People Need Farmlands Not Freeways

October 3, 2022

TORONTO — Ontario Greens leader and MPP for Guelph, Mike Schreiner, called for the cancellation of Highway 413 Saturday while speaking at the Harvest Ontario Walk in Brampton.

“People want farmland, not freeways. They want affordable housing, not destructive Greenbelt highways.

“We are in a climate emergency,” said Schreiner, while speaking to hundreds of people who walked portions of the proposed route of Highway 413 on Saturday. “It’s painful to look at the destruction across Canada and around the world: hurricanes battering coasts, droughts, floods, and fires.

“And the Ford government will make it worse, wasting billions paving over our wetlands and farmlands and supercharging expensive sprawl on more land.  

“Instead of filling the pockets of a few land speculators,” said Schreiner, “we need to invest in affordable homes, people-centred communities, healthcare, and education.

“We need to say no to adding 17.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution over the next 20 years,” he added, calling on attendees to use people power to stand up to Ford’s sprawl agenda.

The Ontario Greens partnered with grassroots organizers to walk along various sections of the proposed route of the highway to raise awareness about the need to preserve 2,000 acres of irreplaceable farmland that will be destroyed by this reckless and unnecessary project. More than 500 people participated in the walk and rally.

Schreiner has asked the province to:

• Cancel the Highway 413 and Bradford Bypass
• Create a dedicated truck lane on the 407 which will save money and keep the flow of goods moving
• Make all new highways through the Greenbelt illegal by amending the Greenbelt Act
• Double the size of the Greenbelt with a Bluebelt of protected waterways

“When it comes to protecting the Greenbelt and the environment, actions speak louder than words,” Schreiner said.

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