Protect Greenbelt for future generations, reader asks Parry Sound—Muskoka MPP

I have written to you before about the need to keep our Greenbelt as a protected continuous stretch of land, with adequate buffers.

As well as providing freshwater aquifers, forests, meadows, wetlands, and waterways rich with biodiversity, these lands produce food. This food feeds our people. More and more we are becoming dependent on other countries to feed us. Once you approve the development of our agricultural lands or even the buffer lands around it, the capacity for producing our own food is lost forever. Furthermore, when we purchase our food from other countries, the carbon footprint and freshwater expenditure is much higher than if we grew it ourselves. More and more plastic packaging, and carbon emitting processes are involved with getting the food to us from foreign sources.

I lived in Milton for about 20 years. I lived in Whitby for another 20 years. I have family in Brantford and the Niagara Region. I have seen what happens when land is developed. We have not learned to develop land responsibly nor have we embraced the need to “fill in the holes” in our existing urban boundaries.

I know you have been inundated with letters, and columns in the paper to help you to understand the outcry from your people. Help me to understand why you would allow our limited arable land to be developed. Help me to understand why you cannot redirect housing projects north to Muskoka and beyond.

How is it that the development of our precious Greenbelt got so far along the path of being a reality? Do individual provincial representatives actually have no say — or do you personally support the two plans — to use Greenbelt land for housing and to build a highway? And how do you decide what boundaries to keep? Should we expect that the land currently within the Greenbelt to be totally consumed by housing developments? What criteria do you use to decide what fertile land you destroy and what you protect?

I am astounded by what is happening. I am astounded by the short-sighted decisions being made. Please, if you have a voice, protect the Greenbelt. Cancel the construction of the highway that transverses the farmlands and seek instead to expand the Greenbelt. Develop and implement more sustainable development guidelines.

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• Dec 31, 1969

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• Dec 31, 1969

I know you have great influence. Please use that influence to protect the Greenbelt for future generations.

Thank you for your service,

Diane McCurdy

Gravenhurst