Good morning, I write as a…

Good morning,

I write as a resident of Waterloo and a health professional to express concerns regarding bill 162.

First, I am deeply concerned about the expansion of our urban boundaries. Our regional urban plan included comprehensive consultation with community members and expert review to come up with a plan that balanced our needs as a community and the needs of our local ecological systems. Urban planning should always be a shared community responsibility and never should it be in the singular hands of a mayor or small group of people. Doing so is an overstepping of power and a breach of responsibilities. Moreover, a stringent code of conduct to mitigate influence by industry reps and developers must be in place with the public should be transparently aware of the negotiations and discussions of elected representatives. The insights of the greenbelt report by the auditor general point to a significant need to build back trust, transparency, and community involvement. We need to know how decisions are being made and have the opportunity to share in decision-making.

My second concern focuses on the expropriation of lands before environmental assessments are complete. Expropriation should always be an absolute last resort and only for projects that are necessary for community benefit and well-being. It should never go forward without an environmental assessment that determines the proposed use will not cause significant harm to local habitats, waterways, and species.

Lastly, we should not need a referendum to create policy that is necessary to support the health of our communities. There is widespread evidence that carbon pricing is effective and can be applied in an equitable way such that those who are less able to reduce their use of fossil fuels (low income, rural) have lower costs while those who are using the most fossil fuel and most able to shift practices take on a higher burden (industry, high incomes). Moreover, our overall economic health will improve with reducing fossil fuel use with the numerous associated positive health outcomes that will reduce health spending by addressing air pollution.

Thank you for the consideration of these comments.