The housing crisis faced in…

The housing crisis faced in Ontario must be planned by all of our elected officials working collectively on innovative solutions to increase housing availability that is sustainable to the environment. Europeans have been doing this for decades as they do not have the land Ontario and Canada has. Let’s not take the easy approach and absorb our virgin lands for housing and the supporting infrastructures such as roads.

The cost of building homes by re-evaluating wetlands and farmlands to expand housing developments into rural areas is not sustainable for the future of Ontario and Canada for these main reasons:
• With the info published by IPCC and Cop27 Paris Climate Change agreement, our world has 10 years to reduce our carbon emissions to minimize a 1.5-degree Celsius rise in global temperature.
• Canada has promised to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and be net zero by 2040. • Farmlands in Ontario are reduced by 321 acres a day in Ontario , food security is at risk both for Ontario and Canada. Wetlands and farmlands are a much higher value on what they provide as carbon sinks, habitat for species, food security vs the commercial land value or housing value.
• Amendments to Bill 23 submitted by the Conservation Authorities of Ontario, majors of Ontario, naturalists and scientists will provide sound evidence on why wetlands, greenspaces, and farmlands must be fiercely protected.
• A climate lawsuit by a group of high-school students and Ecojustice, Mathur et. al. v. Her Majesty in Right of Ontario had a full hearing in the Ontario Supreme Court on September 2022. They argued that Premier Ford’s policies has weakened steps made to reduce climate change and their constitutional rights for life, liberty and security have been violated.
• Bill 23 as it stands, would compound the effects of climate change.