I am deeply concerned about…

I am deeply concerned about some of the proposed changes in this provincial planning statement that will lead to an expansion of urban sprawl and the loss of irreplaceable agricultural land.

I am especially concerned that this statement will "[re]quire municipalities to permit more housing on farms, including residential lot creation subject to criteria, additional residential units and housing for farm workers." Providing housing for farm workers is important and should remain in this planning statement. Residential lot creation on farms, however, will lead to the loss of arable land. Given the costs of farming and the potential profit in housing developments, it is inevitable that farm land will be lost under this change. Increasing housing while losing the ability to feed the people living in that housing is a step backwards for the province of Ontario.

Likewise, I am concerned that "[m]unicipalities would be allowed to create new Settlement Areas and would not be required to demonstrate the need for expansion." The Ontario Ontario’s Housing Affordability Task Force in 2022 unequivocally demonstrated that new land is not needed for housing, stating "Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts. … Most of the solution must come from densification. Greenbelts and other environmentally sensitive areas must be protected, and farms provide food and food security. Relying too heavily on undeveloped land would whittle away too much of the already small share of land devoted to agriculture (p. 10).” As such, it is imperative that municipalities continue to demonstrate the need for expansion. Removing this requirement will lead to unchecked urban sprawl and the further loss of valuable agricultural land and environmentally sensitive areas.

Therefore, I strongly urge the government to amend this provincial planning statement to preserve agricultural land in Ontario.