This government's decision…

This government's decision to amend the greenbelt is an appalling contradiction to the values of Ontario. Doug Ford is aware of this, as he reassured voters multiple times that he would not touch this land. The greenbelt is immensely important to Ontario for many reasons. It is a source of some of the best agricultural land in the world, and a large source of produce for Ontarian's. With food prices already unaffordable for many, removing this valuable land will only compound the issue further. Additionally, wherever roads are built there are large implications in terms of pollutions, one of these being road salts, which will leak into water supplies and pollute local streams and rivers. As if the proposed plan did not already endanger the habitats of many endangered species, pollution will have a further effect on wildlife and human life alike.

The development of this highway and bill 23 are proposed as solutions to our current housing crisis, but experts agree that this will not be a solution. There is no evidence to conclude that the homes built as the result of this development will act to solve this problem. Low-income Ontarians are those struggling most right now, and many cannot even afford monthly rent. There is no evidence that the homes built from this project will be affordable. This project will also contribute to urban sprawl, which will make it nearly impossible for anyone who cannot afford a vehicle to live within these neighbourhoods. Another problem that this highway has been proposed to solve is that of commute times – but experts also agree that the proposed route would save commuters minimal amounts of commuting times. It is also worth noting that it is well researched that building new highways only increases traffic and congestion as the result of more people moving to that area.

This highway will come at an immense social and environmental expense – but also is a financial expense that does not reflect the current needs of this country. As much as the Ford government would like to push this problem under the rug, our education and healthcare systems are currently in peril. Perhaps the proposed 4-billion-dollar budget allocated towards this project would be better used towards essential public services.

To solve the current housing crisis, it would be a better use of time and money to rent out unused office buildings in urban areas as low-income housing to combat this issue, and invest into better public transit such that less cars are on the road. The last thing the climate needs right now is more driving and more pollution.