As a lifelong citizen of…

As a lifelong citizen of this province for 32 years, I have consistently watched more and more protected wetlands and green spaces taken away by our provincial and federal government.

The reasoning given for lifting protections on the green belt is to provide more housing that is desperately needed. While agree this premise is true, there are many other options for expanding our housing. The city of Hamilton has enough room to expand for the next 20 years based on their projections of growth. In the GTA there are many areas that are viable for densification.

I would like to see our government perform a cost benefit analysis for all options of housing expansion before deciding to remove protections from our green belt for housing. This decision seems like it has happened very quickly without consulting with experts to provide insight into the environmental impacts of removing green belt protections and the alternatives for expanding housing across the GTA.

Lastly I find it extremely concerning that certain developers have purchased large portions of land within the green belt quite recently (within a year of the proposed amendments to the Greenbelt plan). They purchased this land at a much lower value than it will be if the greenbelt amendments are approved. They stand to make massive profits if they are allowed to develop this land. Doug ford has also stated that it will be up to the developers to ensure there are no destructive environmental impacts from their construction. Without any checks or balances, these developers cannot be trusted to ensure the safety of the existing ecosystems. They’re primary goal is profit. There is no guarantee that they will provide affordable housing nor is there an incentive for them to protect our greenbelt in the process.

I want our government to make an informed decision that is best for the future of the people living here. I don’t want our government to sell our protected land to the highest bidder.