Snapshot
Ontario is losing farmland at the rate of 175 acres per day. This is alarmingly true in Peel Region. Developers of all stripes are eager to carve up land beyond the existing built-up area through a proposed expansion of the Urban Boundary, to be decided at Regional Council. This decision would continue the costly cycle of sprawl that has spanned recent decades. Even the roads are sprawling, such as the proposed mega-highway called Highway 413, set to slice through the Greenbelt in Caledon. This isn’t about affordable housing – this is sprawl to benefit massive corporations and private interests. Expanding the Urban Boundary risks steering the region farther into a crisis of debt, unaffordable housing and disconnection from our natural and agricultural spaces.
Help protect our farmland and hold the Urban Boundary!
Stop Sprawl in Peel Region!
Story
On April 7th, 2022 the Planning and Growth Committee at the Region of Peel will meet, providing the public with what is likely their last opportunity to have a say regarding intensification targets and the Urban Boundary Expansion plan, to 2051. We should not be hastily setting expansion targets for the next 30 years, not with such limited consultation, not during a pandemic and certainly not when our existing boundary provides plenty of space to accommodate future growth. This meeting is one of several crucial milestones this year where public response could “hold the line” and envision a future in which farmland and our natural heritage spaces are conserved. Let’s make sure our built area is contained and intensified, with sustainability at its core.
Suburban sprawl costs us all. Multiple analysis have shown that there is ample area for intensification within the existing urban boundary including all the amenities, parks and natural spaces which would serve these new communities. New developments require plenty of expensive infrastructure, including miles of roads, sewers and hydro. The more sprawling the development, the more expensive the infrastructure to service them. When it comes time to maintain and replace that infrastructure, the local taxpayer picks up the tab. Intensification within current boundaries brings in a larger tax base using existing infrastructure, increases ridership for transit systems, reduces car dependency and carbon emissions, and supports healthier, more accessible and affordable communities. There is room to grow, inside, without destroying the natural and agricultural assets we cherish and depend on.
Regional Council needs YOUR help! They need to hear from you, everyday residents who see the value of our natural spaces, our food systems, and the potential of our existing built environment. YOUR VOICE can make all the difference! You can help us reach even more people by supporting this project. Donate today and your gift will support our fight against sprawl and protect precious farmland in Peel!
