 protected from development. “Many developers,” says Dan, “have declared war on the Greenbelt.”
He is hopeful that the views of people like Toronto’s Chief Planner and Executive Director of the City Planning Division, Jennifer Keesmaat, will prevail. In an op-ed piece in The Toronto Star, Keesmaat stated: “The Greenbelt has helped to reduce sprawl, protect our natural environment and provide food for our growing region.”https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/03/17/greenbelt-makes-gta-more-not-less-livable.html
Keesmaat went on to say: “Our region is not running out of land to build houses. Far from it: there are more than 1,500 square kilometers of undeveloped land in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. We could build five more Mississaugas, or 11 more Oakvilles, without bumping into the Greenbelt.” She sees better planning and mass transit as the keys to affordable housing.
Dan McDermott is hoping that when the final government recommendations come down this fall, the integrity of the Greenbelt will be protected. As the Sierra Club Ontario representative on the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, he is keeping a close eye on the situation. In his view, this is no time for complacency: “Public support is of course needed,” if the Greenbelt is to be protected.
Ontario’s Greenbelt continues to serve as an inspiration to other cities in Canada and around the world. Let us hope that it continues to do so.