I would like to register my…

I would like to register my very strong opposition to the Ontario government’s plan to remove lands from the Greenbelt.

I live in Hamilton, so my comments pertain specifically to the lands marked for development in Maps 9, 10, and 11, although the same principles apply throughout.

First of all, the ostensible reason to remove lands from the Greenbelt is to provide space for needed housing. This approach is wrong on many counts. It has been clearly shown that Hamilton’s future housing needs can be met within the urban boundary, by infill, ‘missing middle’ developments, and by building on languishing brownfields. All that is needed to make this city a desirable and affordable place to live is political will, a little creativity, and adherence to good urban planning principles. Conversely, adding to urban sprawl is absolutely contrary to current thoughts on good urban design: it will only exacerbate existing problems of over-reliance on automobiles, long commutes, high infrastructure costs and environmental degradation. Furthermore, what Hamilton really needs is affordable housing, which the suburban homes built on former Greenbelt lands will clearly not be. In short, the only beneficiaries of the removal of Greenbelt lands will be the developers.

The lands up for removal from the Greenbelt seem to have been chosen by the ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ method. They are fertile farmland, floodplains, sensitive wetlands — once lost, lost forever, despite the bone thrown that says they’ll be reassigned to the Greenbelt if not developed. Forgive me if I find that one hard to swallow.

And the lands are ‘adjacent to existing settlement areas’ in only a nominal way, spreading sprawl, and requiring the city to provide expensive new infrastructure. The plan says the developers will pay for this, but that too is specious: they may pay the initial cost, but the taxpayers will pay for it, for years and years to come. We are already in terrible infrastructure debt, as the condition of our roads attests. Saddling future citizens with an even greater load would be highly irresponsible.

Similarly, the plot of land chosen to be added to the Greenbelt in exchange for the removals may meet the requirement on paper, but it is not valuable farmland or irreplaceable wetland. It is not an equal exchange. Really, the Ford government must think we’re all fools. Either that, or shockingly little consideration went into this proposal.

Farmlands are essential for food security. Wetlands are essential to mitigate the effects of climate change and to preserve biodiversity. We need to protect the Greenbelt, maintain the urban boundary, uphold the Conservation Authorities. And just say no to developers.

I strongly urge the Government of Ontario to listen to its constituents, and drop the plan to remove lands from the Greenbelt.