Hello, Firstly, there is an…

Hello,

Firstly, there is an understanding that Ontario affordable housing needs are high, as is the needs for affordable commodities and livable wages. There can be solutions for the first listed, without the need to touch our necessary greenbelt. Things like penalizing developers for building large and expensive houses and rewarding developers for building smaller houses/ apartments, have the credit scores to take a mortgage out as long as they have a recent long-term permanent job and a good proven financial budget, etc.

This is about my disappointment in the Ford Government for putting the greenbelt proposal up for amendment when it was said you would not touch it, after legitimate concerns came to light. Not to mention, I had to learn about this through social media—not the news— that this is happening. This seems deliberately underhanded, which I am hoping is wrong.

Firstly, concerning a 2013 poll, the greenbelt provides:

-5,500 farms with $230,000 average gross revenue per farm.
-9.1 billion in economic benefits, including 161,000 full time jobs.
-Forested areas clean out air, removing the greenhouse gas of 27,000 cars per year.
-Habitat for over 78 species at risk of extinction.
-10,000km of hiking, walking, skiing trails available to help the average Canadian be more active, healthy, and happier.
-2.3 billion in ecosystem services, such as clean water, air filtration, flood control —essential for managing climate change.

This is all still true and more important than ever.

So far, I’m hearing plans for developers and municipalities that want to remove lands from the Greenbelt and weaken the rules in order to build sprawl subdivisions that would destroy farmland, forest and wetlands.

Proposals for housing in developed land on the greenbelt would pave over prime farmland, contribute to poorer air quality, and generate more greenhouse gases.

Dumping contaminated soil, which puts water and food sources at risk.

Loss of jobs, loss of food potential, loss in places to walk, run, and hike to be fit, healthy, and have a good state of mind.

I have voted for conservatives in the past. If this is done, I will never vote for conservatives again. Not out of spite, but out of fear for putting someone in office who goes back on their word.