We are in a climate and…

We are in a climate and biodiversity crisis. To attempt to replace ecologically vital parts of the Greenbelt with urban sprawl is dangerous. Already 14,000 hectares of land for urban development in municipalities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area have been approved, and planners have told municipal leaders that there is land enough for a 20 year surplus.

We are able to accommodate a growing population within our existing borders. These proposed changes are incompatible with our attempts to limit global heating, and climate instability that impairs all of our health and imperils trillions of dollars via disaster relief and impaired economic activity. The only people who stand to benefit are the minority of land speculators.

Once we pave over wild land it is gone forever. The Greenbelt is to our common benefit. It provides clean air, pure sources of water, and allows us to grow local food. It is also home to numerous species of animal and plant that we need to protect. We should be growing the Greenbelt, not shrinking it.

The Paris Galt Moraine and Greater Golden Horseshoe land proposed to replace the land in the Greenbelt is ecologically distinct. It is not currently under threat of development and it does not replace Greenbelt land. This is a case of replacing apples with oranges, but with far more serious consequences. It would end the Greenbelt's crucial role in halting urban sprawl, a form of land development that has been shown to have numerous psychological, health, economic, and environmental issues.

Premier Ford said in 2020 that he would not touch the Greenbelt. I urge him to not betray his promise, or the environmental, economic, and political consequences of wounding the Greenbelt will be his fault.