We all know that the Greenbelt has been in the news lately. The upside to Premier Ford's "the Greenbelt is a scam" comment is that it has re-energized many of us and provided an opportunity to connect with people who may not know or have forgotten about the importance of the Greenbelt.
Now is a great time to talk to people about the Greenbelt and why it is important. And to dispel the lie that we have to sacrifice Greenbelt protection to deal with the housing crisis.
Here are some resources that can help you connect with people about the Greenbelt:
A Victory for our Farming Friends
Thanks to the persistence and combined efforts of Ontario's farm leadership, the Province backed down on its extremely destructive proposal to allow farmland to be divided up and used to build sprawl style housing.
The Province also agreed to extend the consultation period of its proposed devastating changes to the Provincial Policy Statement, changes that will turbocharge urban sprawl.
You can learn more here about these changes and join over 400 people who are speaking out against the Province's plans to turbocharge sprawl.
A Must-See Video
"Every municipal leader needs to see Victor's explanation of what's wrong with the Province's housing policies."
That's what OGA Steering Committee member Kevin Thomason told me after he participated in a recent webinar featuring Victor Doyle, one of the architects of the Greenbelt, a former member of the Provincial Greenbelt Council and a former senior housing planner at the Province.
Watch the video here.
You've probably also heard about "missing middle" housing and how this housing type holds real promise for solving our many housing challenges. The same video features international missing middle expert Professor Karen Chapple who does a great job explaining how missing middle housing can help municipalities navigate through the mess.
A BIG THANK YOU!!
Finally, a shout-out to all the people and groups who have been so busy fighting to protect the Greenbelt. While it may feel like we're moving backwards, the fact is more and more Ontarians are learning about how the threats to the Greenbelt are being motivated by greed, not need.
Because of your work, everyday we convince more Ontarians to put pressure on the Province to reverse its current approach and once again protect the Greenbelt. Sooner than later, the public pressure will require the Province to act.
