in 2018 Premier Ford stated,…

in 2018 Premier Ford stated, "The people have spoken. We won't touch the Greenbelt,”. “Very simple. That's it, the people have spoken and I'm going to listen.” So what's changed ? Nothing really, except real estate developers who have bought up portions of the Greenbelt pressuring the Premier and he is certainly listening to them ! Which begs the question, what criteria was used to allocate these 15 specific areas of the Greenbelt for housing development ? Was it through due diligence with Conservation Authorities and Municipalities ? Based on the opposition from these groups, I think not. In addition, the Premier's own Housing Affordability Task Force Report indicated, "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." Furthermore, this Bill and it's associated policies want to remove protections to lands within the Oak Ridges Moraine and allow York region's boundary expansion by forcing a massive sewage tunnel through the Greenbelt and the Oak Ridges Moraine. All of this neglects that there is enough zoned land available, if we build smarter with a focus on densification.