I am trained as a…

I am trained as a conservation biologist and work in science communication; I am also a concerned citizen, a resident of Ajax in Durham Region, and a new mother.

As a millennial, I understand the challenges of the rising cost of housing and living within the Greater Toronto Area. There is indeed a need for affordable housing to be available for new families like mine, and all Ontarians. In the context of Southern Ontario, however, we do not need to open up farmlands and conservation areas for development in order to achieve this. Once these areas are paved over, they are lost forever.

I am submitting comments to express my concern about the revocation of lands within the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve (DRAP). These lands are an important part of the cultural, natural and economic landscape within Durham Region. Not only do they provide recreational opportunities and a good quality of life for the residents in the area, they contain Class 1 farmland which is quickly disappearing in Ontario. It is therefore vital that we preserve the areas of productive farmland that we do have. This means keeping the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve protected from development.

The Greenbelt, while not being public land per se, is meant to serve the public of Ontario. It protects our food, water and air - all of which are vital to our long-term survival. As has been widely reported in the media, selling lands within DRAP will not benefit the public at large, but a few developers. These developers bought the land when it was protected and paid cheaply for it because it could not be protected. If this legislation passes, they stand to make significant profits at the expense of the farmers and tax payers of Ontario. Ontarians will loose important farmland while a few wealthy people will become wealthier.

Furthermore, we do not need these lands within DRAP to create affordable housing. That’s because the shortage of land is not the problem. “Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts. … Most of the solution must come from densification. Greenbelts and other environmentally sensitive areas must be protected, and farms provide food and food security.” (Housing Affordability Task Force report, 2022, p.10)

All lands within DRAP should be protected in perpetuity. That is what the Preserve was created for and why the Greenbelt exists. Offsetting and land swapping will not allow for the protection that these natural areas and farm land deserve and need.

This is critical not only for our local community, but for the climate as well. We are in a climate crisis and need to start acting like it. That means doing things differently. Everything is interconnected which means that every decision we make can be an opportunity to make change or keep the status quo.

This is your time to protect the Greenbelt for my child and for future generations.