This proposal yet again…

This proposal yet again reminds me that this government and Doug Ford give no mind to the interests and concerns of Ontarians. Doug Ford claimed that he would find a solution to our housing crisis that wouldn’t touch the Greenbelt and yet here we are. Quite a turn from “promises made, promises kept”.

This decision would only serve to put money in the pockets of Doug Ford’s developer friends who padded Ford’s pockets during his campaigns. I would very much welcome an inquiry into the ethics and potential conflicts of interest behind this proposal given the number of developers who bought land in the Greenbelt leading up to this point.

Opening the Greenbelt to development will only serve to hurt Ontarians. We will be taking away much needed farmland that supports our province’s growing population. We will be putting ourselves more at risk of flooding by destroying natural watersheds. We will be destroying habitats that support biodiversity, we’ll be setting back our ability to reestablish older growth in our forests, and we’ll be getting rid of forests and lands that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This also gets rid of our beautiful environment for current and future generations to enjoy.

The “land swap” aspect of this proposal also doesn’t make sense when the lands being added to the Greenbelt are already protected. This is greenwashing at its finest. If Ford’s government truly cared about environmental conservation, they would add these lands to the Greenbelt without needing to destroy other parts at the same time.

Moving on to why Ford is doing this in the first place: the housing crisis in Ontario. This proposal doesn’t solve this issue. First off, we have no idea what the housing development plans look like, and we have no assurances that the newly built homes will be affordable for Ontarians who are already struggling to pay their mortgages or rent, or to find a home that doesn’t put them in financial jeopardy. As well, furthering our urban sprawl is a band aid solution at best and serves as a detriment to Ontario’s ability to sustainably tackle the housing crisis. Our cities need to be able to support multiple income brackets to thrive. Building out means that lower income Ontarians aren’t going to be able to fill employment needs within the GTA and other city centres. If only high-income earners can afford to live in city centres like Toronto, who will serve their coffee, clean their offices, collect their trash? The housing crisis can’t be solved by simply putting up new houses without any care towards smart and sustainable urban planning. I would encourage this government to work with municipalities (without the use of undemocratic increased mayoral powers) to find other solutions that don’t require touching the Greenbelt (such as re-zoning areas outside of the Greenbelt that would permit multi-family residences).

I’m also curious as to where the money will come from to build the basic infrastructure required to support these new homes, especially when Ford proposed changes through Bill 23 that would see a reduction in development fees that are meant to help cover the costs of installing basic city necessities (sewage, power, roads, etc.). Municipalities already struggle to find revenue sources and this proposal combined with the new bill to reduce development fees would greatly hurt municipalities and result in the reduction of publicly funding community services and resources, as municipalities legally cannot take on deficits. Again, this proposal would hurt Ontarians, as municipalities will need to raise property taxes to make ends meet, but this may also impact those who rely on municipal services such as public libraries and transit. Ford is leaving everyday Ontarians with the price tag of his irresponsible decisions.

Lastly, I’m appalled that this proposal did not undergo consultation with the Indigenous populations within Ontario (a legal duty of this government). The Greenbelt lies on unceded and unsurrendered territory of First Nation peoples and to propose developing these lands without consulting them first is a slap in the face to the spirit of reconciliation and Ford’s government should be ashamed.

Overall, I do not support this proposal and it further solidifies my distrust in this government’s ability to serve the needs and interests of Ontarians. I would ask this government to please reconsider opening the Greenbelt and find other more sustainable avenues to tackling Ontario’s housing crisis.