The proposed changes to the…

The proposed changes to the Greenbelt must not go ahead. The Greenbelt was protected for the good of all Ontarians, and removing those protections to build homes only the wealthiest can afford stands in direct opposition to that public good. Rather than prioritizing protected spaces and natural lands for development, we should be working within the plans municipalities generated that show how they can meet growth targets without resorting to urban sprawl.

The proposed additions to the Greenbelt may be helpful to bring protected spaces under one plan, so long as it is the plan offering the strongest protection, however nobody is fooled by the fantasy that the Greenbelt is expanding. Lands that are already being protected by other conservation programs are being substituted, and the lands proposed for development represent a net loss of protections, natural infrastructure, and functioning ecosystems.

These changes must not proceed.