I write to strongly oppose…

I write to strongly oppose the proposed changes to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves in relation to Wasaga Beach. The bill proposes to privatize public land to encourage development, encourage tourism, for the sake of the economy.

There are very many things we could be doing for the economy - to create many jobs and talent - and prepare our workforce for the unfolding climate change. The premier is choosing one way of doing this, one that promises short term gain, and long term pain. I think this is shortsighted and makes clear that it is not economy but short term fix for which the Premier and his party will get the credit and hopefully be rewarded with the next mandate. This is thus an electoral strategy masquerading as good policy, but it is not good policy.

What we need is leadership, as we are in crisis. We do not need managers who put band aids on a broken knees. We have air quality ratings that make us stay home, we have floods and collapsing trees, we have heat waves and violent storms, and this is relatively mild - even as it is violent - in Ontario, compared to the West and North.

(We of course do not need to be doing anything to harm beings other than humans who also live here, like endangered species that nest in Wasaga Beach - Piping Plover - but more knowledgeable people will write on this.)

What is the point of caring for the economy (eikos, from greek, care of the household), if the economy does not serve the people? The plan to take lands that ALL can use and designate them private for development and use by some and for the profit of some seems to me to make no sense. Not in the time of climate collapse, not ever. The premier got the mandate to care for all of us, not just developers, landlords, and tourists. What we need is a plan for the economy that will A) not make climate worst but better, and B) prepare us for new green challenges! Removing green public space for parking lots etc, is precisely not the way to go. We need to be creating green corridors, training and paying people to be good stewards of environment, creating green energy grids... There is so much to be done and this is such a waste of time and energy.

NO to privatizing parks; YES to creating more and more public green spaces, and protected green spaces so that others may live and thrive too.