The notion of building on…

The notion of building on the Greenbelt will destroy the natural environment which protects us all. We know from other jurisdictions that destroying forest, wetlands and agriculture as well has an impact on human health, and property. It has an economic price in terms of insurance coverage and life expectancy. We will not be able to recover what could be lost if such a measure goes through.
Too much development has already destroyed much of the natural beauty of and sustainable living in Southern Ontario. We have just been through a pandemic and know that when supply chains are cut off so is food. In addition the wetlands prevent flooding in urban areas and the trees cool cities, absorb pollutants and provide oxygen.
Projected figures for immigration are being used by the Ontario government to justify the destruction of the green belt. This is offensive on many levels. The government is stoking fear of people emigrating to this country in order to further their agenda. Ontarians are not stupid and they know that green spaces are precious to all of us. The government already has legislation in place to intensify housing in many communities. Urban sprawl is already a disaster. In the area I live in there are very few services. Many people commute to Hamilton or Toronto from Niagara and we are yet to receive even one GO station with the regular service that, for example, Aldershot or Burlington receives on a daily basis.
If the Ontario government goes ahead with their plan, they will have undone any good that was done during the pandemic. Many in this province understand that this will not benefit anyone other than developers. Many young families cannot afford a home and rents are far too high. This will not help them and it will not help immigrants. It will help those who benefit from land speculation.
If the government is really interested in the people of Ontario, they will build infrastructure such as transit to move populations quickly and efficiently. We know that this would be extremely beneficial to our overall economy and would allow people to live in communities that have already been developed. The housing is available but so far from job opportunities. Developing parts of the greenbelt will be a disaster for our province in many ways and will have a political consequence, as well, for the party that sells off our inheritance. I should not use the word "development" because this is really the wanton destruction of our environment for the financial gain of a few.