I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my opposition to any removal of lands from the Greenbelt. There is already enough land available for development to meet the need for housing in Ontario for years to come.

I support any amendments that extend full protection from development to any lands adjacent to the current Greenbelt boundaries. Ontario needs to have full protection of natural heritage features that supply communities with ecosystem services such as clean air, water, healthy soils and flood protection, and farmland that provides food for local communities so that communities can prosper in the climate change and biodiversity crises.

In particular, I oppose the removal of the following from the Greenbelt Area:

Area/Location Map Number
Land located in the Township of King east of Dufferin Street, south of Miller’s Sideroad and west of Bathurst Street Map 1
Land located in City of Vaughan north and east of Teston Road and Pine Valley Drive Map 2
Land located in City of Richmond Hill east of Leslie Street, north of Elgin Mills Road East, west of Highway 404 Map 3
Land located in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville at 11861 and 12045 McCowan Road Map 4
Land located in City of Markham at 5474 19th Ave. at the northeast corner of 19th Ave. and McCowan Road Map 4
Land located in City of Markham at 10235, 10378 and 10541 Hwy 48 Map 5
Land located in the City of Markham at 10379 Kennedy Road Map 5
Land located in the City of Pickering south of Highway 407, west of West Duffins Creek and north of the CP Belleville rail line Map 6
Land located in Town of Ajax located at 765 and 775 Kingston Road East Map
Land located in Clarington at the northeast corner of Nash Road and Hancock Road Map 8
Land located in the City of Hamilton south of Garner Road West, west of Fiddlers Green Road, east of Shaver Road in the vicinity of Book Road Map 9
Land located in the City of Hamilton south of White Church Road East, west of Miles Road, north of Chippewa Road East, east of Upper James Street Map 10
Land in the Town of Grimsby south of the GO rail line, west of Oakes Road North, north of Main Street West, east of Kelson Ave North Map 11
Land located in the City of Hamilton at 331 and 339 Fifty Road Map 11

I oppose the redesignation of the following lands:

lands located in the Town of Grimsby at 502 Winston Road. These lands are currently designated as Specialty Crop (Niagara Peninsula Tender Fruit and Grape Area) and Natural Heritage System

I support the addition of the following lands to the Greenbelt Area:

lands in the Paris Galt Moraine which would be designated as Protected Countryside with a Natural Heritage System.

I also oppose any offsetting for vital wetlands, woodlands, grasslands and valleylands that support our health and existence on this landscape we call Ontario. These natural features are what we rely on to subsist.

I urge the current government to actually consider the value of what they are proposing to destroy. These sensitive natural areas provide billions of dollars worth of natural infrastructure to Ontario communities. I also urge the government to consider the fact that none of this area needs to be sacrificed because there is already plenty of land available for development of needed housing. In addition, we need to densify and concentrate housing in urban centres where infrastructure already exists and we can build walkable, climate resilient communities.