I am deeply concerned by…

I am deeply concerned by this Government’s proposal of removing several thousand acres from the existing greenbelt designated lands for the purpose of building houses. Despite a public promise NOT to do so as recently as 2021, this Government is now taking a candid approach to the encroachment of protected lands. These lands were protected for very good reasons that are part of public record, with the expressed intention that they would remain so, in perpetuity. While housing is indeed important, this Government’s own housing affordability task force offered that there is enough land available to meet the high housing needs of the province, without encroaching on the Greenbelt.

The real issue is that once any Government in power is allowed to encroach on the protected status of designated lands, there will be nothing to prevent future Governments from doing so as well based on their then current needs. There will always be a reason to encroach on these lands, only made greater as the population surrounding them grows. Which is precisely the reason why they must be protected in perpetuity. As this Government is proving, people in power cannot be trusted to put their individual wants aside for the greater good of a future population that they will never meet. Most people cannot operate in the intangible, proven here once again.

I urge this Government to immediate retracts from this proposal to encroach on the Greenbelt and to instead strengthen its protection against any future encroachment. In step, I also urge this Government to listen to the advice of its own task force and to seek efficiencies in the development of the lands already available to this end.

Integrity is easy to lose, and can’t be regained once lost. People in positions of power should indeed be held to a higher standard as they represent the voices of many. When leaders are no longer listening, much stands to be lost.

Thank you.