The Ford government's…

The Ford government's decision to open up Ontario's Greenbelt is frankly alarming, disconcerting and blatantly self-serving.

IN NO WAY WILL ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING BE BUILT ON THESE LANDS. The notion of affordable housing simply goes against the greedy capitalist nature of Ontario's privatization of land ownership and of those developers who stand to gain enormously from its exploitation. All development will be single family homes at current exorbitant market values. This government and its tightly associated cabal of developers and lobbyists are fooling no one.

From the continued sprawl into valuable and irreplaceable lands, we can expect communities devoid of social infrastructure, public transportation and a continued reliance on single vehicle use. This furthers not only the destruction of irreplaceable farm lands and natural wildlife habitat but a continued burgeoning of traffic on all roadways.

Without community infrastructure you can expect a proliferation of bedroom-style communities in which residents are disconnected from community, thus requiring them to become entirely self-reliant in their day-to-day needs. Disconnection from community ~ people, employment, recreation amenities, culture and social services, leads to an array of social maladies... think youth mental health crises and immeasurable adult stressors. (One only need understand the current demand for public mental health services to see our civil society is already nearing a breaking point.)

The continued, incessant sprawl and paving of southern Ontario's green spaces does irreparable harm to future generations of Ontarians by neglecting the basic understanding that we humans are only as healthy as our environments. With diminished access to green spaces, isolated bedroom communities entirely reliant on the car, decreased natural habitat for wildlife and the rapid diminishment of grade A farming lands, we are setting ourselves up for a bleak future and a now-happening dystopia. What we have in southern Ontario now, is an existence devoid of access to natural environments, with limited arable productive farmland being developed at a distressing rate (creating an exclusive reliance on food imports), and a bleak landscape of unending highway sprawl dotted only with massive industrial and retail warehousing.

This government is acting in an entirely short-sighted manner.

Given the national housing crisis in all urban centres, perhaps it would be best for the federal minister of immigration to reconsider the massive immigration policies which it is currently implementing.

Which begs the question as to why Canada is the only nation on earth with such aggressive immigration objectives?

Why?

Canada struggles socially to manage and house the needs of current populations, let alone an additional 500,000 new arrivals per annum (the majority of whom are expected to settle in southern ON.)

It just doesn't make sense unless one speculates as to the true intent of governmental policy ~ but alas the truth is never spoken in the media soundbites or in governmental press releases.

It seems we're still stuck in 1972 with no understanding of any reality or vision for the future for this once fair land we call home.

We must remind ourselves that this magnificent blue ball is a finite place of extraordinary biological diversity and uniqueness and one that cannot continue to be consumed at a rapacious rate to suit humanity's exclusive burgeoning needs.

For the dedicated work of those previously with vision, foresight and understanding who deemed it as such, and for humanity itself, it is critical that the protective designation of the Greenbelt remain as is. Please Mr. Clark and Mr. Ford, no dismantling of hard fought environmental conservation regulations. Also please refrain from the continued and unabashed use of non-democratic MZOs.

If this government opens The Greenbelt to development, you do a massive disservice to all and to all future Ontarians.