Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Ontario government’s proposal to expand the existing Greenbelt with a Bluebelt to better protect our province’s water resources. As a supporter of the Food & Water First campaign, I endorse this plan. Food and water are the necessities of life. We are fortunate in southern Ontario to have rare, rain-fed agricultural soils and an abundance of fresh water. These vital resources must not be squandered, but protected in perpetuity.

As a resident of the Headwaters region, water is critical to our way of life here. We are stewards of the water that is used by millions of people both south of us in Toronto and north of us along the shores of Georgian Bay. Water is essential to our health, our agricultural economy, our tourism operators and the diversity of life that makes Ontario home.

It is estimated that the population of the Greater Golden Horseshoe region will grow almost 50% to 13.5 million people by 2041.  Water will be critical for a healthy population and economy. We will need it to drink and to grow the food that will sustain us. Ontario’s $34-billion agri-food sector – the largest in Canada – will continue to rely on fresh water resources to produce fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products.  Our water must be protected from aggregate and mining operations that negatively impact aquifers and water tables. It must be protected from commercial bottling operations that pump millions of litres of Ontario’s groundwater for profit. In addition, climate change is taking its toll on food-producing regions in other parts of the world, impacting the food we import. Ontario could become one of the world’s food providers as other nations suffer through the extremes of global warming.

It is imperative that the government takes the necessary steps to ensure we have enough food and water for future food security and economic viability. Now is the time to strengthen and expand the Greenbelt with the Bluebelt so more of our agricultural lands and water resources are preserved for generations to come. Make this a legacy for Ontario.

[Original Comment ID: 213412]