I support the expansion of…

I support the expansion of the Greenbelt both to the east and west including the Paris Galt Moraine. The Greenbelt should aim to protect valuable high quality agricultural land and green spaces including wetlands and headwater areas thus ensuring the quality protection of the Greenbelt Urban River Valleys withing Duffins and Carruthers Creek watersheds.

The headwaters of Duffins and Carruthers Creek need to be protected. In particular the "whitebelt" lands adjacent to the Greenbelt, north of highway 407.

The provincial government should cancel any plans to build highway 413 as it would cross and negatively impact the Greenbelt in several locations. This would result in the deterioration of farmland and ecosystem quality. This deterioration and annihilation of farmland will influence Ontario's already struggling agricultural competitiveness.

Priorities such as the ability for Canada to become food sovereign and maintain high quality farmlands need to be considered. Once these areas are destroyed they cannot be rehabilitated. The current state of housing development also needs to be addressed. Ontario needs to transition to a focus of growing "up" not "out". This means building more condo and apartment complexes. This would not only slow the encroachment onto green spaces but would also help to mitigate the current affordable housing crisis that is occurring in Ontario.