Regarding these changes,…

Regarding these changes, again this government has failed to recognize the importance of protecting natural spaces and natural systems. Someone needs to give the cabinet a quick review on these matters! This is especially relevant now that COVID-19 is with us and the experts have said many times that disrupting natural systems and processes will only lead to more pandemics. Doug Ford is showing his strengths in getting seriously into protecting people from this pandemic, he needs to go one step further and seek to understand the importance of natural systems, they are not just for the benefit of weekend birdwatchers! The Natural Resources and Environment ministers should be taking a lead here, not just rubber stamping issues they must know are wrong. They are essential if we are going to have a quality of life and reduced incidence of emergency health issues, and it is always good to share the earth with its other inhabitants!....from the trees, butterflies, caribou, to the microbes of the soil.

Specifically, these issues are a concern:

The rolling back of Greenbelt protections; we need the mental calming and ecological services of natural systems close to home as well as across the country.

Prioritizing urban sprawl over the preservation of prime farmland and nature (particularly habitats vital to species at risk). COVID-19 has shown us that local is the answer to many of our problems; we must protect local farmland and local natural systems!

A removal of obligations for municipalities to consult with Indigenous communities. This is a backward step, we need now more than ever to bring in indigenous peoples for their traditional knowledge about their ancestral lands that we live on, and be respectful about that relationship.