ER0 019-6177 I note that in…

ER0 019-6177

I note that in the proposal of this ER0 it states
"Continues to protect the environment, cultural heritage and public health and safety and does not state protection of prime agricultural areas which is a part of the current PPS and growth plan. Under Environment and Natural Resources under Agriculture it says "continued protection of prime agricultural areas and promotes Ontario's Agricultural System while creating increased flexibility to enable more residential development in rural areas than minimizes negative impacts to farmland and farm operations." Also under Natural Heritage it speaks of empowering local decision making and providing more options including offsetting/compensating and refers to the Wetland Evaluation System. Both these sections seem to indicate that more housing will be allowed that will negatively affect natural heritage and farmland and farm operations. Some municipalities have not followed OMAFRA's guidelines for the MCR process correctly and have not included some areas that should have been in prime agricultural areas according to OMAFRA's mapping of the agricultural land base. These same municipalities have also not followed the guideline of making full lots agricultural which OMAFRA recommended which will lead to fragmentation of the prime agricultural area. There is enough land in urban and rural settlement areas to provide housing through intensification. Housing should not go in natural heritage areas, nor near farms whether they are in prime agricultural areas or not. Allowing developments that minimizes negative impact to farmland and farm operations sounds like this government will be creating a lot of problems for farmers.
Agriculture is a key economic engine for Ontario that according to the Ontario Federation of Agriculture contributes 47 billion a year to the provincial economy. Yes housing may be needed but feeding the people of Ontario is also required and although the Province keeps talking about protecting farmland and agriculture it is not happening even though the Province is aware it is a finite resource. According to the most recent census, farmland is being lost at a rate of 319 acres/day. The previous census it was at 175 acres/day. With the expansion of urban settlement boundaries and farmland being used for growing cannabis, these numbers will go up even further. And with more housing near farms and farmland, there will be greater development pressure as well as other negative impacts for farmers. Farms and farmland should be isolated as much as possible from residential and other development. There are all kinds of issues that occur between rural residents and farmers/farmland. Cash crop farmers get all kinds of problems from residents when they fertilize or use pesticides. There are problems with trespass whether by foot or skidoo, quadrunners or dirtbikes which cause issues with crop damage and animal harrassment. Fireworks cause animals to stampede which cause animals to hurt themselves. Farmers should be allowed to appeal to OLT