The greenbelt is incredibly…

The greenbelt is incredibly popular amongst Ontarioans, and improves our quality of life: NO LANDS SHOULD BE REMOVED FOR IT. To be clear, I do not think that lands should be removed even if they are replaced with different lands.

My husband and I recently purchased our first home. We understand how unhealthy, and unsustainable the current housing situation is. However, opening up any part of the greenbelt is short sighted, and will NOT solve the issues in the Ontario housing market. There are already available lands within urban boundaries that could be (re)developed. The kinds of homes being proposed by developers on the greenbelt are massive expensive homes that are out of reach to most hardworking Ontarioans. Furthermore, these new developments would put significant strain on municipalities in terms of infrastructure. Our cities simply can't afford these new, unnecessary encroachments on our protected greenbelt.

The greenbelt is also essential when it comes to feeding Ontario. Multiple farming organizations-- the CFFO, OFA, and NFU have all come out against the proposed changes. Once this farmland is gone, it's gone forever. Farmland makes up less than 5% of Ontario, and opening up this highly productive farmland to development is a huge mistake.

Finally, there is the most obvious issue when it comes to changes to the greenbelt: the environment. At a time when we are truly seeing the effects of climate change, it is absolutely mind blowing that our Province is considering opening up protected lands to development. What a completely idiotic idea. The greenbelt wetlands provide freshwater to millions of people. Its forested areas remove a huge amount of CO2 from the air. It is home to 78 endangered species. It offers an estimated $2.3 billion in ecosystem services. All of this as we see a rise in extreme weather, and obvious global warming. Once these lands are gone they are gone.

I am so disappointed that these proposed ammendment to the greenbelt plan are even being considered. This is so obviously going to benefit a couple of already wealthy developers at the expense of the rest of the province. I am truly disgusted.