I reject the rationale for…

I reject the rationale for the deletions proposed in this notice. The Greenbelt Plan and the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan were intended to protect lands forever. Designations under these plans were not intended to be re-assigned for the convenience of developers. Making changes of this sort greatly undermines the credibility of the province.

Many of the proposed deletions remove protected status from lands that are designated as part of the Natural Heritage System. In the face of unprecedented and accelerating biodiversity loss and the ever-worsening climate crisis, it is vital that Ontario do its utmost to protect the farmland, wetlands, forests, rivers and other natural areas that sustain us.
As Ontario’s Housing Affordability Task Force explained in its 2022 report, we do not need to sacrifice environmental protection to address the housing crisis. That’s because “a shortage of land isn’t the cause of the problem.” (p.10) There is a vast supply of land already open for development within existing municipal settlement boundaries.
I urge you to not remove any land from the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.