Schedule 3 will allow…

Schedule 3 will allow Minister's Zoning Orders (MZOs) to override legal and policy protections for farmland and natural heritage features and areas across Ontario. If the changes go forward, lands currently protected under the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) would become vulnerable to development without public consultation or any opportunity for appeal.

Conservation and agricultural areas must be conserved for both the future of our water (farmlands and natural areas provide flood control, water purification, carbon sequestration) and the ability to feed the citizens of Ontario. Yes, we require development, but it must not be at a cost to our fundamental needs - food and water - not to mention destruction of habitat crucial to the biodiversity of this great province.

I sincerely object to Schedule 3 in Bill 257.