I am citizen in Waterloo…

I am citizen in Waterloo Region and I am furious that this PC Government keeps coming back to strip us of our very rich, very much needed farmland and to put our natural groundwater filtration locations at high risk. Waterloo Region consulted extensively on our Long Range, 30 year plan. We were able to meet the growth targets set by the Province almost entirely within our urban boundaries, with a slight increase use of land (a few hectares) outside the boundary but adjacent to our International Airport. First, the Minister came back to say the plan would not be accepted, that we MUST build new suburbs on our farmland - a stupid requirement that would be extremely costly in terms of new infrastructure and which would not give us more very necessary affordable housing on our transit lines, and which threatened our farms and groundwater filtration. Then, as the GreenBelt scandal blew up and formal police investigations began, we were told our Plan was accepted and all was fine. Two days later, the new Minister called the seven mayors in the Region, encouraging them to violate our local democratic processes by naming land beyond the urban boundaries even in defiance of the majority of their elected councils. We weathered those attacks and now you're back with new legislation removing our rights and dictating that THOUSANDS OF ACRES of some of the most productive farmland in the world should be paved over to please the Government's PC wealthy donors (land speculators and developers). On top of all that, the Government has also forced gag order on local regional and township elected and staff officials over a massive deal to suddenly threaten the expropriate farmers' lands for a major industrial complex - which ought to be located on much more suitable and accessible land off the 401 and near the airport or at least within city limits near good transportation routes for staff and trucks servicing whatever is planned to be built there.

I do NOT understand this continued assault on our local democratic rights to make these long term planning decisions for how the land is used and/or safeguarded (farmland, wetlands, groundwater filtration sites - we are entirely dependent on our aquifers with no access to Lake Erie) - if we were failing to meet targets, perhaps it would be understandable but we are a model Region in Canada for how we've planned our growth, built excellent public transit, with good parks and recreation, etc. What we need is good 'missing middle' housing options (four and six plex designs) but the Premier has also come out condemning their construction within our urban boundaries ... this Government is clearly trying to FORCE the construction of highly expensive new suburbs on our precious farmland, risking our water supply for NO GOOD REASON and often targeting farmland for development when there are far more suitable locations available in the Region and within our well developed and thoroughly consulted plan. Clearly, this also needs further investigation for what smacks of insider dealing and corrupt decisions to benefit donors with deep, all ready very full pockets.