The Greenbelt is smart, sustainable living: Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West

For a previous post regarding Greenbelt proposals, discussed in the following message, please click here.

The following message is from Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West

The Greater Golden Horseshoe is Canada’s fastest-growing urban region and the country’s economic engine. It is also home to the biggest Greenbelt in the world.

Ontario Liberals created the Greenbelt when we permanently protected from development an area of land 400,000 acres larger than Prince Edward Island. You can even see it from space – sitting over the region like a giant green roof – hydrating, oxygenating and feeding the millions of people who live nearby.

The region is expected to grow by about four million people over the next 25 years. By 2041, the GTHA will be home to 13.5 million people working in 6.3 million jobs.

That’s why, last spring, our government asked former Toronto Mayor David Crombie to head a diverse panel of experts to advise on changes to the four provincial plans that shape how land is used in the Greenbelt and surrounding communities of the Golden Horseshoe.

After 19,000 submissions, 17 town hall meetings and many hours of careful study, the experts made 87 recommendations on how best to build communities for today and tomorrow in this fast-growing region.

Now it’s your turn to comment.

The proposed changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment plan would ensure smart, sustainable growth by:

• Investing in transit and infrastructure
• Supporting agriculture investments and viability
• Growing the Greenbelt
• Protecting the environment and natural heritage
• Creating jobs
• Responding to climate change

Our number-one priority is a growing economy that is creating good jobs. And our four-part economic plan is delivering on it by building people’s talents and skills, building infrastructure, building an innovative, low-carbon economy and building retirement security for workers.

Smart growth that protects and expands the Greenbelt and builds complete communities is going to make a huge contribution to our top priority.

It’s going to make a huge difference in people’s everyday lives.

People want to live in communities where land use, transit and infrastructure planning is coordinated to meet their needs, boost the economy and protect our environment.

That’s what our proposed changes to land-use planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe will do.

That’s what we’re building together.

Thank you for your support, and please share your thoughts. We look forward to your feedback.

Lou Rinaldi, MPP
Northumberland – Quinte West

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