I am very concerned about…

I am very concerned about opening up the Greenbelt for development. This area is home to the headwaters of a number of rivers and they must be protected from development. We need "green" lands for both our health and the health of the environment. (Indeed the proposed changes will only exacerbate climate change.) Building on this part of the Greenbelt also threatens natural habitats and species at risk. Swapping land makes no sense. We need to ensure we protect the Oakridge Moraine. The proposed changes will simply encourage urban sprawl. Yes, we need more housing, but we do not need McMansions or low-density housing. Moreover, land for new housing already exists in the greater Toronto area. This land would be less costly to build on than new development in the precious greenbelt. In short, we don't need to massacre the greenbelt to build houses. We have the space outside the greenbelt. The sprawl that will come from these changes also reduces critical agricultural land, and once gone, cannot be replaced. (Food security is becoming much more of an issue and to solve that we need agricultural land.) Please do not touch the Greenbelt. Let's leave it for our children's children so they can enjoy beautiful greenspace and see the wondrous diversity of species that can thrive in this protected space. If these changes are allowed, then there is nothing stopping the eventual destruction of the rest of the belt.