I object to the opening of…

I object to the opening of the protected Greenbelt areas. We need the green spaces and that’s why they were protected in the first place. Any development there will affect the watersheds and wetlands. This will affect the rivers they feed into along with any plants and animals which live there. With climate change currently taking place these areas become more important to help buffer the impact. Trading land from the Paris Galt Moraine for the Oak Ridges Moraine does not help the latter. There are a number of different rivers and streams which have their headwaters in the Oak Ridges Moraine and substituting the Paris Galt Moraine into the Greenbelt does not help these systems. There are other places where we can build houses. Use them. This sets a bad precedent as politicians and developers will feel that they can then go after other parts of the protected Greenbelt lands. Once these lands get developed there will be no going back. Their benefits will be gone forever. Doug Ford also had previously promised not to allow development on the Greenbelt. If he can’t keep his promises then how can we trust him anytime he says he is going to protect anything for the citizens of Ontario.

Also, this proposal should be put on hold until there is an investigation into land purchases on portions of the Greenbelt where the new owner may gain by the implementation of this proposal (opening portions of the Greenbelt to development). Did someone get inside information in advance of the proposed changes which will allow them to benefit in a substantial way?