I do not support the…

I do not support the proposed amendments to the Greenbelt Plan, which includes removing 7,400 acres from the Greenbelt. According to Ontario’s Housing Affordability Task Force, the housing affordability crisis is not due to a shortage of land. Rather, nearly 88,000 acres slated for development remain undeveloped. There is no need to open any pristine Greenbelt land to development in the name of housing, given the land we already have available in Ontario for housing. I have three primary concerns with this plan: (1) the precedent it may set and possible land speculation it may spark for further Greenbelt development, (2) the type of housing which will be built on the acreage proposed to be removed, and (3) the climate and environmental implications of opening this land up for development.

If we were to remove this land from the Greenbelt to begin housing development, it will most certainly encourage real estate investors and developers to speculate on other Greenbelt lands. It sets a dangerous precedent that the Greenbelt lands could be developed. This would be catastrophic, as the Greenbelt was protected in the first place to ensure future generations had access to nature, wildlife had protected habitats, we have nutritious and local food, and the important watersheds of the Golden Horseshoe region are maintained. These environmentally sensitive areas must be protected for the wellbeing of current and future generations, both human and non-human. While the proposed removal of these lands may seem "small" in the broad context of the Greenbelt as a whole, in-so-doing, we allow for future removals, risking its loss entirely. This removal would benefit the very few - the developers - while harming the vast majority, now and into the future.

The type of housing proposed to be built under Bill 23 has not been determined under the policy. The policy proposes to build more homes faster, and yet fails to answer the vital question: what kind of homes will be built? As much of the Greenbelt land slated for removal is in peri-urban or suburban areas outside of major city centres - where the majority of low-income and houseless people reside - who these homes are being built for remains unclear. Will these homes be purpose-built low-cost rentals, protected with strict rent control? Will they be affordable mixed-income housing, with units as low as $300k? (As the average income in Ontario in 2022 is ~$52k/year, $300k homes are considered affordable). Will the development plans include subsidized or robust new public transit, to allow low-income residents to affordably commute into major city centres? With none of these considerations being addressed, and no strict stipulations around type or cost of housing to be built apparently included in the policy, it allows developers to build for-profit homes, which will do nothing to ease the affordability crisis we are experiencing. While the Ford government believes it is a simple matter of housing supply, studies show our affordability crisis is truly a crisis of an unbridled housing market. Without strict stipulation regarding the type and cost of housing to be built on these Greenbelt lands, we are risking ecologically and environmentally critical lands so that wealthy developers can build expensive mansions that no one can afford.

Lastly, this proposal will do catastrophic harm to the environment and protected ecosystems of the Golden Horseshoe. These lands provide invaluable ecosystem services, including stormwater retention, temperature regulation, and carbon capture and storage, which will only become more important as the climate crisis worsens. With climate change, it is vitally important to be conserving as much undeveloped land as possible for biodiversity and carbon capture. Moreover, 10 of the 14 areas proposed to be removed are located within the Greenbelt's Natural Heritage System which supports a high concentration "of the most sensitive and/or significant natural features and functions” and is meant to be managed “as a connected and integrated natural heritage system, given the functional inter-relationships between them” (Greenbelt Plan, sec. 3.2.1). I am not fooled by the proposal to add an additional 9,400 acres to the Greenbelt Plan as much of these same lands are already protected municipal lands which cannot be developed. Add them to the Greenbelt, sure, but do not do so in order to justify environmental degradation.

I am a firm believer in democracy. As less than 20% of Ontario's population voted for Doug Ford, I believe it is inherently anti-democratic to allow a man so deeply unpopular to make a decision so inherently important to Southern Ontarians. Moreover, I am increasingly concerned about the purchases of these same lands slated for development which have happened in the past year. I wonder if the developers and companies purchasing those lands are in conversation with the Ford government. I vehemently oppose this proposal, as a resident of Ontario. Further, I hope these back-door business dealings between Doug and his developer friends are investigated as possible corruption.

Do not touch our Greenbelt. Do not sacrifice our future for your short-term gain.