Environmentalists take fight for greenspace to Milton and Halton Hills
Published November 17, 2022 at 5:36 pm
Environmentalists are set to gather in Milton and Halton Hills tomorrow (Nov. 19) to push back against the Ontario government’s plan to urbanize greenspace.
Organized by Environmental Defence, a Canadian environmental advocacy organization, the rallies are set to take place at noon at Marketplace Mall in Georgetown and in front of MPP Parm Gill’s office on Main St. in Milton.
The rallies are designed to draw attention to the Ontario government’s plan to implement Bill 23, an act that intends to build more homes on land that has been long designated as greenspace (or greenbelts) such as farms and forests.
“Wetlands, forests, conservation lands and the greenbelt are all under threat,” a statement on the Environmental Defence website reads. “Only a major outpouring of public opposition can stop these dangerous attacks on Ontario’s environment — so please join these inspiring organizers and make your voice heard!”
Organizers of the rallies say the plan that will be imposed by Premier Doug Ford will pave over some of Canada’s best farmland and increase urban sprawl while threatening water supplies and endangering wildlife.
Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing says the land is needed to meet the demand for housing which is in limited supply in Southern Ontario. Restrictive planning policies at the local level, increased levels of immigration, and the desire for many to live in and around Toronto has caused the demand, the government says.
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Locally, while municipalities such as Milton and Halton Hills have sought to expand its urban boundary, Halton Region, backed by politicians in Burlington and Oakville for the most part, stopped the plan. However, under Bill 23 those lands are now back on the table for development.
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