I am writing to strongly…

I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed changes to the Greenbelt Plan.

The land proposed to be removed from the Greenbelt for residential development includes some of the richest agricultural land in all of Canada, and once it is developed it can never be restored. This is a terrible idea on so many levels - from the loss of local farmland (in the midst of a global food crisis), to the loss of tourism dollars, destruction of critical wetlands (read: flood defenses) and wildlife habitat, and an increase in carbon emissions (in the midst of an existential climate crisis) due to paving natural areas and building giant homes in places not served by transit or other amenities.

The government is right in its assertion that more homes are needed – I don’t think anyone disputes that. However, the much-touted plan to build 1.5 million homes in ten years can be accomplished by building in and densifying already-developed urban areas. There is no need to open up the Greenbelt for housing; the proposed 50,000 homes will barely move the needle on the government’s goal, and can easily be accommodated in areas that have already been approved for urban expansion or via infill development.

Although the proposal would in fact result in a net addition of 2,000 acres of land to the Greenbelt Plan area, the reality is that the 9,400 acres of land proposed to be added is already protected by other means (e.g., municipal official plans). With the proposed removal of 7,400 acres elsewhere in the Greenbelt, this would result in an overall net loss of protected land. To summarize, 16,800 acres of currently protected land (via Greenbelt or other means) minus 7,400 acres of Greenbelt to be developed results in 9,400 acres of remaining protected land - a loss of 44 per cent.

There is also the fact that the government promised several times not to touch the Greenbelt, and did not run for re-election on such a platform. To all of a sudden open these precious lands for development makes a mockery of local democracy and ignores the will of the people, whom this government so strongly asserts that it stands for above all else. It is clear to me that the government does indeed stand for some people, particularly those in the development industry who were lucky enough to own (or even recently purchase) previously protected lands that are now slated for development (by the way, something smells fishy – I guess it must be the Greenbelt and its wetlands). Opening up the proposed lands for development is a slippery slope, as other farms in the Greenbelt will almost certainly be sold to developers and speculators just waiting for their chance at the housing jackpot, resulting in a massive reduction in stewardship of critical agricultural lands.

In summary, the proposed changes to the Greenbelt Plan are incredibly short-sighted, and sacrifice the public good and long-term health of our environment for the immediate financial gain of a few rich corporations and landowners. These changes will assuredly not contribute to the goal of more affordable or attainable housing.

I implore the government to think twice about this decision, for the good of our children and grandchildren.