We are strongly opposed to…

We are strongly opposed to the Ontario Government’s proposal to remove 7,400 acres of land from the Greenbelt. The rationale for this removal of land and the changing of the boundaries is unsound and detrimental to farmland & ecosystems. We urge you not to proceed with these changes for the reasons outlined below.
1. The amount of land already zoned and ready for development within existing municipal settlement boundaries far exceeds what is needed to meet long rage housing targets. The government should not be misleading the public with false claims that Greenbelt lands are needed to solve the housing crisis.
2. The proposed removal of Greenbelt lands sets a dangerous precedent, opening Greenbelt protected lands to development at the request of those who stand to reap large profits. The proposed removal is contrary to the vision of the Greenbelt Plan which emphasizes permanent protection against loss and fragmentation of agricultural land as well as giving permanent protection to the natural heritage and water resource systems that sustain ecological & human health. Furthermore the Greenbelt provides for a range of economic and social activities associated with rural communities, agriculture, tourism, recreation and resource uses. The protected land in the Greenbelt also serves to build resilience to and mitigates climate change, much needed services as natural disasters increase. The protected Greenbelt is vital to our local food systems, to the protection of at-risk habitats and species and to the maintenance of the physical, social and economic health of 9 million people who live in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
3. The proposed land removals will negatively impact the Natural Heritage System. Most of the lands proposed to be removed from the Greenbelt overlap with the Natural Heritage System. The Natural Heritage System is vital to the ecological integrity of the Greenbelt and includes the highest concentration of the most sensitive and/or significant natural features and functions. These areas must be maintained and managed as a connected and integrated natural heritage system, given the functional inter-relationships between them.
4. The government’s offer to add 9,400 acres to the Greenbelt is not acceptable. This land swap would establish an unacceptable precedent that would completely undermine the long-term protection of Greenbelt lands, offering an open invitation to developers and land speculators. Furthermore, the land swap would not compensate for the damage done. It would violate the fundamental and widely accepted premise that ecological offsetting should only occur as a last resort. Clearly, there are other options in this case: other lands are available! Also, some lands being proposed such as municipal plans for parks, recreation, etc., are already off limits to developers. Furthermore, some of the lands being proposed were already announced in 2021 and 2022 as part of previous Greenbelt expansion proposals. The government needs to honour commitments that are already made to earn the trust of people and to do what is right for Ontario’s natural environment.
5. The broken promises of Premier Ford and Minister Clark are very disappointing. On more than one occasion both of these leaders stated that the Green belt would not be touched. Why are promises being broken? There is no need for this action to be taken and there is much to lose by disrupting the Greenbelt. We expect the government to honour its commitments.

Summary: The Greenbelt was created almost 20 years ago to help ensure natural and prime agricultural lands are permanently protected from sprawl development. Today, more than ever, we need an intact and resilient Greenbelt. Not only are we facing the interconnected and accelerating crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, we also are losing 319 acres of farmland daily. With so much growth happening, steps need to be taken to protect the lands and waters that sustain us. The protection of natural and hydrological systems and farmland must be prioritized. They are finite, irreplaceable and invaluable in terms of community and ecosystem health and resilience. For the welfare of current and future generations, we urge you not to proceed with plans to open up and remove 7,400 acres of protected lands from the Greenbelt.