I am against proposed…

I am against proposed changes to the Greenbelt Plan that would remove or redesignate 15 areas of land and add lands in the Paris Galt Moraine area. This would be a detrimental loss to our food supply, Ontario's native plants and animals including endangered species, and it would do very little to solve Ontario's affordable housing crisis.

53% of all fruit and 11% of all vegetables in Ontario are grown in the Greenbelt. Removing or redesigning this land will drive up already expensive food prices if this prime agricultural land is paved over for luxury single family homes and plazas filled with big box stores only accessible by cars.

I am extremely concerned that this will remove protections from woodlands, wetlands and wildlife habitat. The Ontario greenbelt is currently home to 78 of over 200 provincially listed species at risk in the province, like the bobolink, redside dace and Jefferson salamander. Since being established in 2005, the greenbelt has been a safeguard against the conversion of natural and agricultural lands into sprawling residential development.

Building on environmentally sensitive lands is dangerous. Floodplains and filled in wetlands do not make for sensible building locations. Land is already available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts.

Available land has never been the issue; neither have municipal approvals, development fees, or zoning regulations. Yes, each could be altered to help smooth the process, but the real problem is money, specifically, the lack of public money to build enough affordable housing to make a difference.

Affordable housing needs to be built in already existing cities that have access to the infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools and public transit) needed to support residents.

Going through with the proposed changes to the Greenbelt Plan will exacerbate global warming and the climate crisis facing Ontario. It would worsen Ontario's air and water pollution levels.

I attended my first ever protest on Saturday December 3, 2022 in downtown Toronto to voice my opposition to the proposed changes to Ontario's Greenbelt. I love Ontario and believe these undoable changes will permanently and negatively change the province for ever. Please cancel proposed changes to the Greenbelt Plan that would remove or redesignate 15 areas of land and add lands in the Paris Galt Moraine area! Thank you.