The government is planning…

The government is planning to open up areas of the Greenbelt for development, once again short-sightedly prioritizing the perceived needs of builders instead of our environment. As a younger person, I completely understand the need for new and affordable housing in Ontario - it is certainly difficult for members of my generation to find a home they can afford without generational wealth to back them up. However, building outside of current urban boundaries into farmland, into green space, should absolutely not be the approach to this.
We are not using the land in Hamilton efficiently, as is. Hamilton is home to many sprawling aboveground parking lots, some of which surround shopping centres, among others in the downtown area. Parking lots don’t need to be located above ground - we can build buildings with grocery stores, for instance, on the main levels, with underground parking lots located underneath the grocery stores, addressing these housing issues. This should be what we prioritize before building on some of the most fertile land with the best climate in Ontario (referring to the Winona area).