I strongly oppose the…

I strongly oppose the implementation of the proposed amendments. Environmental resources (land) are not equivalent. It is unacceptable to consider that removing protected land from the Greenbelt can be made up for by the protection of other land in different regions.

The removal of land protections for housing goes against the views of provincial task forces and municipalities. The provinces's own Housing Affordability Task Force report (Feb 8, 2022) states that it is not a shortage of land that is leading to a shortfall of housing availability. Land is available for housing outside of the greenbelt and within urban areas . The report instead states that "as of right" zoning is needed to take advantage of the already non-protected land in Ontario.

This recommendation is corroborated by municipalities such as Hamilton, which moved that it did not need to expand its urban boundary in order to support the building of new homes. It is unfortunate that this provincial government overruled the municipality's official plan, and is proposing to remove protected lands from the greenbelt. This proposal is not needed to support Ontario's growth, and actively works against protecting our sensitive natural resources.