I was born in the Ancaster…

I was born in the Ancaster community and live in the area where the development was proposed to begin (book and shaver road). As a landowner, taxpayer and parent I believe that our growing community needs to build houses for our growing population and yes it needs to be in our backyard!

Middle class workers are barely able to afford a home in this community. The dream of home ownership is no longer attainable for Hamiltonians. We have available land in this area to build homes to grow this community. All types of homes freehold single family, condos and town homes. People should have the right to choose what type of home they want to live in. Not be forced to live in a condo downtown because that is all they can afford and that is the only area that is being developed.

I hope that my children and grandchildren can buy a house in the same community they have been raised in. When my children purchase a home in the future and start a family of their own, I would only hope that they can live in a home like what they were raised in. A home with a yard to watch their own children play in, a garden to grow and not be forced to leave the community they grew up in because they cannot find a suitable home or not afford to do so.

Hamiltonians need and want single family homes with a lawn! The growing population and development in Hamilton is inevitable and will eventually happen. We are best to be working together to ensure it is done correctly and that Hamiltonians can have a say in what they would like to see in the new and growing community. Why did the city take the opinions of people that do not even live in this community, who do not pay taxes in this community and do not own the lands in this community? How did their opinions and protests matter in an issue that should involve Hamilton people living, working and paying taxes in this city and who's lands would be directly impacted by this development?

What was the justification for even putting these lands into the Green Belt in 2016? How do we grow our population, grow this viable working community and keep these hard-working people in this city for good rather than forcing them to leave the community to find a home that they can afford and work elsewhere? Let's keep the money in our city, keep the workers here, keep the development growing in our backyard not in another city!

Moving forward with this development will increase the economic production of Hamilton, increase opportunities for employment, provide more opportunities for people in the community and better services creating better living conditions leading to a better lifestyle and better quality of life. Hamilton deserves this opportunity to grow and thrive! Our children deserve the opportunity to own a detached home and to live and work in the community they were raised in and not have to move out of Hamilton!