Good day: Thank you for the…

Good day:

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposal to build 50,000 homes on Greenbelt land.

I am strongly opposed to this proposal. There is no lack of space in Ontario for building. Who owns all these contiguous lands to Greenbelt and who will really profit? After all the hard-fought efforts to protect woodland, agricultural lands and waterways why choose to erode and chip away at the Greenbelt? If anything we should absolutely protect the integrity of this area and add to it but not by re-drawing the boundaries every 10 years or so as it suits the immediate pressures of the day. I am concerned by the lack of evidence provided by the government on the environmental impact of this proposal and what it means for the future. Protection is only as good as the commitment to it. Residential development of this nature (urban sprawl) is damaging in the short and long-term for all Ontarians.

Housing is a complex issue. It needs solutions that are good for the long-term and for all levels of needs. A cookie-cutter approach in building sets of housing developments such as those we have seen north of Toronto over the past 10-15 years is a poor model for the future. Climate change, shifting energy sources, the importance of community and healthy neighborhoods, all of these are pressing issues. They need us to think in a longer-term horizon for solutions. Please don't go back on your election promise to leave the Greenbelt untouched.