First I would like to say…

First I would like to say that I am disgusted by the fact that the consultation period for this Bill was set (likely intentionally) over the holiday and new year season, in a pathetic political slight-of-hand trick to ram this bill through with as little public attention as possible. Because that's how democracy works, right?

I have grave concerns over Bill 66, and in general the attempt to rollback regulations which keep our communities safe. In particular, Schedule 10 is of utmost concern to me. Schedule 10 of Bill 66 would allow municipalities to override environmental regulations and promote the unchecked development for "economic growth". This Bill would promote the development of factories, industrial parks, and sprawling low-density car-dependent subdivisions in our green spaces, threatens public healthy and safety, and will allow developers to override important environmental regulations enshrined in the Greenbelt Act, Clean Water Act, Lake Simcoe Act, Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act and Great Lakes Protection Act. Furthermore, this Bill would allow municipalities to go ahead with these development projects without ANY public consultation. Once again, another great example of democracy.

The Greenbelt is home to 5,500 farms, 78 species at risk and 102 million tonnes of carbon storage. This will be carved up with factories and subdivisions if the bill proceeds.

We need to protect our nature and local agriculture, and we need to maintain our commitment to fighting the worst effects of climate change for future generations. Economic growth is irrelevant if we don't have a clean, healthy, sustainable planet. Do you seriously want to expand the never-ending horizon of low-rise, grey, suburban townships and car-dependent McMansions that already clog the GTA? Have you not driven through these suburbs and felt depressed by the monotonous blur of cheaply-made cookie-cutter houses with two and three-car garages? Do you not desire to develop denser, more efficient and interconnected smart cities, to protect green zones, and to promote public transit so that the middle-class does not have to depend on cars to go about their daily business?

Canada is a country that is lucky to still have intact and beautiful nature preserves. We need to maintain this and sustain it, or else the next generation will suffer.

As a young Ontarian, environmental activist and climate change researcher, I am extremely worried about the future. I refuse to have children unless I feel that serious progress on climate action and environmental protection has been made, especially in my own province. Bill 66 does not give me hope that I will be able to change my mind about this any time soon. Many young people feel hopeless and desperate about how our capitalist society promotes unchecked development and consumerism at the expense of our planet. Many of us cannot bare the idea of creating a new generation with this current outlook. In light of the Ontario conservative party's terrible and corrupted development plans, it appears that climate action, environmental protection and sustainability are not a priority for those in charge.

In summary: I don't care how nice your paycheck is, stop prioritizing profits before the planet.

Protect the greenbelt and promote sustainable development of Ontario and the GTA.

If you don't, we will fight with every bit of energy that we have.

This will not be an easy pass for you, nor will any of your destructive and greedy policy decisions.

There is too much at stake for our collective future.

Furthermore, employment land already exists within current townships and cities in Ontario, which sets aside space for future economic development and building projects, rendering the need for further expansion into the greenbelt completely unnecessary and redundant.

I hope you seriously consider the concerns which I have raised. I speak on behalf of a growing and very politically engaged proportion of the younger generation. We are very much aware of the fact that we will have to clean up the reckless mess you have made to our province, and live with the consequences of decades of inaction dealing with the climate and environmental crises on our planet.

Stop Bill 66!