Expanding Ontario’s Greenbelt would be an important tool in the fight against climate breakdown.
Many people know the Greenbelt as a place that protects farmland and preserves green spaces. To many it is seen as a last refuge of vast tracts of land that allow for recreational activities and local food production.
However, the Greenbelt, by preserving those lands, provides services to our communities essentially without charge.
These services, known as “ecosystem” services,” include water and air purification, flooding control and protecting habitat of threatened species. The Greenbelt’s ecosystem services are valued at $3.2 billion per year.
We simply cannot afford to replace what the Greenbelt does for free with man made solutions which are not as effective or efficient.
As climate change becomes increasingly severe, and our communities experience more flooding, more stress on our natural systems and extreme storm events as a result. We will need to think about solutions that are efficient, effective and improve the living conditions of human and natural communities. That is where an expanded Greenbelt comes in.
By limiting where development and aggregate extraction occurs, the Greenbelt policies ensure that two of our major GHG contributors (transportation and housing) are restricted while our natural systems are preserved and allowed to perform their functions uninhibited.
The more intact wetlands, forest systems, moraines and natural heritage systems we include in the Greenbelt, the more these ecosystems will be protected and can help us adapt and mitigate climate change.
In fact, the existing system of wetlands, farm fields and forests within the Greenbelt sequesters roughly $111.17 B of carbon dioxide.
Each year, the Greenbelt sequesters close to an additional $52 M of carbon dioxide.
Imagine how much more carbon dioxide we could sequester if we protected even more land.
With the advent of Minister Zoning Orders (MZOs) and weakened environmental policies, the natural systems and farmland we have outside of the Greenbelt is not guaranteed protection.
A report we commissioned with the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition found that only 14% of Simcoe County’s green space and water resources were strongly protected. However, the policy changes mentioned previously, put even that 14% at risk.
We know that Ontario and our region is slated to grow.
We also know that the places we love including Lake Simcoe and our forests and watersheds are declining in health.
Our farmland is being replaced with strip malls and urban sprawl at an increasing rate.
If trends continue and we easily offer up our wetlands, forests, farmland and shorelines for sprawl and “progress” what will be left?
Official Plans are among the most important components of planning and building our communities, the places where we live, play, and work. They deserve to be given the highest level of consideration, which includes the best possible process of deliberation.
Corporate sponsorship opportunities for the “Gather for the Greenbelt” event in Barrie, Ontario, featuring in-person storytelling from Margaret Atwood, special guests Sarah Harmer, Jeff Monague, and poetry from Barrie’s Poet Laureate, Tyneisha Thomas.
Art installation by Rochelle Rubinstein will be featured, as well.
Join us for an in-person organizing session to advocate for protection of the Greenbelt.
Dear MPP Downey, MPP Dunlop and MPP Mulroney,
In December of 2022, you and your cabinet colleagues signed off on removal of 7400 acres of Greenbelt lands.
Thanks to a thorough investigation by the Auditor General the public now knows that the process that led to your approval of Greenbelt takeouts was “biased” and gave “preferential treatment” to a select few developers…
Local MPPs complicit in $8.3 billion dollar Greenbelt land grab.
It is increasingly clear that policies that promote increased vehicle traffic should be seen as a last resort, and implemented only where no other options are possible.
We send out a once-monthly newsletter full of information on what’s happening in Simcoe County and beyond, including information on how you can take action to protect the health of your community.
The Province is opening consultations on growing Ontario’s Greenbelt. SCGC, along with 90 other organizations, plus a number of prominent individuals, have released a report in response.
Steve Clark, Minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing, announced this morning that the province is opening a consultation about Greenbelt expansion. Specifically, it was suggested that the Greenbelt be grown over Urban River Valleys and to protect the Paris-Galt Moraine.
The Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition and allies across the region and province have strongly advocated for the expansion of the Greenbelt since 2017. In fact, over 90 groups including prominent individuals such as David Crombie released a report earlier today which outlines five requirements the provincial government must follow to ensure that Greenbelt expansion improves the environmental and financial health of Ontarians:
Margaret Prophet, Executive Director of the Simcoe County Greenbelt Coalition says, “In early 2018, we participated in the province’s consultation to expand the Greenbelt into Simcoe County. It was clear then that our aquifers, forests, shorelines and wetlands needed to be off limits to sprawl.
At that time, the province agreed and proposed expansion plans were ambitious for this area.
Three years later, the only thing that has changed is that the threats have increased as policies that protect our natural spaces from sprawl and protections for endangered species have weakened considerably.
We have seen development applications threaten provincially significant wetlands, floodplains, pristine forests all while our local lakes and rivers become increasingly sick.
We have reports from local Conservation Authorities that predict with a changing climate, we may see sources of water run dry and may not be able to keep up with current demand.
So if this government is truly serious about protecting Ontarians it is time to be genuine with that and ambitiously expand the Greenbelt to stop greed from threatening our water supply with overzealous sprawl.”
The message to the government is clear: our water and environment is a shared heritage and should not be sacrificed to benefit a few; water is core to our identity as Ontarians; the Greenbelt has been successful in protecting landscapes and water for over 15 years; and people care about their communities and want to see them succeed in a way that ensures they continue to be healthy and vibrant into the future.
We feel that includes expanding the Greenbelt over landscapes that provide drinking water and help us adapt to climate change.
We look forward to continuing to build a better Simcoe County and working with the government to recognize that if they are true to protecting Ontarians into the future, their Greenbelt expansion need to grow accordingly.
Official Plans are among the most important components of planning and building our communities, the places where we live, play, and work. They deserve to be given the highest level of consideration, which includes the best possible process of deliberation.
Corporate sponsorship opportunities for the “Gather for the Greenbelt” event in Barrie, Ontario, featuring in-person storytelling from Margaret Atwood, special guests Sarah Harmer, Jeff Monague, and poetry from Barrie’s Poet Laureate, Tyneisha Thomas.
Art installation by Rochelle Rubinstein will be featured, as well.
Join us for an in-person organizing session to advocate for protection of the Greenbelt.
Dear MPP Downey, MPP Dunlop and MPP Mulroney,
In December of 2022, you and your cabinet colleagues signed off on removal of 7400 acres of Greenbelt lands.
Thanks to a thorough investigation by the Auditor General the public now knows that the process that led to your approval of Greenbelt takeouts was “biased” and gave “preferential treatment” to a select few developers…
Local MPPs complicit in $8.3 billion dollar Greenbelt land grab.
It is increasingly clear that policies that promote increased vehicle traffic should be seen as a last resort, and implemented only where no other options are possible.
We send out a once-monthly newsletter full of information on what’s happening in Simcoe County and beyond, including information on how you can take action to protect the health of your community.
…if this government is truly committed to these initiatives, by which we mean that they are not being used as cheap politics to deflect from the criticism, fully deserved, that they are receiving with regard to the policy changes noted above, then we expect the following…
This letter was written after the Province passed Bill 229, which came after a huge outcry from the public, from environmentalists, from Conservation Authorities, and from municipalities, among others, and which prompted the resignation of seven members of the Province’s Greenbelt Council.
There has been much attention paid lately to the future of our Conservation Authorities – one of the last regulatory bodies designed to protect our environment. In a response to the public outcry regarding the neutering of Conservation Authorities’ ability to protect water, wetlands and public health, Minister Clark made a series of statements and announcements:
First, was the promise of $30 million dollars to “create, restore and enhance wetlands” across Ontario;
Second, was a promise to improve the “quality and quantity of the Greenbelt”.
The timing of these announcements is troubling and does not add to our confidence in the government’s commitment to protecting the environment coming, as it has, on the heels of eight members of the Greenbelt Council quitting in protest over provincial policy changes. Changes that former Toronto Mayor and, until he resigned this past week, Chair of the Greenbelt Council, David Crombie outlined as “high-level bombing”.
But we are willing to accept these announcements in good faith, and we look forward to hearing more about these initiatives. To be very clear, however, if this government is truly committed to these initiatives, by which we mean that they are not being used as cheap politics to deflect from the criticism, fully deserved, that they are receiving with regard to the policy changes noted above, then we expect the following:
That no more MZOs will be issued that allow development in provincially significant or locally significant wetlands. It makes no sense to commit to restoring wetlands and putting taxpayer money towards that, while simultaneously destroying or impairing other wetlands. Refusing to do this would be creating a boondoggle for developers, using public money to offset wetland destruction.
Any MZO that is issued in the Lake Simcoe watershed will clearly outline how the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan policies will be adhered to, in order to ensure conformity with said policies as MZO conditions.
The Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, which will be reviewed in the new year, will be strengthened by building on proven existing policies (e.g. phosphorus loading targets and WWTP moratoriums), demonstrating the government’s commitment to protect the environment with policies that protect more high quality natural cover, including wetlands and forests. This should be a zero loss target and policy structure, meaning that there should be no reduction in the quantity and quality of natural cover going forward. Currently, the target in the LSPP is 40% high quality natural cover – a target that we are failing to meet.
The $30 million Wetland Restoration Fund will be money invested by the Government of Ontario and not “blood money” that comes from developers paying a fee to permit the destruction of wetlands. If it is based on offsetting, this is a “pay to pave” mentality that has been proven disastrous for watershed health in other jurisdictions. Funding wetland restoration through the destruction of other wetlands would be disingenuous to the government’s commitment and breaks faith with Ontarians who rely on wetlands for flood mitigation, drinking water purification and recreation.
Growing the Greenbelt includes keeping the existing Greenbelt strong. We don’t want to see a bait and switch where more Greenbelt is added in exchange for current Greenbelt lands being removed from protection. The Greenbelt, its farms and communities, contribute $9.6 billion of economic impact and $3.2 billion of environmental services to Ontario every year. As a region that is growing we will be relying on the services it provides far into the future. Dismantling it through land swaps threatens its ecological functions, and, consequently, its contributions to our collective prosperity and wellbeing.
The province, if it is genuine in its commitment to growing the Greenbelt, will base new included areas on science and public health, not just land ownership. Following such a process means that all source water areas (highly vulnerable aquifers, significant recharge areas, moraines and locally significant wetlands) in Simcoe County should be added to a bigger Greenbelt, at minimum. Simcoe County residents are highly reliant on groundwater for their daily needs. If we don’t protect these areas soon, the public’s health is at risk.
We hope that your government is genuine in its commitment to these ends. We are sure you would agree that using environmental policy as a ploy is dangerous to our public health and erodes faith in our democratic institutions and your governments’ commitment to acting in the best interest of all Ontarians.
Ultimately, it is in no one’s interest that a government fails – such an event has real life consequences for the people of Ontario, including to their health and wellbeing. We are committed to helping where we can to find success in the above noted expectations, but we will not betray our knowledge and understanding, born by evidence, of the actions required to create a more just, prosperous, and sustainable Ontario. We will be watching closely to ensure that you stick to the commitments you have made and do so in a genuine manner.
Governments have failed to act to protect our communities and the futures of our children and grandchildren, and they continue to treat our environment as if it’s incidental to life, rather than a foundation for it.
We need strong community organizations to fight for our future, now more than ever.
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We send out a once-monthly newsletter full of information on what’s happening in Simcoe County and beyond, including information on how you can take action to protect the health of your community.
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Friends. Online censorship by unaccountable tech companies, combined with an all-out assault on the Greenbelt by Ontario’s developers/government, make this a perilous time for the future of democracy and the power of the people in Ontario.
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