I strongly oppose the…

I strongly oppose the removal of land from the Greenbelt. The Premier of Ontario must keep his promise that he would not touch the Greenbelt according to the people's wish, as his reason for breaking that promise is not supported, including by The Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force, which concluded that there is enough assigned land for housing already.

The carving of land from the Greenbelt on such weak grounds is to endanger the very survival of the Greenbelt. It will give a signal to developers that the Greenbelt isn't off limits and will result in further speculation and push for further development.

There is a large supply of unused "greenfield" land open for development within existing municipal settlement boundaries (350 sq. km. as of 2019). We can build affordable housing on this land, as well as build more densely in urban areas, particularly where there is a strong transit infrastructure. Needless to say, affordable housing should include public transportation which would not require owning a car. This cannot be said in housing built in the Greenbelt.

The Greenbelt protects farmland that once developed cannot be reclaimed. Already hundreds of acres of farmland a day are lost to development according to The Ontario Federation of Agriculture. It provides protection from flooding, habitat for species at risk, and green spaces for tourism and locals. With climate change advancing, and more quickly than recently expected, all of these services are greatly needed.

Any development in the Greenbelt is not only unnecessary, but it will destroy badly needed services provided by nature, and add urban sprawl that will result in increased carbon emissions from essential private transportation. It will further contribute to climate change without providing truly affordable housing.

Please keep your promise to the people of Ontario, the majority of which are opposed to nibbling at the Greenbelt, and do not touch the Greenbelt.