I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my support in principle for Bill 136 (Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023) and request that the following amendments be included in the final version of the legislation.

In 2005, the Greenbelt was created to PERMANENTLY protect the agricultural lands, natural areas, and water resources of the Golden Horseshoe. Decades ago, forward-thinking community organization, planning professionals and politicians from all political parties recognized a rapidly growing environmental threat: unrestricted low-density expansion of our urban centres into the countryside.

From November to December 2022, I watched with dismay at the speed and recklessness that a majority government was able to carve out 7,400 acres from the Greenbelt. The actions of the Ford government clearly demonstrate that the existing legislation and regulations do not PERMANENTLY protect the Greenbelt.

The recent Greenbelt scandal also clearly demonstrated that the Greenbelt legislation is merely a speed-bump on the road to development for many developers and real estate speculators.

The following modifications are required to draft Bill 136 (Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023) for the PERMANENT protection of the Greenbelt:

1) Legislate that in the 10-year Greenbelt review, outside of minor housekeeping, any amendments to boundaries can only add lands to the Greenbelt with no possibility for land swaps.

2) Amend the Greenbelt legislation so that future governments are compelled to consult meaningfully with First Nations and Indigenous communities.

3) Introduce a provision prohibiting new “Overall Benefit Permits” (a.k.a). Pay to Slay that enables developers to harm habitat critical to the protection of Species at Risk in the Greenbelt.

4) Prohibit the licensing of new aggregate extraction applications in the Greenbelt.

5) Protect all prime agricultural lands in the Greenbelt through conservation easements to ensure speculators are dissuaded from purchasing protected agricultural lands in the Greenbelt.

6) Immediately end the grandfathering of previous zoning for future planning applications that is detrimental to the Greenbelt’s ecological, water and agricultural functions.

Last year’s amendments to the Greenbelt Act, the introduction of Bill 39 (Better Municipal Governance Act) and the Duffin’s Rouge Agricultural Preserve Repeal Act demonstrated that current Greenbelt legislation will NOT ensure the PERMANENT protection of the Greenbelt.

The Greenbelt is one of Ontario’s most important environmental achievement – now is the time to legislate the PERMANENT protection of these lands.