Growing the Greenbelt - ERO …

Growing the Greenbelt - ERO #019-3136 - Citizen Submission - Mar.31.2021

Dear Greenbelt Consultation and Ontario Government,

I urge the government to embrace this timely opportunity to safeguard our regional resilience by extending the Greenbelt into the broader area of the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

I support the recommendations developed by the Ontario Headwaters Institute (OHI) for this public consultation and the recommendations being endorsed are summarized below:

We urge the province to grow the Greenbelt in the following areas:
· The Paris-Galt Moraine and Wellington County moraines;
· More Urban River Valleys (URV), including headwaters of all the URVs in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and Grand River Valley corridor to Luther Marsh;
· Natural Heritage System across the Greater Golden Horseshoe;
· Agricultural System across the Greater Golden Horseshoe;
· Lands and waters in the documented Bluebelt proposal; and,
· Key headwaters e.g. Lake Simcoe not included above.

Question 1: What are your thoughts on the initial focus area of the Study Area of the Paris Galt Moraine?

We recommend growing the Greenbelt to incorporate the Paris Galt Moraine, including its watersheds and headwaters.

Question 2: What are the considerations in moving from a Study Area to a more defined boundary of the Paris Galt Moraine?

We recommend:
· A science-based approach to define the boundary.
· Protect all key hydrologic features and functions.
. Enrich the protection by adding related Wellington moraines and headwaters.
· Collaborate meaningfully with Indigenous Peoples.
· Conduct in-person consultations once the proposed boundaries are identified.
· Develop clear, easy-to-implement options for property outside the boundary to be added.

Question 3: What are your thoughts on the initial focus area of adding, expanding and further protecting Urban River Valleys?

We recommend the expansion of URV’s to incorporate connections to the Paris Galt Moraine through the Speed and Eramosa Rivers in urban areas as indicated on the OHI maps. We further recommend adding the following as related Greenbelt watersheds:

· Lake Simcoe recharge areas including the Severn Sound and Carden Alvar, Waverly Upland, Clearview Township, and Holland River watershed;
· Lake Iroquois shoreline areas in Northumberland County; and,
· The Nottawasaga River watershed.

Question 4: Do you have suggestions for other potential areas to grow the Greenbelt?

We urge the Province to undertake studies and consultations with a view to adding areas in the GGH Natural Heritage System, areas in the Bluebelt map from previous EBR 013-1661 consultation and any other headwater areas not captured in that documented mapping, to the Greenbelt.

Question 5: How should we balance or prioritize any potential Greenbelt expansion with the other provincial priorities mentioned above?

Growth Management
We recommend the province repair the Growth Plan and prioritize growing the Greenbelt to reduce land speculation, limit extending expensive urban services into the countryside while increasing municipal debt, and remove exasperating challenges for affordable housing.

Transportation and Infrastructure
As the province considers growing the Greenbelt, we recommend the province prioritize the alignment of mobility infrastructure with existing built up urban areas and rescind projects that encourage urban growth in the protected countryside and prime agricultural areas including:
· Cancelling the GTA West, Niagara GTA and Bradford Bypass mega highways;
· Rescinding plans to build obsolete transit systems within the Greenbelt; and,
· Updating GGH transportation models with Post-COVID commuting data

Natural Heritage System
As noted in Question 4, we recommend growing the Greenbelt by incorporating lands and key hydrologic features identified in the GGH Natural Heritage System, including headwater areas and areas identified by Conservation Authorities and municipal mapping. In addition, we urge the provincial government to allow for regional variations and, where there are conflicts between municipal and provincial policies regarding water and natural heritage, the more restrictive or protective policy should apply.

Agriculture
We support the submissions made by the Ontario Farmland Trust and other conservation groups to grow the Greenbelt across the GGH Agricultural system.

Question 6: Are there other priorities that should be considered?

Health and Wellbeing
Growing the Greenbelt along our natural heritage systems is a lower cost and highly effective way to address mental and physical health.

Climate Change and Biodiversity
Growing the Greenbelt via the Paris Galt Moraine, URVs, the Bluebelt, and through the GGH’s Natural Heritage and Agricultural Systems will build the regional resilience needed to mitigate the changing climate and challenges to biodiversity.

Regional Prosperity
We recommend the Province consider the health and sustainable prosperity of the broader GGH in Growing the Greenbelt, extending resilience and policy consistency to the entire region. We encourage the government to pursue wide-ranging new policies embracing a fair and green recovery to secure regional resilience for ecological integrity, social vitality and economic prosperity.

Aggregates
We support the many comments from Greenbelt stakeholders to prohibit new aggregate extraction throughout the Natural Heritage System both within and outside the Greenbelt.

Yours Respectfully and Sincerely,

Ontario Citizen, Farmer, Greenbelt Resident & Taxpayer, UE, B.Sc, Assoc. AIP, P.Ag (retired)