What are your thoughts on…

What are your thoughts on the initial focus area of the Study Area of the Paris Galt Moraine?

I am strongly in favour of an expansion of the greenbelt that protects the agricultural, ecological, and hydrologically sensitive lands around the Paris Galt Morraine.

I urge you to consider expanding the study area in the following areas in the interest of protecting rivers that serve important functions for the towns and cities they run through:

- Expand the study area between Guelph and Cambridge to include the Speed river and buffer any potential of exposure to development on the North side
- Similarly, expanding the boundary area between Guelph and Eden Mills to protect the Eramosa river in between those two communities; and
- Expanding the study area between Paris and Cambridge to include the Grand river.

What are the considerations in moving from a Study Area to a more defined boundary of the Paris Galt Moraine?

It is prudent to consider the boundaries and current ownership of the lands in questions. wherever possible, setting boundaries which do not sever a single owned property half in, and half out of protected areas would be preferable.

What are your thoughts on the initial focus area of adding, expanding and further protecting Urban River Valleys?

Protecting Ontario's water resources should be a critical, long-term policy goal for the Ontario government. Protecting urban river valleys - where rivers are under extra growth and pollution pressures - is a laudable goal for this expansion. To the degree that is possible, protecting all rivers that run through cities from development should be a priority.
All proposed river valleys slated for protection under the proposal flow into lake Ontario. Protections should be expanded for rivers that do not flow to lake Ontario as well, to the extent that the Greenbelt can add extra protects to these places.

Maintaining and preserving complete ecosystems should be a high consideration for this proposed expansion. Ecological and wildlife studies defining the boundaries of nesting, feeding, and grazing grounds for sensitive, environmentally significant, and protected species must be part of any study to ensure habitat is not being severed.