March 6, 2018…

March 6, 2018

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposals to better protect water for future generations and to expand the Greenbelt.

As a strong supporter of the current Greenbelt, I welcome the proposed expansion into seven or eight areas in the Outer Ring of this highly acclaimed ecological plan.  I urge the Province to move swiftly to add all of the areas in the Study Area to the Greenbelt.  A compelling case for the addition of these areas has been made by an impressive number of conservation and environmental organizations in Ontario, with the full support of many concerned citizens who recognize the importance and value of the Greenbelt.

Among the many excellent submissions to the Province, I am especially impressed by the discussion and recommendations of the Oak Ridges Moraine Partnership.  I join with the Partnership in urging the Province consider the addition of several other important areas for Greenbelt expansion, as soon as possible. Moreover, I fully support all of the Partnership's recommendations.

The Partnership rightly emphasizes the value of mapping a "Bluebelt" of critical water resources that should be added to the Greenbelt.  A major step forward in environmental leadership would be taken if the government were to endorse the "Bluebelt" maps proposed by the Partnership and immediately implement a strategy to make such a "Bluebelt" a reality.

As concerned citizens have noted, many of the headwaters, moraines, wetlands, aquifers and recharge lands that ring the current Greenbelt are experiencing multiple threats and impacts from fast-growing development. It's essential that the Province takes every step it can to act now, and give the benefit of the doubt to maximum watershed protection, so that we aren't left to look back years later with regret that "we should have done more."

As the Partnership has urged, the Province should consider designating entire rivers rather than only sections flowing through urban areas in order to adequately protect such invaluable resources as the Grand, Conestogo, Eramosa, Speed, Nottawasaga, Ganaraska and East Holland Rivers and Gages and Cobourg Creek. The Partnership has identified numerous areas that should have been included in the Study Area.

To mention only a few examples, water resources in northern Simcoe County, as well as the entire Lake Simcoe watershed, should be included in the Study Area as well as the headwaters of the Humber, Don, and Rouge Rivers and Duffins and Carruthers Creeks in the unprotected countryside south of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

Close to my home in Hamilton, I have a particular interest in the Grand River and I urge the Province to include the Grand River watershed in Brant County in a "Bluebelt." Part of the watershed is protected by the Greenbelt in Hamilton, but this protection stops at the western border of Hamilton where it meets Brant County.  This is a glaring omission. It amounts to an artificial boundary that falls well short of what's needed to ensure that the farmland and ecosystem of Brant County will be protected against increasing urban sprawl.

I'm encouraged that the Province proposes to include the Galt-Paris Moraine in the Greenbelt. However, I urge the Province to go further and Greenbelt the entire Grand River watershed in Brant County, at least.  As organizations such as the Langford Conservancy and Sustainable Brant have stated, growing the Greenbelt will protect prime agricultural land and forests, help to protect vulnerable water supplies and help Ontario cope with the looming realities of climate change, among many other benefits.

In closing, an expanded Greenbelt, complemented by a "Bluebelt," will also promote a shift to green infrastructure that will help the Province to manage growth in a more responsible fashion. At one of the public meetings I attended, the idea of the Province designating 15 per cent of infrastructure funding to green infrastructure was mentioned.

An expanded Greenbelt, with a complementary "Bluebelt," will show that Ontario is committed to a best practices policy in ensuring a healthy environment and a sustainable economy. I urge the Province to build on the successes of the Greenbelt by expanding the plan in a comprehensive way that reflects the constructive feedback of a very worthwhile consultation process.

Thank you.

[Original Comment ID: 213420]