Please consider this comment…

Please consider this comment as part of the government consultations on Bill 66.

Schedule 5:

The Toxics Reductions Act, 2009, is an important piece of legislation - protecting Ontario families from harmful substances and provided a guiding hand in shifting industry towards safer and more sustainable products. Reducing toxins and shifting towards a green economy is consistent with economies around the world - diverging from Ontario's progressive development not only puts Ontario families at greater risk, it will disadvantage our economy in the long term. Pushing for immediate growth by reducing the pressure on industries to control and reduce toxins is very short-sighted. Long term increases in the cost of healthcare, degradation of our environment, and a general decrease in our quality of life can't possibly be worth the small growth in business that reduced regulation would provide.

Schedule 10:

The proposed amendments to the Planning Act allowing municipalities that allow them to bypass important protective measurements in the Clean Water Act the Great Lakes Protection Act threatens Ontario's water resources and ultimately the health and safety of our communities.

Furthermore, opening the doors to development in protected areas such as Ontario's Greenbelts could have significant negative impacts on cities: Greenbelts provide important habitat and wildlife corridors, improve air quality and protect urban waterways, and provide important outdoor recreational options - improving the well-being of urban citizens. Greenbelts also provide a bridge for interaction between urban and rural Ontario. The temptation to develop urban greenspace is extremely high - but once that line has been crossed, it can never be 'undeveloped'. These important spaces deserve the most stringent protections.