Repeal Bill 23 and save our…

Repeal Bill 23 and save our Greenbelt
I’m writing to express my grave concern about the rapid passage of Bill 23, and the serious impact that it will have on our Greenbelt and other protected areas in Ontario. The Greenbelt protects prime agricultural land, important natural areas, and a source of drinking water for many Ontario communities. Bill 23 also overrides years of local planning and public consultation in Ontario’s municipalities. In addition, the initiative smacks of corruption and influence peddling, as the Premier appears to be catering to big developers who have donated to the Ontario Conservative Party and recently purchased protected lands in the Greenbelt.
The Greenbelt needs to be given permanent protection, not the kind of transitory protection that can easily be overturned by a premier who refuses to act in the best interests of the public. The kind of housing that will be built on Greenbelt lands will not be the affordable housing so badly needed by low-wage earners in Toronto and other cities in southern Ontario. Opening parts of the Greenbelt to development sets an alarming precedent, and invites a slow, piecemeal death of one of the most significant protected areas in Ontario. As soon as developers realize that protected lands can be easily rezoned after a few generous political donations and a chat with the Premier, it will be open season on all protected lands.
Tragically, we have already seen the end result of this kind of reckless action. Years ago, an earlier greenbelt ran along Steeles Avenue, across the northern border of Toronto, where agricultural land and green space was to be preserved. A change of government and pressure from developers saw pieces of the earlier greenbelt slowly being eroded away, until today it has been completely swallowed up by urban sprawl.
I am very concerned that if Bill 23 isn’t repealed, urban development will spread unrestrained throughout southern Ontario, and our valued green spaces and irreplaceable agricultural land will be lost forever.