I'm not in favour of the…

I'm not in favour of the proposal to remove approximately 7400 aces from the Greenbelt lands. This move would imply that any lands designated as having Greenbelt protection are essentially available for being swapped out when other lands are offered to be swapped in. The result would be like applying accelerant to any land speculation fire that may currently be underway within the GB. The result would be to put land purchase values out of reach of well established farming operations, let alone any new entrants to the industry.

And the proposal in place will cause major uncertainty for any well established farming operations situated in Greenbelt. I don't understand how they will be able to make decisions to invest in farm infrastructure when there is the constant unknown of when the agrarian neighbourhood they believed they were operating in is suddenly converted to urban designation with a pen stroke. I'm not sure the provincial government would expect industry to make substantial long term investment into an industrial park, if those businesses felt that government might take the immediately adjacent lands surrounded the industrial zone and fill it with housing. Agriculture is an industry .... an industry that makes large capital investment. The kind of move being proposed in this land swap will remove the sense of confidence in zoning that the Greenbelt provides to GB farming operations.

I trust that you will consult with Ontario's general farm organizations, the CFFO, OFA, NFU, for their opinions on this proposal. As an individual farmer I'm opposed to this move.