In summary, I do not support…

In summary, I do not support this redesignation of Greenbelt lands.

I am not a "land expert" by any stretch of the imagination, but being a longtime resident of Markham and now Toronto, I can see that further and denser development that encroaches on the Greenbelt lands which we've set out to protect for presumably good reasons is not a preferred first option.

While I can appreciate the complex nature of the housing problem the province is currently attempting to address, I cannot help but think that developing MORE will somehow resolve the issue when scores of incomplete high rises mar the Toronto city skyline. The housing crisis isn't simply one of supply and demand—there are questions of affordability as well. Before we break ground and irreversibly alter lands/ecosystems (which may have far-reaching and incalculable impacts on food accessibility, cost of living, traffic gridlock, reduced ability to mitigate climate change-related natural disasters, etc.), I'd like to see our provincial government do something about the existing tenancy laws as well as legislations surrounding condo development (whose existing model of interim/occupancy closings can incentivize developers to drag out construction projects far beyond their original target delivery dates).

So no, I do not support this redesignation. I am confident there are other options we have not yet explored or exhausted.