We are an organization…

We are an organization spanning a vast watershed of almost one million people and an organization that has advocated for a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for over a decade. Our broad membership of citizens and groups are passionate to see a better future - one that considers seven generations at a minimum.

We were horrified to see the Greenbelt attacks and land removals by the provincial government. We are very supportive of the acknowledgment of the government's mistakes and the efforts to restore the Greenbelt no matter how much its integrity has been compromised.

However, the Greenbelt doesn't just need restoration - it also needs to be strengthened and improved.

First the Greenbelt needs to be expanded by at least 1 million hectares to protect the Grand River Watershed, the Lake Simcoe Watershed, our precious moraines, threatened wetlands, and areas facing leapfrog pressures.

Additional key points to include on Bill 136, the Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act include:

- legislating that the 10 year Greenbelt Reviews can only add lands to the Greenbelt with no land removals or land swaps,
- ensure meaningful First Nations consultation,
- prohibit “Pay to Slay” that enables habitat destruction of species at risk in the Greenbelt,
- prohibit the licensing of new aggregate extraction permits in the Greenbelt,
- protect all Prime Agricultural lands in the Greenbelt through Conservation Easements,
- end the grandfathering of previous zoning for development applications within the Greenbelt.

We hope that the government will not only restore what they have destroyed but will work sincerely to improve, enhance and better protect the Greenbelt so that removals and land swaps can never happen again.

Please ensure the Greenbelt is restored, expanded, improved, and permanently protected.

Thank you.