Opening elements of the…

Opening elements of the Greenbelt to construction will greatly weaken environmental protection in Ontario, allowing construction on valuable farmland, and on wetlands vitally need to manage water and prevent expensive floods.

For the Greenbelt to be able to carry out its purpose to protect water resource systems, the agricultural systems and other natural systems, it must remain a single connected area. Breaking it up into smaller areas due to construction while adding random areas of land to it will defeat its purpose.

While constructing new homes is important, they need to be built where existing infrastructure exists, increasing density and protecting against sprawl. Current plans to open the Greenbelt would instead commit Ontario to decades more low-density sprawl, which is ultimately less affordable, more ecologically damaging, and less economically viable.

I firmly oppose opening the Greenbelt. There are better ways to meeting Ontario's housing needs then extending sprawl over it.