WHEREAS Bill 23 is the Ford…

WHEREAS Bill 23 is the Ford Government latest attempt to remove protected land from the Greenbelt, allowing developers to bulldoze and pave over 7,000 acres of farmland in the Greenbelt;

WHEREAS Ontario is already losing 319.6 acres of farmland and greenspace daily to development;

WHEREAS the Government’s Housing Affordability Task Force found there are plenty of places to build homes without destroying the Greenbelt;

WHEREAS Ford’s repeated moves to tear up farmland and bulldoze wetlands have never been about housing, but are about making the rich richer;

WHEREAS greenspaces and farmland are what we rely on to grow our food, support natural habitats and prevent flooding;

As an expert in groundwater, source water protection, and water security, it is my very strong opinion that these plans are detrimental to the water security of Ontarians. There are much better options(i.e., infilling) to develop (badly needed) houing while protecting the quality and quantity of our drinking water sources.

THEREFORE I am petitioning the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately amend Bill 23, stop all plans to further remove protected land from the Greenbelt and protect existing farmland in the province by passing the NDP’s Protecting Agricultural Land Act.