I am strongly opposed to…

I am strongly opposed to Ontario Bill 23 Building More Homes Faster, and in particular to the removal of lands from the Greenbelt for development. The protection of these lands was ensured by the Greenbelt Act of 2005. in these times of climate change and rampant degradation of natural areas, I don’t think that anything to do with development should be done “faster”. If anything, more time should be allowed for environmental studies to determine which areas are most suitable for development. And, of course, the focus should be on building more affordable housing as that is what is needed right now.

I have a few specific concerns in my particular area:

1. The changes proposed by Bill 23 are contrary to the Land Use Plan which was just passed by Niagara Region. I strongly feel that development should be “planned” and not just

2. Agricultural lands in our unique Niagara region need to be protected. If developed, we will lose a prime areas for production of soft fruits, vegetables and wine grapes.

3. “Land swaps” should not be allowed. The result will be the loss of important habitats and the gain of other marginal land. It is doubtful that low-income housing would be built on the prime greenbelt lands which the developers want.

4. Developers should not be given any breaks on land development fees. This will result in the town or region having to pay more for infrastructure etc., and ultimately raise in taxes in the affected areas.

5. The monetary donations of Developers and development companies to political parties (especially the Ontario Conservatives), should be investigated, and perhaps limited, so that Ontario citizens can be sure that these contributions do not affect the decisions made by the government in power.