I am a Canadian Citizen and…

I am a Canadian Citizen and resident of Ontario who is very troubled and concerned about the Ford Government's proposal to use 7400 acres of protected Greenbelt land to build 50,000 homes. Though the Ford government says it plans to add to Greenbelt space from other areas, the government has not done its due diligence to asses:
- the impact of using these acres of Greenbelt land will be for the ecological systems in place and;
- if proposed added land really constitutes new land since much of the proposed land is already protected through other mechanisms.
- The loss of agricultural productivity and associated sustainable food reducing enterprises.

We are in an era of climate crisis which is having a far-reaching impact on our planet. Paving more of the Greenbelt will only accelerate costly damage from flood events, making us less resilient. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of green space and how that affects our air, food supply, mental health and ecological systems.

I believe Ford's proposal is short-sighted. Though we need more homes, the far reaching implications of using Greenbelt land could lead to more harm for our environment. I urge the Ford government to heed the warnings of environmentalists, Indigenous leaders and concerned citizens and find other land that is not protected Greenbelt land to build these homes. The Ford Government should heed its own task force which reported that “A shortage of land isn’t the cause of the problem (housing affordability),” it read. “Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts.” The Ford Government should cancel its decision to use Greenbelt land which will only increase sprawl, decrease productive farmland, increase pollution and flood damage. These costs are real, and it is shameful that they will have to be paid by those in the future.