Stop Sprawl and Grow the Greenbelt

Across the Greater Golden Horseshoe developers and land speculators are lobbying local governments to allow sprawl-style development on precious natural areas and farmland. They’re using COVID-19 as a smoke screen saying these developments are necessary to get us through the crisis. And they’re convincing the provincial and some local governments to use an emergency-only tool, Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs), to sidestep public input and environmental protection. They’ve also persuaded the Province to strip Conservation Authorities of the power to stand up for nature and oppose irresponsible development projects.

We need to stop this assault on our ...

Across the Greater Golden Horseshoe developers and land speculators are lobbying local governments to allow sprawl-style development on precious natural areas and farmland. They’re using COVID-19 as a smoke screen saying these developments are necessary to get us through the crisis. And they’re convincing the provincial and some local governments to use an emergency-only tool, Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs), to sidestep public input and environmental protection. They’ve also persuaded the Province to strip Conservation Authorities of the power to stand up for nature and oppose irresponsible development projects.

We need to stop this assault on our natural heritage.

Local governments must focus on protecting the natural spaces, farmland and precious water sources that we all depend on. They need to hear from you, and thousands of others across the Greater Golden Horseshoe, that you want a COVID-19 Recovery Plan that stops sprawl and grows the Greenbelt.

Tell your Councillors and Mayor to:

Resist the use of MZOs, which bypass environmental protections, silence community input and pave the way for sprawling development.
Oppose proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, which would undermine efforts to conserve biodiversity and build resilience to climate change impacts.
Support proposals to grow the Greenbelt and protect more farmland, natural areas and freshwater sources.

This campaign is a collaborative effort of over 100 groups across Ontario working together through the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance (OGA). This action page is hosted by Ontario Nature, a member of the OGA. To learn more, please visit greenbeltalliance.ca.

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Email Your local Council

979 emails sent

Call for the government to stop sprawl, grow the Greenbelt and resist the misuse of Minister’s Zoning Orders.

If you live outside the Greenbelt, please select the Premier as the recipient. If you run into issues within the Greenbelt, please email [email protected].

1. Find your Councillor by city, town, township or municipality

2. Enter your details

Name

Email

Postal Code

3. Make your email count

Subject:

Hello,

I hope you and your loved ones are well. Thank you for all your efforts over the past months to get us through this terrible COVID-19 crisis.

I’m writing to you today with three specific requests:

1) Resist the use of Minister’s Zoning Orders, which bypass environmental protections, silence community input and pave the way for sprawl development.

2) Oppose proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, which would undermine efforts to conserve biodiversity and build resilience to climate change impacts.

3) Support proposals to grow the Greenbelt and protect more farmland, natural areas and freshwater sources.

There has never been a greater need for bringing more farmland and natural areas under the protective umbrella of the Greenbelt.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of natural areas and farmland to our physical and mental well-being These places are also critical to conserving biodiversity and enhancing community resilience to the impacts of climate change. We need to ensure they are protected, especially from the greed of influential developers who are doing their utmost to fast-track irresponsible projects while riding roughshod over environmental protections and public consultation.

As a resident of this municipality, I am calling on you to resist and speak out against the use of MZOs as well as proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act. I ask that you embrace opportunities to grow the Greenbelt as part of a green and just recovery

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