As a citizen of the…

As a citizen of the beautiful province of Ontario, I strongly oppose the proposed amendments to the Greenbelt Area boundary regulation under the omnibus Bill C-23 (the housing bill), on the grounds of the effects of these changes as well as the underlying rationale. Regarding the rationale, the argument that the housing crisis and potential population increases in the province necessitates "building more houses faster" is a spurious one. If the provincial government was serious about housing, it would be taking steps to protect existing housing, including rental units and non-profits within cities and towns, as well as medium level density housing such as low rise apartment buildings, flats and multi-unit houses, and would be assisting local governments in planning for the same. Instead, the province has used MZOs to push through big development projects (large condo buildings) which displace people from their homes and communities as these become less affordable. Even without the use of MZO's, what has the province done to reign in the speculators and big corporate buyers who are taking housing out of the hands of ordinary people? Bill C 23, in the name of "more housing," actually undermines the ability of municipalities and regional authorities to protect housing, and does not address the root of the problem. The province's own housing task force has made it clear that the lack of access to housing has nothing to do with lack of land - in other words, the solution is not to take up more land for urban sprawl, but to encourage "gentle density" within towns and cities, including by helping municipalities update their infrastructure capacities. Instead, the province is removing important funds from cities (developer fees), reducing their ability to properly plan and regulate development (for example, by mandating green spaces, heritage protections, affordable housing and protections for existing tenants), thus further enabling the process of displacement.

The land sprawl agenda this government is so determined to pursue not only does not address the roots of the housing crisis (speculation, corporate ownership, displacement of existing affordable and medium density housing), but it will add to the ecological nightmare already at play. It is well known that wetlands play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as filtering and cleaning our waterways (that we humans depend on, too!) and reducing the intensity and effects of flooding. Forests are crucial in mitigating the effects of climate change (heat waves, droughts, carbon emissions) as well as helping to protect farmland (from soil erosion and wind damage as well as those droughts, heat waves and flooding). Small farms in Ontario are an essential source of food for us all and livelihood for farmers. It is unbelievable, after going through the supply chain blockages and other crises experienced during the COVID pandemic, that our government would allow this source of local food to be destroyed. Apparently the short-term profits of a small number of big developers outweighs the value of our local farmlands, our wetlands, our forests and our ravines in the minds of the provincial government.

The government is supposed to act in the public interest, and out of concern for the public good. Part of that public good is the protection of the environment we all depend on and love. This bill, which further undermines the mandate of local Conservation Authorities, and interferes with the Growth Plan, the Planning Act, the Endangered Species Act and other important legislation, dismantles decades of slow progress toward protecting Ontario’s environment and creating more sustainable communities. In fact, by dismantling this legislative and regulatory framework, Bill C 23 will reverse the modest progress that has been made, as it will open the door for more speculators to request that greenbelt lands be sold off piecemeal for their private benefit in the years to come. This is a truly shameful piece of legislation that must be repealed.