Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed addition of 13 urban river valleys to the Greenbelt plan. While I support the inclusion of these urban river valleys, I'm disappointed that the province is not planning a much more ambitious strategy to enhance Greenbelt-protected natural areas. I reiterate previous comments for ERO O19-3136, in April 2021, where I stressed that an expanded Greenbelt would demonstrate world-class leadership by Ontario in sustainable land-use planning and watershed protection.
I strongly support various conservation and environmental organizations urging the province to be more ambitious in its approach to Greenbelt expansion. I'm disappointed that the Paris-Gal Moraine is not included in the list of 13 urban river valleys. In fact, I believe all of the moraines in the Greater Golden Horseshoe should be included. This would be ambitious, but the government can count on substantial public support for a far-sighted plan of such magnitude.
In addition, I maintain that all river valleys connecting the Greenbelt's protected countryside to the Great Lakes and inland lakes should be considered. This would include the Grand, Nith, Conestogo, Eramosa, Speed, Nottawasaga, Ganaraska, East Holland and Don Rivers, as well as Duffins, Carruthers, Twelve Mile, Gages and Cobourg Creeks.
In the Hamilton area, the addition of Red Hill Creek and 1, 347 hectares of outlying rural lands would be a solid improvement on the modest --- albeit welcome --- proposed addition of publicly-owned land along the lower stretches of Stoney Creek and Battlefield creeks to the Greenbelt.
Like many others, I am concerned with the serious limitation of Greenbelt protection in that it applies only to public property, not to private property susceptible to development and urbanization.
Furthermore, the government's plan to proceed with Highway 413, with its detrimental impact on the Greenbelt and the loss of hundreds of hectares of conservation land, undermines the ostensible commitment of the government to protection and enhancement of the Greenbelt. Highway 413 would be an unnecessary and very expensive duplication of the existing swift connection between Highway 407 and Highway 400. The emphasis should be on promoting Highway 407, rather than Highway 413.
It's obvious the government has considerably more work to do to bolster its proposed expansion of the Greenbelt. I urge the province to make a much more robust commitment to the Greenbelt, ideally in tandem with a complementary Bluebelt, protecting the headwaters of rivers and streams and entire watersheds for that matter. Ontario must establish a Greenbelt that will ensure our quality of life will not be eroded by the loss of irreplaceable natural lands and watersheds as a result of excessive and environmentally detrimental urbanization.