QUEEN’S PARK — At a press conference in Brampton this afternoon, Premier Doug Ford referred to the formation of Ontario’s Greenbelt as “a scam.”
In 2004, the Greenbelt Protection Act was enacted to protect environmentally sensitive land, preserve farmland and control urban sprawl.
The Greenbelt includes the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine, whose protections were first established by previous Conservative governments. These vital areas filter and replenish groundwater and feed multiple river systems. The Greenbelt protects resources that clean our water and air, provide a home for wildlife and mitigate flooding risks.
Also, Ford said his government “[has] one of the best environmental records in the history of Ontario.”
This government? The government that has slashed the powers of Conservation Authorities, cancelled more than 700 renewable energy projects, weakened protections for endangered species, and diminished environmental standards for large water polluters?
Um, okay Doug.