Hello, I'd like to express…

Hello, I'd like to express my thoughts about the proposal to develop the greenbelt. It unfortunately feel like most people's opposing opinions are falling on deaf ears. My local Progressive Conservative MP simply doesn't seem to care what we think if our views differ from theirs (on multiple issues).

I thought it was made clear by Ontarians in 2018 that they did not want the Greenbelt to be developed. The very government that is now trying to get this through had already proposed opening it up for development, and then backpedalled after the backlash. Why does a few years suddenly make it okay?

This is critical habitat for many species of animal and plants, which supports our communities in ways far beyond most people's comprehension. Please listen to the experts who study and understand the risks of habitat loss when they tell you that this isn't okay. I ask that government members who are voting on this actually comprehend what the long term effects could mean. You wouldn't ask a shoe repairman for advice on heart surgery, would you? So why allow developers and politicians to make decisions on developing what is supposed to be protected land? The conservation authorities should have more say.

Why were developers even allowed to buy this land in the first place? It's obvious what their intentions were. It wasn't supposed to be developed, and now the government is seeing pressure from those very developers to do just that. They are pulling the strings and pressing the governments buttons.

Please, stop the destruction habitat that is critical to so many species, wetlands that prevent our city from flooding, forests which filter our air, and farmland that grows our food for the purpose of development. Stop developers from tearing down perfectly good homes to build luxury mansions from edge to edge of their property, which the great majority of people can't afford, and which don't mix with the neighbourhoods they are in. If the house really is a "tear-down", think about rules that would promote building actual affordable housing on the same site: duplexes, or townhouses for example. Three people don't need 4,500+ square feet, when families are perfectly able to have room to spare in 1,500 square foot or even smaller homes.

I know it is hard not to be reactive to what's going on here and now. Governments need to stop acting in the interest of their next win, and start acting in the interest of the people they are supposed to serve. Please think not about your government's future, but the future of the communities you serve. Future generations will thank you.