As Ontario moves towards…

As Ontario moves towards reopening its economy, we need to embrace this moment to put the health of people and the environment first. Ontario needs a Green and Just Recovery.

The government’s recent proposed changes to the Growth Plan will weaken and undermine protections for crucial remaining natural infrastructure in favour of urban sprawl and the whims of big developers.

Removing existing protections for endangered species from gravel pits and quarries takes us backwards. Making changes to encourage sprawl, speculative development and higher costs for taxpayers threatens Ontario’s quality of life.

The province should put a moratorium on all expansion of urban boundaries until at least 2031.
This will protect farmland and natural areas while ensuring homes are built inside of towns and cities where people can afford to buy or rent and can get around on public transit or by walking and biking. There is clear evidence of enough developable land inside existing urban boundaries to meet needs until that time.

Keep quarries, gravel pits and other developments out of the homes of endangered species. These plants and animals are Ontario’s rarest and proposing to end their protection for activities that completely destroy their habitat is unacceptable, shocking and immoral in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis.