Like
so many classic Canadian farming communities, my village of Midhurst,
Ontario is surrounded by forest, fresh country air and beautiful
landscapes. My husband, two boys and I routinely take hikes and have
picnics in the fields and forests across from our house.
But now, our
idyllic village has become ground zero in the fight to preserve
Canada's fast-disappearing farmland and natural areas from sprawling
mega-developments -- all because the Ontario Government made a
special loophole in the 'Ontario Places to Grow Act' allowing a private
developer to turn Midhurst from a village of 3,500 into a city of
30,000.
You
may not have heard of Midhurst, but what the Ontario Government decides
to do here should matter to all who believe that farmland and nature
are more than places waiting to be paved, and that local communities should have a say in how they grow and change.
The
special loophole, designed just for Midhurst, is the opposite of
everything the Ontario Places to Grow Act was designed to do -- protect
farmland and stop unsustainable, sprawling mega-developments. Our story
is a warning that the unsustainable sprawl that has devoured nearly half
of our farmland in Ontario, and has irreparably damaged precious
natural areas, will continue along this destructive path unless we speak
out.
During the Ontario Provincial Election, Premier
Wynne met with a few members of our community. She appeared concerned
and promised that if elected she would review the development plan. We
now plan to hold Premier Wynne to her promise, and with the support of
tens of thousands of people we hope she will be convinced to close the
loophole.
Thank you,
Margaret Prophet,
Midhurst, Ontario
