My name is Sharon Bider and …

My name is Sharon Bider and I am representing ClimateFast, a Toronto-based volunteer organization focused on advocating for urgent action to address the climate emergency, with just transition to a zero carbon economy

First, we would like to thank you for the much-needed pledge to grow the Greenbelt and to protect more of our natural habitat. The proposed inclusion of the Paris Galt Moraine and public lands within urban river valleys is a welcome start.

Unfortunately, Instead of decreasing, our national emissions have increased 20% since 1990.The IPCC has given us just a few years to act, beyond which point we will no longer be able to control the rising temperatures.

Knowing there is a growing population we need to build more compact urban environments and 'walkable' cities - focusing on active transportation and local and inter-city transit rather than highways. We must be far more ambitious in our initiatives to protect our precious farmland, our wetlands and woodlands, and the wildlife habitat across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.This is crucial if we are to build resilience to climate change and ultimately to protect ourselves, and all that share our ecosystem, from the devastating impacts of flooding, drought and food scarcity.

We ask that you focus on protecting areas of high ecological and hydrological value that urban development threatens. Specifically, we ask that you expand the Greenbelt to include: all moraines within the Greater Golden Horseshoe; private lands in urban river valleys; all coldwater streams, wetlands and headwaters; the glacial Lake Algonquin and Iroquois shorelines and plains; and the Lake Simcoe basin and northern Simcoe County.

We also ask that, in keeping with the promise not to remove lands from the Greenbelt, ,you cancel plans to build Highway 413 (GTA West) and the Bradford Bypass (Holland Marsh Highway), which will damage existing Greenbelt lands and accelerate sprawl.

Finally, in recognition of our commitment as a nation to respect the wisdom of our First Nations as protectors of our lands and waters, we ask that you look to our First nations for leadership in identifying new areas for protection.