I am very much against this…

I am very much against this proposal. Slowly chipping away at protected lands of the Greenbelt in order to profit development companies is a dangerous and slippery slope. We should be focusing on more long-term and sustainable practices like urban densification, not urban sprawl.

As someone who grew up in the Niagara region, I witnessed the gradual destruction of many natural landscapes...shift to an endless sprawl of townhouses.

The Greenbelt lands have been protected for a reason. They are some of the fertile lands in Canada. We need to be doing more to protect wetlands, agricultural lands, forests and green spaces, especially in the face of climate change. Our children will need access to clean air, water, food security, and green spaces.

This proposal is a threat to the entire Greenbelt Act, and would a terrible precedent for future actions. The Ontario government needs to stop thinking about short term profits for development companies and focus on long-term, sustainable solutions that are developed in partnership with municipalities, residents, and First Nations communities.