The Greenbelt is home to…

The Greenbelt is home to farmland, forests, watersheds and wetlands. It sustains life and is one of the largest greenbelts in the world, which should be a source of pride to us all.

The Greenbelt is also economically important. It provides $3.2B annually in services to the region, such as recreational activities and flood protection. It was created in 2005 to deliberately limit rapid urban sprawl that was encroaching on land that is both environmentally and economically significant.

The Greenbelt has the capacity to store as much carbon dioxide as would be emitted by 33 million cars a year. Interfering with that crucial ecosystem means missing out on a chance to reduce our emissions and meet climate targets.

Greenbelt development is unnecessary for promoting growth. A recent Neptis Foundation study found more than 125,000 hectares of land in the GTA is currently available to accommodate growth through to 2031 and beyond.

Bill 66 exempts developers from rules that are crucial to protecting human health.
For example, it undermines the Clean Water Act, which protects people from tragedies like the one that happened in Walkerton, where water contamination led to 7 deaths and thousands of cases of severe illness. The bill threatens vital water sources for Ontarians, including Lake Simcoe and the Great Lakes. It also repeals the Toxics Reduction Act meant to reduce pollution