I am writing to you as a…

I am writing to you as a concerned retiree who lives within the Greenbelt, by the busy urban centre of Hamilton. I am against Bill 66 and implore you not to pass such a short-sighted bill that will dramatically set back essential environmental, ecological and social protections.

Ontarians care deeply about the Greenbelt, Lake Simcoe, the Oak Ridges Moraine and clean water. It is home to farmland, forests, watersheds and wetlands. The Oak Ridges Moraine is the rainbarrel of Ontario providing drinking water to over 250,000 Ontarians and feeding many river and streams that flow into Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe.

The Greenbelt is also economically important. Agriculture in the Greater Golden Horseshoe employes 38,000 people and gross output of farms is $11 billion, that’s $1.7 billion in tax revenue for all three levels of government. The Greenbelt provides $3.2B annually in services to the region, such as recreational activities and flood protection. It was created in 2005 to deliberately limit the rapid urban sprawl that was encroaching on land that is both environmentally and economically significant.

The Greenbelt has the capacity to store as much carbon dioxide as would be emitted by 33 million cars a year. Interfering with that crucial ecosystem means missing out on a chance to reduce our emissions and meet climate targets.

Greenbelt development is unnecessary for economic development. A recent Neptis Foundation study found more than 125,000 hectares of land in the GTA is currently available to accommodate growth through to 2031 and beyond. If the province wants to allow a new business in Ontario they already have a tool for that, The Minister’s zoning order, they don’t need to allow municipalities to bypass environmental and health rules meant to protect us.

Bill 66 imposes the provincial government’s political agenda on municipal decisions. We should not use the Open for Business planning bylaw in Hamilton. I support business development but not at the expense of the environment. A sprawling city is a shrinking Greenbelt. Many municipalities want to grow beyond their boundaries, but low density growth doesn’t pay its way. More sprawl means higher taxes and more municipal debt.

Bill 66 exempts developers from rules that are crucial to protecting human health. For example, it undermines the Clean Water Act, which protects people from tragedies like the one that happened in Walkerton, where water contamination led to 7 deaths and thousands of cases of severe illness. The bill threatens vital water sources for Ontarians, including Lake Simcoe and the Great Lakes. It also repeals the Toxics Reduction Act meant to reduce pollution by preventing industrial uses of certain toxic chemicals.

Your government did not get elected on this platform. After hearing from Ontarians that they did not want to see the Greenbelt threatened by development, your government wisely promised not to touch that land. Now, Ontarians want to see that commitment fulfilled.

According to a 2016 Nanos poll, 9 out of 10 Ontarians believe the province has a responsibility to ensure a healthy environment for all.By threatening both air and water quality, Bill 66 clearly violates that right.