The Word Of The Day

It is a word that I don't often use, but it is one that seems especially apt in describing the Greenbelt corruption stench currently assaulting us in Ontario.

Many Ontarians, as I have been posting, are indeed nauseated by the flagrant and brazen way in which the Ford government is thumbing its collective nose at us. Sometimes, that miasma is so strong that we cannot rid ourselves of its noisome nature. As I have been posting of late, letters and commentary bespeak the deep sense of betrayal citizens of this province feel, one that the Ford/developers cabal hope will soon dissipate.

In his most recent column, Martin Regg Cohn reminds us of that betrayal, and the fact that up to now, Ford has somehow enjoyed a peculiar passivity from the public.

Consider how, even after an incriminating video leaked out in 2018 of Ford vowing to bulldoze those protected lands, Ontarians still gave him a free pass in that year’s election.

Back then, voters took him at his word when he quickly renounced that secret plan, promising to leave the Greenbelt untouched. He has been coasting in power ever since.

But after winning his second election in 2022, Ford reversed himself for the second time. Will voters once again forgive Ford’s double talk — and forget his double cross — when they judge his actions next time, as they did in 2018 and again in 2022?

The augeries suggest that this time, things may be different. The last time, the Oppositiion was weak and unfocussed. Now, with a vigourous campaign for the leadership of the Liberal Party underway, there is blood in the water that will be exploited to its maximum potential.

If this is prime time for the Greenbelt scandal, it is also a perfect time for the Liberals to make the most of it — and run with it.

The opposition is seizing the opportunity. An auditor general’s report this month condemned the contorted, corrupted process, estimating a potential $8.28-billion windfall for “favoured” private developers.

If voters weren’t riled up a year ago, they are raging today, according to Nate Erskine-Smith, the Toronto MP who is one of five candidates for the Liberal leadership.

“People shrugged their shoulders in the last election,” he mused. “They said, ‘Ford wasn’t as bad as I thought he was going to be.’”

More importantly, Erskine-Smith argues, the Liberals weren’t as good as they needed to be. Voters looking for an alternative to Ford had little to look at — but that’s changed with the Liberal revival and the Tory betrayal.

And the past will surely come back to haunt Ford.

In early 2018 while running for the Progressive Conservative leadership, Ford confided behind closed doors that he would “open a big chunk” of the Greenbelt if he became premier. “We need to open that up and create a larger supply.”

When word leaked out, Ford gave his word that he would do no such thing.

“The people have spoken,” he mused.

Spoken like a man of the people.

“I’m going to listen to them, they don’t want me to touch the Greenbelt. We won’t touch the Greenbelt. Simple as that.”

We now know, of course, that the only simple element was Ford's assumption that the electorate is simple. The insouciance with which he betrayed his promise is ample testament to that.

In the 2018 election, people were tired of the corruption they percieved in the Wynne government. Now that corruption has a different venue, Ford's front porch, so to speak.

Now, the stench of scandal wafting in the air is potentially eight times bigger, given the $8-billion Greenbelt bonanza for developers cited in the auditor’s report as these lucky landowners see their profits rise from the rezoning of previously protected lands. Today it is Ford — who once cast Wynne as the embodiment of corruption, guilty of enriching so-called “insiders” and friends riding the Liberal “gravy train” — who is under scrutiny for impropriety.

Time will only tell whether the electorate is in a forgiving mood after being so egregiously hoodwinked. My sense is they are not; personal integrity and respect for democracy and citizenship require a different response, one I hope will be definitively delivered in the next provincial election.

To Remember Is To Have Real Power

I realize that on the surface, the troubles we face in Ontario are likely of little more than passing interest to those living in other jurisdictions. However, wherever citizens live, any government that chooses to lie to its electorate has a corrosive effect on democracy. Some will ask, "What is the point of voting if, after they are elected, they renege on their promises?" That, and similar sentiments undermine faith in our institutions, and that is never good for social cohesion. We have only to look to the United States to see that truth.

Passive acceptance, shrugging cynicism, defeatism: these are the reactions that the Doug Ford cabal both provoke and likely hope for. That, and an electorate with a notoriously short memory. But perhaps this time it will be different, given the brazenness of the Greenbelt theft, the stench of betrayal and corruption of this $8 billion gift to wealthy developers assaulting us daily. The fact that Tory insiders are exultant because the legislature does not resume until late September should only add to our collective anger; that, and the egregious contempt this corrupt administration is showing for our intelligence, evident in Ford doubling down on his messaging that this is all about a stalwart way of meeting the housing crisis.

I sense that messaging is not working. On Sunday, a rally in Pickering protesting the Greenbelt decimation saw hundreds turn out.

“Waiting for Doug Ford to do the Right thing,” read the sign propped up beside the skeleton, mimicking a tableau usually reserved for jokes about Maple Leaf fans waiting for the Stanley Cup.

Pickering is home to the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve — a swath of land once called the “Crown Jewel of the Greenbelt,” that lost its protection when Ford’s Progressive Conservative government made changes to the Greenbelt lands in late 2022.

“We’re not going to let the premier weather this storm,” said Abdullah Mir, 30, the co-chair of a Stop Sprawl Durham. “That’s what these people think, that this whole thing is a joke, and we’re just going to roll over and forget about it. This isn’t the end of it.”

Indeed, judging by the editorials and voluminous letters to the editor, the electorate may have a longer memory than is healthy for a corrupt government's longterm viability. Here are a few letters from The Hamilton Spectator suggesting that the government 'messaging' is not working.

Remember a broken promise 

The honest report by Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysk confirms that Doug Ford and housing minister’s chief of staff and minister Steve Clark must go due to lies and Greenbelt decisions rendered. The disregard for Ontario’s public intelligence with their broken promises is ridiculous. Would the First Nations Leaders continue to intervene due to their success with Douglas Creek and Land Back Lane and everyone support all the groups and agencies that are trying to hold Ford and friends accountable. Prime farmland and environmentally sensitive areas require protection from the thieves.

 

Will all Ontario voters please remember the broken promise by Ford?

 

 

Garry Young, Canfield

Don’t hook up new houses

I wonder if any city is under a legal obligation to connect a new survey to their water and sewer systems. If not, why not just let the developers know that they will not be hooking them up and see what happens.

 

Terry Middlemiss, Hamilton 

Time for Ford to go

Doug Ford is a dangerous concoction of arrogance, incompetence and greed. He is an offence to the voting public and our democratic process. He should be removed from office forthwith including his entourage of lawless delinquents. 

 

 

This abuse of power is crying out for an investigation by the OPP for what he has done and will continue to do if left in office

Ross Prince, Hamilton

A better Greenbelt solution

So, removal of 15 parcels of land from the Greenbelt could result in a $8.3 billion windfall for select developers. Corruption? To be determined. Incentive for corruption? Obviously.

 

When land is required for community interests (say an LRT system), the owners of said land do not “win the lottery.” Instead, the government expropriates the land, paying fair market value. Why not the same rules for developers? 

 

If opening up Greenbelt land is truly required to address housing concerns (dubious to say the least), then expropriate said land at the nonspeculative current fair market price and sell it back to the highest bidder after the zoning changes are made. Voilà, the $8.3 billion windfall goes to all citizens of Ontario (at the price of green space lost forever), not a select well-connected few.

 

 

Such a change would remove a strong motivation for corruption. As an added bonus I also suspect it would result in developers suddenly becoming much more interested in infilling or building on currently available serviced land than on lobbying for zoning changes. 

 

Kirt Kushnie, Waterdown

 

 

 

There Will Always Be A Place For Doug Ford

H/t Greg Perry

Some people have very deep, expansive pockets.

"Banana Republic Corruption"

H/t Theo Moudakis

If you have read anything coming out of Ontario Auditor General's report into the removal of Greenbelt lands for development, you will know that the stench of corruption is deep and pervasive in the Doug Ford government. I watched Ford and Housing Minister Steve Clark's damage-control news conference this afternoon, and it was staggeringly unconvincing. 

No heads will roll, not even that of Clark's chief of staff. All the hapless duo would admit to was that they are committed to "improving the process."

The following analysis sifts through the facts concisely, articulating the truth to be found in this sordid debacle:

As the video host says, this is banana republic corruption, writ large.

UPDATED: The Greenbelt Fight Is Far From Over

 

If we can place any credibility in the utterances of federal politicians, the fight to save Ontario's Greenbelt from the depredations of Doug Ford's developer cronies is far from over.

According to The Narwhal, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeaut has serious concerns, given the climate change crisis we are all confronting.

... he said Ontario’s push to develop Greenbelt land “flies in the face of everything we’re trying to do in terms of being better prepared for the impacts of climate change,” and Ottawa “will be looking at the potential use of federal tools to stop some of these projects.”

 “I think we’re being told that in order to provide housing to Canadians, we need to destroy nature. I profoundly reject that premise. I think this is a way of thinking from 50 or 60 years ago.”

It appears there are two ways whereby the federal government could impede Doug Ford's greed-driven legislation. One could stop the desecration of 

the Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve east of Toronto, which is directly adjacent to Rouge Urban National Park. In December, Parks Canada warned Ontario that development on the agricultural preserve would violate an agreement between the two levels of government and likely cause “irreversible harm” to the park’s wildlife and ecosystems. 

Though it will likely be some time until developers firm up plans for construction on former Greenbelt land, one possible tool Guilbeault mentioned is species at risk legislation, which he can use to issue emergency orders to stop developments that would harm federally-protected species. Guilbeault did just that in Nov. 2021 when he halted work on a residential development in Longueuil, a Montreal suburb, due to threats to the habitat of the western chorus frog.

The other 

is the federal Impact Assessment Act, which the Justin Trudeau Liberals have already used to intervene on Highway 413, a controversial highway project planned to cut through the Greenbelt. The act doesn’t allow Guilbeault to unilaterally step in and halt a development — instead, citizens would need to make a request about a specific project, the Impact Assessment Agency would do an initial review and Guilbeault would decide if the federal government should give it another layer of oversight.

Guilbeaut also deplored 

that the province moved last fall to disempower conservation authorities, which oversee key watersheds, as part of Bill 23.

“I’m really saddened and shocked by what the Ontario government is doing to [the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority] and the people who invested years and years and years of efforts, time and money to advance conservation,” he said. “They can continue to be an incredible partner and we will continue to work to work with them.”

Will the growing scrutiny of the Ford government's machinations have positive results? Time will only tell, but the fact that both Ontario's auditor general and ethics commissioner  are conducting probes, and the OPP has started a preliminary investigation into the obvious criminality at work here suggests that public scrutiny, outrage and protest will not be going away anytime soon.

Something for the Ford cabal to ponder.

UPDATE: Apparently, Doug Ford is really disappointed that the feds are intruding on his 'jurisdiction'.

 

 

 

People Will Remember

 

H/t Moudakis

A cynic and pessimist by nature, I rarely attribute any lasting, long-term results arising from protests. In the case of the Greenbelt Corruption and Destruction, however, I have to admit to being guardedly optimistic.

People are not quickly forgetting this desecration of environmental stewardship, democracy, and ethical, principled government.

‘Dougtator?’

I don’t understand why anyone is surprised by the Ontario Conservative government. It was long evident that Premier Doug Ford has no use for democracy, consultation or voters once they have cast their ballot. He stuffed his cabinet with toadies and sycophants, and now has a free hand to show his true colours. “The people” are viewed as a cost centre and a liability — not owners and stakeholders in this province. “The people” are expected to let their betters, (millionaire developers) take care of business. “The people” don’t need green space — they just need to shut up and go to work. Like any employee they should do as told and not express an opinion in the “dougtators” presence. Oh and no unions need apply!

Wayne Stansfield, Hamilton

The Greenbelt was a controversial topic when it was first introduced, mainly because farmers were never compensated for the loss in their land value, and it has become a matter of considerably more controversy today, as Bob Hepburn has pointed out so well his article, “Keeping developers from cashing in on the Greenbelt” (Dec. 2). It is hard to understand why developers/speculators would continue to buy up property in the Greenbelt when it was not possible for development to occur there. What or who did they know? It is also hard to understand how the entire Conservative government could ignore the input from so many experts, including city planners and experienced environmentalists.. It is time for all of us to become more involved. Try HandsofftheGreenbelt.ca.

Jim Warren, Hamilton. 

Hearteningly, young people are also becoming active in opposing this mess that they will eventually inherit. Western University graduate student Brendon Samuels writes:

On a blustery Friday afternoon in December, a group of students, faculty, staff, elected officials and community members gathered at Western University for a student-led demonstration about Bill 23, the “More Homes Built Faster Act.”

... students recognize that Bill 23 has little to do with building affordable housing, and instead focuses on removing essential processes for land use planning. Bill 23 limits the role of conservation authorities, municipal governments, and the public in reviewing and approving new developments that may impact habitat, biodiversity, farmland and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

While not all of the proposals by SOGS (Society of Graduate Students at Western) are likely to bear fruit, such as their call for a general strike to protest the bill, three of their demands seem eminently achievable. 

... students called on Doug Ford’s government to disclose its secret mandate letters immediately, per its legal obligation. The Auditor General of Ontario’s 2022 value-for-money report warns that the province is failing to provide transparency that it owes to its constituents. How much taxpayer money has been spent by this government fighting legal battles to withhold the mandate letters?

... students call on the Ontario government to answer questions directly and provide evidence-based justification for its decisions and policies related to the housing and climate crises. It is unacceptable that we continue to tolerate blatant lies, deflections and marketing gimmicks from the majority government in response to questions from the opposition in the Legislature.

 Finally, students urge everyone to continue sharing what you are concerned about in Bill 23 and other changes imposed by this government. We must continue to apply pressure and prepare for our next opportunity to vote for real leadership in 3.5 years. We need more effective public education and organizing, with messages designed to reach disillusioned voters and young people especially. Readers, please consider this an open call for spicy Ontario memes.

The environment's well-being, made especially urgent by our climate crisis, should be a matter of real concern to everyone. The fact that people are writing letters and contacting their representatives is all to the good. That young people, with a great deal of present and future skin in the game, are taking up the cause suggests this is a vital issue that, contrary to government bluster and lies, will not go away anytime soon.

 

 

The Stench That Cannot Be Ignored

 

H/t Moudakis

A Star letter-writer observes that Doug Ford must think Ontarians are stupid. In that I hope he is wrong, At least, as seen in the report that follows this letter, his political opposition is not letting his depredations of the Greenbelt go unchallenged.

Changes to the way Ontarians live are coming thick and fast from Premier Doug Ford.

From rearranging regional and city governments to take away oversight and responsible decision-making, to cutting health care costs at a time of unprecedented demand, to destroying the Greenbelt he seems to have gone mad with power.

Which begs the question: Is there no way to check this man? Has Ontario become an autocracy complete with its own dictator?

Our premier must think Ontarians are stupid as he works to restrict health care wages, safety protocols and access to medicine to try to drive our health care system to the breaking point so he can tout privatization as the only solution. Of course, he will never admit privatization — with a built-in profit factor — will cost more. So he lies about his motivations and goals to make his strategy more acceptable.

Turning to the Greenbelt, prior to the election he was caught discussing plans to open it to development. He then publicly stated he would never do that. Once he was re-elected, he did just that.

It is said people get the government they deserve.

But does Ontario really deserve Doug Ford?

J. Richard Wright, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

Meanwhile, as Richard Benzie reports, Municipal Affairs Minister Richard Clark brazenly tries to deflect attention from the apparent corruption in his government's relationship with well-heeled developers, a corruption the Opposition demand be investigated.

Asked by reporters Monday if “cronyism” was at play, Clark said, “No, it’s a bold action by the government to ensure that we meet our housing target at the end of the day.”

The Tories are facing criticism after revelations party donors stand to benefit from the opening up of 7,400 acres of protected Greenbelt land to housing construction.

 But an investigation by the Toronto Star and the Narwhal found that of the 15 areas where development will soon be allowed, eight included properties purchased since Premier Doug Ford’s election in 2018.

NDP MPP Marit Stiles (Davenport) has asked the auditor general to probe the land deals. She said the Tories are making changes to “benefit powerful landowners” with ties to the governing party.

“Given how suspicious this looks, the least the government can do is be transparent about what has been happening behind closed doors,” said Stiles. “How did the government choose which lands were going to be removed from the Greenbelt?”

Despite his blithe dismissal of accusations of cronyism (I prefer another word: corruption), it is clear something is rotten in the state of Ontario, a fact not missed by Green Party leader Mike Schreiner, who said the Tories are

“absolutely rewarding literally a handful of wealthy land speculators who are going to turn a million into billions.

“This is a huge land play for a handful of people to cash in and the people of Ontario are going to pay the price for it,” said Schreiner, warning of other consequences for agriculture and the food supply.

“People don’t realize that once you start saying protected land can be developed, you can engage in speculation on protected land,” he said.

“So it’s going to make that land unaffordable for farming because farmers are never going to be able to purchase land that is being valued for (potential) development.”

As Rob Ferguson writes, Schreiner has filed a complaint

with the provincial integrity commissioner seeking an investigation into the property deals.

“Over half the parcels of land being opened for development in the Greenbelt were purchased after Premier Ford was elected and some of those parcels of land were purchased as recently as September of this year,” Schreiner said.

“This doesn’t pass the smell test … we need to clear the air.”

Schreiner is right. Ignoring a stench this fetid does no one other than the Ford government and its developer supporters any good.

Ontarians, public morality and justice demand much, much more.

 

 

The People Speak

 

H/t Moudakis

H/t de Adder

Following up on yesterday's post, here are some of the things people are thinking about when they consider Doug Ford and his unholy relationship with developers:

Doug Ford shows his true colours with attack on the Greenbelt, Cohn, Nov. 11

Premier Doug Ford and his developer cronies want to kill the type of communities federal Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner is talking about and what Jane Jacobs talked about before him.

Building mansions on farmland and conservation areas does not make a community people want to live in. Besides shops and transit, people want well-funded schools in good repair and accessible health care where staff are not devalued in burnout jobs. Cultural amenities are lacking in the suburbs: theatres, galleries, concert halls, museums and parks where people enjoy the benefits of nature.

Doug Ford is not interested in viable communities or nature conservation, and our democracy suffers as a result.

Diane Sullivan, Toronto

The Greenbelt grab, Nov. 19

Kudos to the Star team for looking into what looks like a huge scandal. And I completely agree with the spokesperson for Environmental Defence, who is quoted as saying: “Nobody would pay this amount of money for land if they didn’t think it was going to be open for development.”

The question is, how can this be fully investigated, how can it be stopped and what will happen to those in government who appear to have colluded with those making (at least) the most recent purchases of Greenbelt land now proposed for development?

Truly a very sleazy mess, and one that must be investigated by the police, the Auditor General and appropriate ethics officers.

David S. Crawford, Toronto 

Then there is this letter, from Orillia: 

The Ford government’s recent proposal to open the protected Greenbelt to housing development seems to be, yet again, another financial windfall for his developer friends.

The developer buys the land cheaply because it is protected from development and then reaps gigantic profits when your government changes the rules and allows housing. Some might say that such action may be evidence of shady backroom deals and hidden kickbacks for secret government services rendered. It certainly is not being done for the environment or to the long-term benefit of the citizens of Ontario.

Please protect our watersheds, our conservation areas and our scarce farmland for the next generations. Ontario needs more affordable rental stock and more dense, multi-storey units that are priced according to income. Ontario does not need more urban sprawl and more ‘McMansions’ on our Greenbelt lands.

David Howell
Orillia

And this, from London, Ontario:

You are free to tell Doug Ford to halt his plan to destroy the Greenbelt so we don’t hasten climate change. You are free to tell Doug Ford to stop paving over agricultural land so we can rely on our own country to supply us with food.

As evidenced by his about-face with CUPE, public opinion does matter.

Jennifer Mills, London 

It has been said that politics is perception. If that is true, much of the public is perceiving the dark shadow of corruption and insider information in the government it helped re-elect, either by intention or inertia, this past June. 

 

The Doug Ford Paying His Debt To Developers Act

One will no doubt remember this infamous video from over four years ago, prior to Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative's first victory in Ontario:

Although he later disavowed his comments, promising to protect the Greenbelt from development, he has, of course, gone back on his 'word', the crisis in affordable housing his official justification. 

A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and The Narwhal has uncovered some interesting, perhaps damning, evidence of collusion between the premier and his developer supporters.

Developers owning Greenbelt land now set to be developed appear to have given significant sums to Ford’s Progressive Conservative party, donation records show. Lobbying records reveal connections between the party and five of the landowners who will benefit most from the proposed changes.

The timing is raising questions about whether the landowners knew the lands would soon become developable and profitable — or if they simply took a gamble and won.

 The Star/Narwhal analysis of property records and corporate documents shows at least six developers bought parcels of land since 2018 that include portions of Greenbelt now set to be removed from the protected area.

While there is undoubtedly always a gambling element in the purchase of properties, evidence is mounting suggesting the game was rigged. 

Here’s who owns the land Doug Ford wants to remove from the Greenbelt

Each dot on the map represents property within the areas slated to be opened up to housing development. Hovering over/tapping the dots will reveal who owns the land, when they purchased it and for how much.

In the above, although it is perhaps difficult to discern in the reproduction, the red dots represent properties bought after Ford's election in 2018, and the orange properties purchased before June 2018. If you go to The Narwahl, you can hover over the map to see who owns what. 

The Star/Narwhal analysis of property records and corporate documents shows at least six developers bought parcels of land since 2018 that include portions of Greenbelt now set to be removed from the protected area.

 TACC Developments, headed by prominent developer Silvio De Gasperis, paid $50 million in May 2021 for 100 acres of farmland north of Canada’s Wonderland in Vaughan. Large portions of the property are in the Greenbelt and were undevelopable at the time the land was purchased. If Ford’s proposal goes through, a lucrative chunk alongside Pine Valley Rd. will be cleared for houses.   

An executive assistant at the company said De Gasperis was out of the country for a family wedding and unable to respond to questions for this story. 

Collectively, the developers who purchased land within the Greenbelt since Ford was elected spent more than $278 million, according to land registry documents. 

With Ford’s decision to open them for development, the land values could skyrocket. The government, which is mandated to consult the public about the changes for 30 days, could finalize them as soon as early December.

“Wealthy developers stand to gain huge amounts of money when farmland is rezoned for development,” said Jessica Bell, the NDP housing critic. “They buy the land cheap, and they can sell it or develop it for incredible profit.”

The Narwhal/Star reached out to every developer named in this story. Most did not respond.

The cone of silence enveloping the developers is par for the course, especially if that course is a rigged playing field, as many suspect. 

It should be clear to those who see more than dollar signs when they open their eyes that developing parts of the Greenbelt, indeed, any action that promotes sprawl, flies in the face of the world's climate crisis. Sprawl means not only the elimination of valuable agricultural and greenspace; it also means more people will be emitting more greenhouse gases as they commute further and further to work, an untenable scenario in our fraught times.

So what can be done when the power of the province is making its heavy hand felt? In addition to widespread protest, one possibility is what some are contemplating in Hamilton, which just elected a largely new city council. Simply deny the budgeting funds needed to pay for the costly infrastructure that new, far-flung development entails. It is difficult to see how the Ford cabal could counteract such a measure, unless the premier invoked another notwithstanding clause threat to overturn local democracy.

But if Ford were willing to go that route, at least his avarice and his subservience to his business masters would be plain for all to see.

 

Time For Some Truth

 

In Doug Ford's Ontario, the answer is, "Plenty of people." 

Yesterday I attended a rally to protest the provincial government's plans to override local democracy and extend urban boundaries into the valuable Greenbelt and farmlands (a.k.a The Doug Ford Discharging His Debt To Developers Act). By the robust turnout, it was clear that the premier is fooling few with his claim that such is needed to create affordable housing. Indeed, affordable housing today is something of an oxymoron, isn't it?

While much more needs to be said, an unanticipated visit to the dentist this morning forces me to keep this post brief. Just who are these developers? Clicking on this CBC link affords some answers, as will this one to the Hamilton Spectator. Draw your own conclusions.

As well, these letters from readers show that Ford's veneer of concern and rectitude is quite thin:

Ontario backtracks on Greenbelt pledge with plan to allow housing on 7,400 acres, Nov. 4

It’s no wonder people don’t vote. Why bother, when too often it seems that promises made aren’t promises kept.

Why pay attention to a politician’s platform when we suspect it is nothing but lies in order to get votes? Premier Doug Ford said he wouldn’t touch Ontario’s Greenbelt, and many believed him. I would wager there isn’t a single person in this province who doesn’t believe that his housing plan is simply a way to appease his developer buddies. We all know, there is no need to carve portions out of the Greenbelt for the building of homes. In his usual way, Ford acts without thinking things through, ignoring the experts and public opinion.

Bob Coupland, Oakville

Greenbelt is for nature, not housing, Nov. 9

After reading the above editorial and realizing Ontario’s own housing affordability task force found there was no need to intrude on our Greenbelt for new housing, I now understand what Premier Doug Ford is up to.

The only reason he wants the Greenbelt properties is to appease his developer buddies who have bought up lands in anticipation of Ford’s takeover of huge sections for them to build on. This would destroy precious watersheds, wetlands, farmlands and animal habitats which should be preserved in perpetuity. Discussions are going on right now to determine the fate of the Greenbelt, and the answer to its destruction should be an emphatic NO.

Jane White, Scarborough 

It has been said that sunlight is one of the best disinfectants. Clearly, there is the need for some heavy-duty sanitization of the Doug Ford regime.