I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the proposed Bill 23. I believe this is a misguided and seriously flawed piece of legislation and urge your Government not to enact this Bill.

The Ontario Heritage Act has been painstakingly crafted over the past decades with input from hundreds of eminently qualified people . The proposed changes to this Act undermine, and weaken the the regulations beyond reason. Effectively, you've used a sledgehammer to kill a flea in the effort to accelerate home construction.

Additionally, I believe the plan to use several thousand acres of Greenbelt lands for development is inappropriate and represents a dangerous precedent. The Greenbelt should be left intact as was originally intended.

Also, the planned changes to eliminate a citizen's right to appeal municipal zoning changes is a dangerous prospect which undermines the fundamental rights of Ontario residents. I don't believe there has ever been a period in my adult life when private citizens did not have this right of appeal.

The greatest beneficiaries of this proposed legislation will be private developers who will be constructing expensive, suburban homes for affluent buyers. The high profile and costly advertising campaign funded by the Ontario Homebuilders Association to promote this legislation is a testament to the anticipated profits of developers.

I can say unequivocally that the voters of Ontario did not vote for this type of legislation when your government was re-elected this spring.