As many Ontarians continue…

As many Ontarians continue to shelter in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, many have become better acquainted with and appreciative of the natural beauty of the Greenbelt and surrounding areas where we live. Furthermore, as many of us reflect on the fragility of our day-to-day health and well-being as communities, it is incredibly concerning that our government would put tax-payer's dollars towards the GTA-West Highway -- a project which will pave over prime farmland, forests, sections of the Greenbelt (a key element of our community's identity), as well as the Humber River headwaters and Credit River watershed.

It is incredibly frustrating and disappointing that the current Conservative government is determined to attack our community's natural areas, particularly the Greenbelt. The Greenbelt has served as an intricate part of our identity as community-members, from beautiful hiking trails to hawk migration areas to access to amazing fruits and vegetables from our community's dedicated farmers. The GTA-West Highway would cut right through the Greenbelt, and would pave thousands of acres of Class 1 & 2 farmland -- some of the best farmland in Canada. The highway would also damage forests, natural areas and watersheds which flow into Lake Ontario, a drinking water source for millions.

Why is the Conservative government so invested in a project that will do next to nothing to improve commute times in the region? Why are they actively working towards limiting the ability of farmers to access land which feeds our communities? Why are they prioritizing a highway project which risks polluting our safe drinking water and doesn't actually improve commuting time? Why is this government placing a highway project over the current and future needs of its constituents?

Why is this government going to put billions of dollars towards a highway project which the government appointed expert panel determined was not the best solution for this region's transport needs (only reducing commute times by less than one minute!), when so many Ontarians are out of work and fearful of what the future holds in the era of COVID-19.

The government appointed expert panel did, however, note some other solutions that would improve commutes without threatening the natural areas of our communities, the livelihood of our farmers, and frivolous spending of tax-payer's dollars. These include:

Please respect the findings of the government-appointed expert panel that determined that the GTA-West highway was not the best solution for the region’s transportation needs. The panel report shows this highway would only reduce commute times by less than a minute, and that there are other solutions that improve commutes and goods movement without costing billions of dollars and paving over the Greenbelt.

These recommendations include:

Truck Priority on the nearby Highway 407 – exempt trucks from tolls to improve the movements of goods in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

Congestion Pricing – to encourage people to use public transit or to carpool.

Highway expansions and extensions – widen existing highways and roadways including Highway 7 and Highway 9.

Smarter growth – more compact communities result in reduced travel times and shorter commutes.

Please honour your commitments to protecting the Greenbelt and finding real transit solutions for southern Ontario. Please cancel the expensive and unnecessary GTA-West Highway and invest in transportation solutions that benefit all Ontarians.