As a Canadian student I am…

As a Canadian student I am deeply aware of the Canadian housing market and the issues that have arose in the last couple years. However, I am also aware that the housing that the government is providing is exceedingly unaffordable to anyone. The housing developments that are erasing arable land, also increase food costs and deplete locally grown product from our stores. These housing developments are not affordable to the average Canadian.
In regard to Bill 97's connection to the greenbelt, removing the protection of the greenbelt and allowing even further development action in quick succession is a stark reminder as to why the greenbelt was protected in the beginning. The greenbelt exists to protect Ontario from urban sprawl, and the reversal of that protection is a dangerous precedent to set, not only for Ontario but all of Canada as we largely base our decisions and policy on case law. Farmers and agricultural land are the backbone of Canadian cities, without farms and farmers there are not cities. Without Canadian farms and farmers we increasingly become dependent on other states for resources and develop a less independent economy.
In regard to our environment, protection from flooding or pollution requires sustained and flourishing ecosystems. Ecosystems that are largely maintained by conservationists and farmers. Marshes and woodlots provide the proper systems to prevent erosion and flooding and the biological filters accommodate our industrial pollution, which in turn helps our carbon footprint reduction.
Overall, it is a bad idea to reverse the protection of the greenbelt and allow Bill 97 to increase housing developments on arable land.