Remove Schedule 10 from Bill…

Remove Schedule 10 from Bill 66. It would be utterly irresponsible to allow municipalities to override provisions in the Greenbelt Act, Clean Water Act, Lake Simcoe Act, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act and Great Lakes Protection Act.

Why would we even consider allowing the Greenbelt - home to 5,500 farms, 78 species at risk and 102 million tonnes of carbon storage - to be carved up and paved?

We now know that David Suzuki was right when he warned us back in the 80's that we should be taking action to mitigate climate change. He was also right in 2015 when he wrote the following:

"Canada’s towns and cities are at a crossroads. One path leads to continued low-density, sprawling urban expansion, with endless pavement, long commutes and traffic jams, and the high social and ecological costs of wasteful forms of urban design. The other path ends sprawl by creating compact, higher-density communities with mid-rise housing and access to public transit, bike paths and walking trails, surrounded by precious farmland and green spaces like Ontario’s renowned greenbelt. What kind of cities do you want?"

Some other extremely important facts from the same article that we should all think very seriously about:

"In the 1970s, Oregon’s government imposed strict urban-growth boundaries around a number of cities, including Portland. As a result, growth in the city was confined to existing built-up areas, thereby preventing development from spilling out to farmers’ fields. Many developers and businesspeople fought the plan, arguing it would hurt the economy, but Portland is now recognized as one of the most livable cities on the continent. It has facilitated densification, improved walkability and decreased the cost of energy and transportation for homes and businesses."

"The greenbelt alone, comprising just over 20 per cent of the region, generates more than $9 billion in annual revenue to local economies, producing a bounty of fruits and vegetables, beef, pork, dairy, honey and award-winning wines." (from "Good Things are Growing in Ontario's Greenbelt" 2015, David Suzuki)

Unless we want to make our province even less livable and less sustainable, Schedule 10 must be removed from Bill 66.