As a concerned resident of…

As a concerned resident of Guelph, I am asking that you expand the Greenbelt to include the whole of the Paris-Galt Moraine, as well as the urban river valleys through Guelph. I would like you to add the south end of Guelph, known as the Clair-Maltby area, into the expanded areas of the Greenbelt. My reasons are as follows:
1. Guelph is a totally groundwater dependent city, the only one in Canada, and we fear that if growth is allowed on any areas of the Paris-Galt Moraine, it will severely compromise the future water supplies for the city. The hummocky terrain in to found the the Clair-Maltby area as well as the drumlins and low lands are the protection areas for our waters supply and its quality. Six developers own property in the south end of Guelph and have already threatened our water by illegally filling in wetlands and illegally cutting hundreds of trees. Their actions show that this irreplaceable resource will be threatened by their future developments. They would like to level out the drumlins, extract gravel, pave the area and add hundreds of houses. The Paris-Galt Moraine deserves as much protection as the Oak Ridges Moraine. This area is also prime farmland and needs to be preserved as such to protect and ensure our future local food supply.

2. The urban river valleys of the Speed and the Eramosa Rivers and their tributaries flow directly through the heart of the city of Guelph. John Galt chose the area of the confluence of the rivers to found the city and those rivers are severely threatened by the growth projected in the Places to Grow Plan. The rivers are the source of our water and their shores must be protected. They are an integral part of our city's heritage landscapes., as well as an important part of our recreational areas with their beautiful trails and parks.

3. I am also totally opposed to the building of the Highway 413 and any other infrastructure incursion into the Greenbelt. Highways destroy the environment with the pollution of increased traffic, the pavement and runoff threatens water quality throughout their path and the related development is a threat to farmland and the quality of life in the small towns in the area. We do not need urban sprawl or large industrial developments in our Greenbelt.

4. I ask that you commit to protecting our Natural heritage and water systems by expanding the Greenbelt to include the whole of the Paris-Galt Moraine and the Urban River Valleys through Guelph and area, and through cancelling the encroachment of the proposed highway 413 through the existing and future Greenbelt.