Approval of Bill 66 will…

Approval of Bill 66 will have significant negative impacts on all natural systems which sustain the health and well being of southern Ontario. Opening up the Greenbelt for further development and environmental destruction will be detrimental to all of us.

It endangers food production and prices by opening land to development. There is only 5% of arable land in Ontario. Urban sprawl has already consumed much of the available Class 1 agricultural land and has put pressure on open land for development. In doing so, it has prevented the younger generation of farmers and land stewards from accessing affordable land to continue traditional agricultural practices.

Waiving environmental assessments for businesses seeking to further exploit arable land, is setting us back years and will undermine environmental protections meant to safeguard these essential areas. The effects will be devastating. Once valuable land is lost, it can never be returned to its natural, productive state. We depend on the Greenbelt for food. Food costs will inevitably rise as we look elsewhere for food that will be less nutritious and will contribute to an increase in carbon. Already the Greenbelt sinks the carbon of 33 million cars. Reducing this, would be detrimental to air quality and climate goals.

Residential and commercial development of the Greenbelt is unnecessary for expansion or for economic development. A Neptis Foundation study found 125,000 hectares of land around the GTA suitable for development through 2031.The Greenbelt already provides $3.2 billion in services through recreational activities and flood protection and $11 billion in agricultural outputs - $1.7 billion of which is tax for all levels of government. The Greenbelt employs 38,000 people in the agricultural sector. Bill 66 will meddle with a system that is already working and is providing a multitude of benefits. With Bill 66 in place, the law of diminishing returns will prevail. There is never an end to what a healthy environment can supply.

Bill 66 will compromise the health of significant watersheds by encouraging sprawl and by allowing municipalities to ignore legislation such as the Clean Water Act, the Lake Simcoe Protection Act, and the Great Lakes Protection Act. Municipalities will not be required to participate in select planning.

Bill 66 further erodes democracy by allowing municipalities under the "Open for Business" bylaw to ignore public consultation. Once development is approved by the provincial government, the decision cannot be appealed. People care very much about the Greenbelt and the benefits it bestows. This is not what the current government was elected to do. People want the Greenbelt to be protected for the health of us now and for future generations. Everything depends on a healthy environment. The protection of the Greenbelt is vital for long term wellbeing of us all.