leading to a worsening state for its Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) that undermines the progress Canada has made thus far.

This effluent risks human and ecological health in terms of water quality throughout the lake, frequently used for swimming, fishing, and other forms of recreation. The lake is also home to a sleuth of natural interactions between biota, the stability of which now stands threatened by this proposed plan.

This proposal is not in the interest of the general public or the environment, and should therefore be halted before tools hit the ground. This proposal is a poorly veiled attempt to benefit the private sector corporations who stand to gain from this proposed spa by allowing them to avoid RESPONSIBLE disposal of their waste. Instead of these controlling actors biting the cost of this disposal, they (and Premier Ford) are attempting to shift this cost onto the public, who will be forced to pay it not with money, but rather by sacrificing their health and the health of their community.

If there’s a shred of decency left in our government, this plan will not pass. It is abundantly clear that this plan, and the spa for that matter, is not being approached with the best interest of all Canadians in mind.

If a dog defecated on your lawn, you would expect the owner to pick it up, would you not? Private sectors are doing just that—defecating on Torontos lawn—and Premier Ford, rather than hold them responsible, is cheering it on. This is disgraceful behaviour for a career politician who claims to act on behalf of the people.

Thank you for reading.