I'm worried that there are…

I'm worried that there are proposed changes here that would accelerate urban sprawl and the ongoing loss of farmland and natural areas in Ontario.

A shortage of land is not the cause of Ontario’s housing shortage, as noted by the Housing Affordability Task Force in 2022:

"Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts. … Most of the solution must come from densification. Greenbelts and other environmentally sensitive areas must be protected, and farms provide food and food security. Relying too heavily on undeveloped land would whittle away too much of the already small share of land devoted to agriculture. (p. 10)"

It is time to listen to the experts, who have shown that the amount of land already designated for development far exceeds what is needed to meet long-range housing targets.

Remember that you work for the public good of all Ontarians and our society, not for individuals and companies. It would be detrimental to approve policies that:

- Eliminate mandatory intensification and greenfield density targets that were designed to rein in urban sprawl;

- Allow municipalities to expand settlement areas at any time without a comprehensive review of infrastructure needs or potential impacts on farmland and natural areas;

- Force municipalities to allow three lots to be severed from every farm, even in prime agricultural areas;

- Exempt lands that are the subject of Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) from complying with provincial policies and official plans;

- Remove the requirement for municipalities to undertake watershed planning; and

- Weaken and eliminate policies intended to address climate change.

Ontario is losing farmland at the rate of 319 acres per day. Sprawl development will not solve current housing needs, as your government seems to think. The current rhetoric of the Greenbelt being a scam is embarrassing for you and super dismissive of actual Ontarians that care. Despite this government's lack of respect (for these people you said Ford heard loud and clear when Ford promised he wouldn't touch the Greenbelt), I am politely submitting, during your mandatory consultation period, that the government go back to listening and that it retains PPS and Growth Plan policies that are designed to curb sprawl and protect farmland and natural areas or somehow otherwise ensure that the PPS creates new policies that do the same. Thank-you.