Dear Premier Ford, As a…

Dear Premier Ford,

As residents of Southern Ontario, we are very concerned about the environmental, economic and social implications of Bill 23. As proposed, Bill 23 and the proposed amendments to the Greenbelt Plan and the Ontario Wetland Evaluation system prioritize private development over public environmental and conservation concerns.

Bill 23 subsidizes private development at the cost of local municipalities and taxpayers. We believe that private developers should fund associated infrastructure through development fees. They do not deserve a hand-out from taxpayers. It is a privilege to do business in Ontario and in Canada. Ontario can do better.

Leading development experts have analyzed this legislation and are of the opinion that Bill 23 will reduce the supply of affordable housing. we support Inclusionary Zoning for all new housing developments. A minimum of 20% affordable units should be integrated into every development, and these should stay affordable for 99 years, not the proposed 25 years. Ontario can do better.

Bill 23 reduces democracy by removing the requirement for a public meeting for plan of subdivision. People should have the right to be involved in decision-making about matters that affect their communities.

It is common knowledge that we are living in a time of climate and biodiversity crisis. Our children and grandchildren will be living with the outcomes of our decisions. Bill 23 ignores clear scientific evidence regarding the need to protect functional ecosystems. This bill will encourage urban sprawl and increase flooding and erosion hazard risks associated with poor land use planning. It is irresponsible to ignore best practices around land use planning. Ontario can do better.

Bill 23 will gobble up precious farmland. Southern Ontario is blessed with rich farmland that should be farmed sustainability to ensure future generations can eat locally. The Greenbelt in its current 86,500 acres state needs to be protected to ensure future Ontarios have clean drinking water and farmland. Likewise the precious agricultural land of the Niagara Region. Development should be prioritized on brownfields, not greenfields. This should be self-evident. Ontario can do better.

And finally, we are very concerned about the close associations between developers who are accessing Greenbelt land for development and the finances of the Conservative Party. Trust in government is already too low, and this obvious conflict of interest will further poison the public's confidence in good government. Your job is to promote the public good. The Conservative Party and Ontario can do better.

Municipalities, affordable housing experts, environmental scientists, and farmers do not support Bill 23. We urge you to rethink Bill 23 and to leverage the outstanding expertise in this province to produce a bill that will protect our natural and agricultural heritage while increasing affordable housing and creating liveable communities for future generations.

Sincerely,

A family living in the beautiful Niagara Region.