It seem this government has…

It seem this government has a hard time keeping its promises. Before the election in April 2018, Doug Ford spoke to developers and told them he would allow development of the Greenbelt. After this private performance was caught on video and exposed, he then promised in May 2018, unequivocally during the election that he would never allow development.

In 2021, before another election, the Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark promised not to open the Greenbelt to development. He even, in Feb 2021, promised to add the Paris Galt Moraine and river lands in the GTA to the Greenbelt. No quid pro quo on that promise. A promise that was not implemented. "Our government, together with all Ontarians, is embarking on a once in a generation opportunity to protect some of the most ecologically important lands in our country." But last week, he changed his tune and said the Greenbelt is open for business. Once developers know the Greenbelt is open, they will continue to pressure for more.

The false promise of trading farmland (vital to our food security) for urban waterways and wetlands (vital to our water, useless to developers) is a red herring. If land is set aside in a protected area, it should stay protected. Otherwise what’s the point of protection? Kind of like giving Canadians a Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and then legislating away those rights when it is inconvenient for the government. Oh right, the Ford Government did that too.

This move will not solve the housing affordability crisis. How many of the units to be built on farmland will be affordable? 100%? If not, this policy will just add to urban sprawl. Building 3000 square foot homes on large lots or million dollar houses will not fix our housing issues. There are, right now, thousands of units approved for development. Forcing developers to build where they already have approvals will improve the supply of housing. Tell them to build now, or lose their approvals. Or use the government's expropriation powers to buy the land and get someone else to build now. And force this new housing to be affordable. All of it.

Let's add to the Greenbelt, such as the Paris Galt Moraine that was "suggested" earlier this year. It was suggested during the 2018 election that there is enough land in the GTHA to build two more cities the size of Mississauga. Let's use the land here that will not take a single hectare from the Greenbelt. Let’s see real action on housing affordability, not actions that just line the pockets of developers who give political donations.