My comment unfortunately…

My comment unfortunately must be made on the fly because the time for commenting is so short and the need to comment so great.

Why is it that decisions that have dire ramifications for the environment, and future generations' access to and dependence on clean air, water and soil to produce nourishing food are couched in terminology that highlights what is presently "good for business." Unfortunately, not long after the "business" benefits are squandered, the public and future generations are left to deal with the environmental legacies, many of which are toxic and long-lasting and worse yet, may be impossible to undo. Considering the amount of input that has gone into quasi-"protection" and how even that legislation is subject to repeated attempted and sometimes successful circumvention, we should be doing MORE to protect this earth's precious land, waters, rivers, watersheds, WETLANDS, soil, and air, not less.

Corporations, especially development corporations, are not PEOPLE. Corporations know they will never have to account for what damage or destruction is done - they will forever PAVE PARADISE and PUT UP A PARKING LOT or HOUSES or whatever it is that they want to put up.

LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE, which is what the mandate of government is - to do the will of the people. Disguised corporate donors to a political campaign should not have a voice that trumpets over the will of individual people, via a beholden government. There are alternatives to providing increased housing and infrastructure on some of the best soils and protected land we have in this Province, that respect the rights of our fellow planet travellers, the myriad species at-risk or nearing extinction, for whom we the people, also must speak. They don't have "business" interests and are thus run roughshod over or paid mere lip service, while we IRRETRIEVABLY lose species after species.

I hope that as many of my fellow constituents as can, take the time to make their voices heard. It is not easy having to tackle governments, local or otherwise, that repeatedly, and over the din of protests, cave and cater to special interests and corporate bullying. Let us learn from the mistakes of the past, and take a proactive, rather than reactive stance. Protect what is there to protect, while it is still in its pristine natural state.

The roads to hell (California wildfire hell, Fort McMurray wildfire hell, and other hells, too numerous to mention) were contributed to by well-meaning but ill-advised "OPEN FOR BUSINESS" intentions. PEOPLE are left to pick up the pieces and invariably bear the brunt of the devastation. Corporations just declare bankruptcy and open up under another name to repeat the process.

Please get this right by doing right by the present and future populations of this amazing Province of Ontario and let interests higher than "OPEN FOR BUSINESS" prevail.