The Greenbelt protects prime…

The Greenbelt protects prime agricultural land, important natural areas, and a source of drinking water for many Ontario communities. Opening the Greenbelt to development will only benefit big developers (especially those who recently purchased lands in the Greenbelt). An attached letter of opposition to opening the Greenbelt to housing development outlines my reasoning. Key points include:
The need has not been demonstrated for lands to be opened in the greenbelt for housing. The government is ignoring its own commissioned report of the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force which stated that: “a shortage of land isn’t the cause of the problem. Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts.”
The province has not provided any criteria for determining the rationale behind the parcels being recommended for removal. Any contemplation of removing lands from the greenbelt should be subject to a thorough and transparent evaluation and using criteria established by experts, not developers’ desires and quid pro quos.
The greenbelt is a system that ensures clean and abundant drinking water, cleans our air, assists in flood management, provides linkages for wildlife, plants and people, and – this can not be replaced by infrastructure or only at significantly higher costs.
Development interests see the greenbelt as a barrier to growth but we should see it as supporting our growth and make our communities livable, successful and climate resilient.
As no criteria were used or disclosed that supported the selection of these properties it will be very difficult to stem the tide of future requests.
Trading lands simply won't work.