Re: Proposed Amendment to…

Re: Proposed Amendment to the Growth Plan, ERO 013-4504

For almost 40 years, successive Ontario governments have been incrementally encouraging less urban sprawl, more compact urban growth, and moves toward greater public transit capacity.

But this will now change if the Ontario government’s proposed weakening of the Growth Plan proceeds.

In the long run, a return to sprawl-focused development will eat up the farm lands and natural areas that surround our cities and towns. It will decrease our quality of life, increase our commute time, increase our property taxes and diminish the quality of our air, water and food. It will also eventually bring development right to the boundary of the Greenbelt and other protected lands which could lead future government to argue for opening them up to development.

The proposed changes to the Growth Plan are not prudent and will contribute negatively to climate change, water quality, environmental degradation, undermine quality of life and future vision for all Ontarians.

Keep the existing 2017 Growth Plan approach to maintain denser, compact cities and towns that can only grow after a full review based on evidence.