Submission to Ontario's Proposed Amendments to the Greenbelt Plan

Posted by Patrick Lam on Thursday, November 24, 2022

My Submission

While I support more housing construction, I am vehemently opposed to changes to the Greenbelt plan that would create more suburban and exurban sprawl, something that we absolutely cannot afford anymore. I support adding the Paris Galt lands to the Greenbelt, but not the removal of any land. Adding land that is in a less central location doesn’t help with Toronto being close to greenery.

Ontario needs more infill housing in places that are economical to service. Ontario does not need more houses in car-dependent places like Milton. In a time of climate change, we desperately need the ecological services provided by keeping the Greenbelt green and not paving it over. It would be incredibly shortsighted to convert this protected land into suburban houses. Fifty years from now, we won’t be able to afford the exorbitant costs to maintain (rebuild) the infrastructure needed for this land use. We will be able to afford to upgrade infrastructure for mid-height urban housing where services are already provided.

Messing with the Greenbelt has been shown to not have popular support: every time the government says something about it, there is massive popular uproar. Yet it keeps on trying to do so. Please stop.