Thank you for this important…

Thank you for this important opportunity to comment on the very welcome proposed expansion of the Greenbelt. I am really enthusiastic about growing the size of the Greenbelt, as I've had a lifelong interest in the preservation and protection of natural areas and watersheds as an active member of conservation and environmental organizations across Ontario.
I view the expansion of the Greenbelt, ideally with a complementary Bluebelt, as providing Ontario with an opportunity to provide world-class leadership in sustainable land-use planning and watershed protection. Achieving these goals is all the more imperative in order to manage rapid urbanization in southern Ontario, the challenge of climate change and ensuring Greenbelt-protected natural areas for our mental and physical health.
I strongly support the views of various organizations who are urging the MMAH to be more ambitious in its approach to Greenbelt expansion.

Question 1: The Paris-Galt Moraine is not only an excellent choice to begin growing the Greenbelt, it is essential to protect as the headwaters for many rivers and streams. In fact, all of the moraines in the Greater Golden Horseshoe are critically important. They help to protect and recharge groundwater aquifers that provide a broad range of needs, including drinking water supply, sustaining local ecosystems and enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change.
I join with the conservation groups who support the inclusion of the full Paris Galt-Moraine in the Greenbelt including sections to the south and west of Brantford, and recommend that all other GGH moraines be included as well --- the Orangeville Moraine; the moraine between Waterloo and Elora/Fergus; the Waterloo Moraine; the Escarpment Area moraines such as the Gibraltar and Singhampton Moraines; and the Horseshoe Moraines that flank the Niagara Escarpment to the north near Clearview.
This is an ambitious goal but it would be consistent with establishing a Greenbelt on a world-class scale and the government can count on strong public support for a plan of this magnitude.

Question 2: A comprehensive, science-based approach is essential in defining the boundary of the Paris-Galt Moraine. Groundwater resources, key hydrological areas, recharge and discharge areas and well-head protection areas should be included in the boundary. I support the engagement of Indigenous communities in the process. The government should consider In-person public consultations throughout the watershed for discussion once suggested boundaries are identified, and the pandemic has abated. I also urge clear and easy-to-implement options for properties outside a proposed boundary to be added to the Greenbelt.

Question 3: I strongly support including additional Urban River Valleys to increase the area of protected lands and hydrologic features, provide mitigation corridors for numerous species and establish direct connections with downstream urban communities. In anything, this step is somewhat overdue. As such, I believe all river valleys that connect the Greenbelt's protected countryside to the Great Lakes and inland lakes should be considered. This includes the Grand, Nith, Conestogo, Eramosa, Speed,
Nottawasaga, Ganaraska, East Holland and Don Rivers, as well as Duffins, Carruthers, Twelve Mile, Gages and Cobourg Creeks.
Greater protection of river valleys and watersheds will help to establish a conservation Bluebelt that will resonate with the people of Ontario. It will provide many impressive benefits: improving green infrastructure; enhancing habitat and biodiversity; supporting a regional trail system; protecting downstream areas from flooding, erosion, and excessive sedimentation; providing healthy outdoor recreation opportunities; and protecting cultural heritage sites.
I also strongly recommend that private lands should be included in the designation of additional Urban River Valleys. Private lands within the Urban River Valleys face a much greater threat of urbanization and development than well-protected public lands. It would also be an enlightened and far-sighted step to designate entire river valley corridors, rather than only sections flowing through urban areas, in order to adequately protect these vital water resources and waterways.

Question 4: Other potential areas to grow the Greenbelt, that I suggest are definitely worth considering, are the recommendations in the Bluebelt proposal of the Oak Ridges Moraine Partnership. In addition to adding all moraines as noted in Question 1, resources that should be considered include coldwater streams and wetlands; headwater areas such as those within the inner "Whitebelt" ring of the GGH that are under high development pressures; the treasured Lake Simcoe basin and northern Simcoe County; and the former Glacial Lake Algonquin and Iroquois Shorelines and Plain.
I also urge the addition of the Glen Abbey Golf Course and the 16 Mile Creek watershed in Oakville to the Greenbelt, possibly as a cultural heritage addition. This would be an excellent way to prevent the potential loss of this renowned golf course to development and it would be well-received by concerned citizens in the GGH and beyond.

Question 5: The provincial government should strive to achieve a more balanced approach that puts more priority on protection of natural and water resource systems and farmland, as opposed to questionable growth planning projections and environmentally detrimental initiatives such as Highway 413; the Bradford Bypass; and the excessive use of Ministerial Zoning Orders.
I urge the province to "upscale" the Greenbelt and "scale down" policy changes in the 2019 Growth Plan that would reduce urban intensification, encourage land speculation and support urban sprawl. A growing number of municipalities have criticized the 2019 Growth Plan. They worry about the costs of extending urban services into the countryside, the loss of farmland and natural resources, and the government's fast-track timetable for approval by municipalities.
I support municipalities that are urging the province to slow down in order to facilitate more consultation with the public. The goal should be to encourage a more sustainable balance between natural heritage and development, and between private and public interests, than is possible with the changes in the Growth Plan.

Question 6: Regarding other considerations, I'm concerned that the province has continued to prioritize aggregate production over natural heritage policies. I urge the province to decrease aggregate demand, strengthen its powers to protect the key natural heritage features and prime agricultural areas, and improve rehabilitation rates through better enforcement. I support comments by Greenbelt stakeholders to prohibit new aggregate extraction throughout the Natural Heritage System within and outside the Greenbelt.
To amplify my comments in Question 5, I urge the province to ensure that its policies are complementary as opposed to contradictory. There is a conflict between the direction of the 2019 Growth Plan on one hand, and expansion of the Greenbelt on the other hand. I again urge the government to balance the scales in favour of a stronger Greenbelt, which would also help to advance the goals in important policies such as the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, Ontario's Biodiversity Strategy, Ontario's Wetland Conservation Strategy and Ontario's Great Lakes Strategy.

Thank you again for the opportunity to comment on expanding the Greenbelt.