Ontario is in dire need of…

Ontario is in dire need of new homes. It is also a chance for us to make our cities more vibrant, instead of opting for low density sprawl. Moderate density can help us reach the balance between good quality of life and economies of scale to support local development.

However, Modifications to Greenbelt is generally concerning. In particular, the housing affordability task force's February report made no recommendation around re-designation of Greenbelt:
"But a shortage of land isn’t the cause of the problem.
Land is available, both inside the existing built-up areas
and on undeveloped land outside greenbelts."

Based on this, I would like to see a better justification of why this expansion could not be done on under-utilised land outside of Greenbelt designation.

Building on Greenbelt also brings in a question of modification of flood plains. As drainage surface area drops, will the new houses built on the Greenbelt be more prone to flooding? A detailed study should be done before making recommendations here since this will become a liability for future homeowners in this area.

We have to keep in mind, that Greenbelt protection will be more important than ever as our cities simultaneously expand and get denser. Greenbelts and parks will ensure that even as we make room for more houses and people, our cities will provide recreational spaces, encourage more outdoor time, improve our children's access to nature, and make our cities more vibrant (which in turn will support more local business growth).

So, any expansion into Greenbelt must be backed by 1) desperate need; and 2) rigorous environmental analysis.