Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on expanding the Greenbelt. Protecting the vital benefits provided by farmland, water resources and natural areas within the Greater Golden Horseshoe should be a concern for all of us who call Ontario home. Permanently protecting lands and waters within the Greenbelt is key to maintaining and improving the resiliency of local food systems and the physical, social and economic health of Ontarians. Healthy ecosystems are the foundation of prosperity and is important in combatting climate change.

It has become clear during the COVID-19 pandemic that we all rely on the Greenbelt protected natural areas for our mental and physical well-being. We appreciate the Greenbelt protected farmland and the farmers who provide us with healthy local food and jobs.

The government's stated intent not to consider the removal of any lands from the Greenbelt during this expansion exercised is appreciated. Developers and land speculators have been pressuring the provincial government to change the Greenbelt boundaries to remove their land from Greenbelt protection. Re-classifying lands as a trade-off for development would set an unrepairable precedent and make farmland less affordable.

This is the time to ask the government to include Simcoe County and the remainder of the Lake Simcoe shoreline into an expanded Greenbelt. Simcoe County offers some of the purest water in the world. We should be pro-active in protecting these valuable and important water sources. There is an opportunity to better protect the Lake Simcoe watershed from the impacts of development by applying Greenbelt policies to Simcoe County, the part of the Lake Simcoe watershed where there is no Greenbelt today. This would have the effect of better protecting natural heritage features and agricultural lands, while minimizing climate-change driving development and transportation patterns.

Research has shown that phosphorus loads in Lake Simcoe have remained roughly the same since the Lake Simcoe Protection Act was passed, despite $50 - 80 million of government investment, and that phosphorus loadings from new urban / suburban and infrastructure development is cancelling out remediation efforts.

There is a relationship between high water flow volumes (resulting from high levels of precipitation) and high phosphorus loads, and there is also a relationship between high levels of forest and wetland cover and good water quality. Increasing natural cover and using more green infrastructure would mitigate the impact of high flows and reduce phosphorus going into the lake, and would increase the watershed’s resilience to climate change. We cannot afford to continually and permanently degrade Lake Simcoe – both as a water resource and as an economic generator.

Ontario has some of the best agricultural land in Canada, much of which is not protected by current land-use planning policies. These lands are a finite, non-renewable resource, and the foundation of one of the province’s largest economic sectors, agri-food. Expansion of the Greenbelt will provide permanent protection of the farmland, water sources and natural ecosystems within the proposed Plan area as well as an opportunity for Ontario to become a world leader in farmland conservation.

I am concerned that the Greenbelt Plan may provide less protection from aggregate extraction than current municipal plans. Municipalities have limited say in relation to agricultural uses and mineral aggregate resources.

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

I support the Paris Galt Moraine to be included in the Greater Golden Horseshoe framework. I would recommend that we include more moraines across the GGH for example, the Orangeville Moraine, the Oro Moraine, and the moraine between Waterloo and Elora/Fergus, the Waterloo Moraine, the Escarpment Area Moraines such as the Gibraltar and Singhampton Moraines, and the Horseshoe Moraines that flank the Niagara Escarpment to the north near Clearview. We need to emphasize a watershed-based approach to water-resource planning and give recognition to the moraine’s role in hydrological functions.

Question 2:
• What are the considerations in moving from a Study Area to a more defined boundary of the Paris Galt Moraine?
Define the boundary using a science-based approach. Optimize resilience to climate change impacts such as flooding and drought. Protect the headwaters and groundwater aquifers associated with the moraine. Ensure safe and abundant drinking water for dependent communities. Sustain local ecosystems.

Question 3:
• What are your thoughts on the initial focus area of adding, expanding and further protecting Urban River Valleys?
Private lands are the most threatened in Urban River Valleys. Municipal Official Plans often designate public lands as parks, open space, recreation and conservation. By designating entire river valley corridors rather than only sections flowing through urban areas will adequately protect the benefits provided by these important water bodies.
Both public and private lands must be included to provide protection, avoid fragmentation and act as corridors for wildlife. We do agree with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture that including the Urban River Valleys in the total Greenbelt land area should not be used in order to balance the loss of protected agricultural lands to development and aggregate extraction.

Question 4:
• Do you have suggestions for other potential areas to grow the Greenbelt?
Ontario’s Greenbelt should be expanded to include more agricultural land. In addition to the Greenbelt Plan, the moraines require a broader province wide Conservation Plan with more restrictive aggregate policies that include no below water table extraction.
We should include the Bluebelt in the Greenbelt expansion as indicated in the attached submitted image.

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

Less than 5% of Ontario’s land base can support any agricultural production. We can’t afford to lose these lands to development. We cannot prioritize development, growth and aggregate extraction over farmland preservation.

Question 6:
Establishing a Moraine Conservation Act is an opportunity to address water management concerns in a fiscally responsible manner now before the situation becomes urgent.