I urge you to withdraw Bill…

I urge you to withdraw Bill 23 and the proposal to remove land from the Ontario Greenbelt. I want to see the Greenbelt fully protected.

Premier, contrary to your promise and that of Ontario’s housing minister, Bill 23 will eliminate 7,400 acres of the current Greenbelt and subject it to intensive development. That development, along with the bill’s limits to scope and funding of Conservation Authorities, is an unwarranted assault on the very limited amounts of green space and agricultural lands in the vicinity of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA.) Indeed, with over 88,000 acres of land available for housing construction in the GTHA alone, Bill 23 misses the opportunity to intensify housing availability near existing places of employment with greater access to public transit.

Premier Ford, I urge you to withdraw Bill 23 and to put forward in its place legislation and a program that would protect our environment and our agricultural lands – our Greenbelt – and would ensure safe and affordable housing for all.