The Ontario government's…

The Ontario government's proposal to remove 2,995 hectares of land from the Greenbelt would have far-reaching and irreversible negative consequences for our sensitive ecosystems if approved. The proposal should be dismissed for a number of reasons.

Doug Ford's claim that using protected Greenbelt land is necessary to address the housing crisis is without merit. A larger total hectarage of municipal land has recently been rezoned for housing in various municipalities around the GTA, and using this land is much more sensible to address the housing crisis. Building housing on the proposed Greenbelt land is not only not necessary, but would contribute to sprawl, which would require more resources to service and would result in higher emissions from more cars on the road as commuting distances would grow. This would also come at the cost of losing farmland and adversely impacting sensitive ecosystems which, once destroyed, cannot be restored. Protecting our remaining wilderness is a critical part of fighting climate change. The housing crisis demands urgent solutions, but sacrificing Greenbelt land is not a solution.

Doug Ford promised many times that his government would not touch the Greenbelt. Premier Ford is breaking that promise with this proposal. If the proposed amendments are approved, the precedent will be set for opening up the Greenbelt for development, which will increase the likelihood of further threats to our protected lands. This would be a tragic turn for the people of Ontario in our global effort to fight the climate crisis.

The Greenbelt must be protected in whole. This proposal must be dismissed.