Toronto was one of the first…

Toronto was one of the first cities to be certified as a Bird Friendly City by Nature Canada. The program was created to encourage cities to become better, safer places for birds. Bird populations are in steep decline and one of the major causes is loss of habitat.

The Bird Friendly City Toronto team strongly opposes the proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement, 2022 (PPS) and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Growth Plan).
In 2022 the Housing Affordability Task Force found that there is already more than enough land designated for development in Ontario. The farmland and natural areas in our province must be protected. The PPS and Growth Plan policies are designed to curb sprawl and protect these lands. The proposed policy changes would accelerate their loss and weaken policies that address climate change.

We appreciate the need for more housing in our province, but the proposed policy changes would be a huge mistake. We ask the Government of Ontario to listen to the experts, and to do the right thing for our province, by retaining PPS and Growth Plan policies designed to curb sprawl, protect farmland and natural areas.

Sincerely,
Diana Turchin,
Bird Friendly City Toronto