As someone who has worked…

As someone who has worked outside during the years, I've noticed the increased temperatures throughout the seasons, especially the summer. Along with this, I've noticed the increased amount of precipitation in the form of water during these warmer months. This has lead to higher water levels coursing through our storm water management systems, stressing our natural waterways and the animals living within them.

Along with the stress on these ecosystems, there is the human cost and the insurance cost of flooding that goes with increased precipitation (from a warming climate). By deliberately opening up land that is vulnerable to flooding to further urban sprawl with suburban development, you are stressing the economic system, even more so for those who are already struggling with rising costs of inflation. To deliberately disavow the experts working in the provincially created conservation authorities from providing strategic and scientifically-backed guidance and advice for development, will create communities prone to flooding, ensuring further increased insurance costs, and warmer and less sustainable living conditions.

We need smarter communities, with denser development, mid-rise is preferable, along with a tighter building envelope. Additionally, we need to repurpose buildings in Toronto and throughout the GTA, which are unused, underused, or can be completely rebuilt as options for low-income or smaller family units.

Please consider the suggestions and recommendations outlined at the link provided by Conservation Ontario in amending this bill and/or repealing it.