Plowing a highway through the green heart of Ontario when the natural world has been our pandemic oasis

Photo from The Pointer

The direct economic benefit of this protected land to Ontario is estimated at over $3 billion. When the indirect benefits – the ripple effects of jobs and services on local economies and the public health system – are factored in, the estimate jumps to more than $9 billion. These lush forests and species habitats generate approximately $11,000 in economic value per hectare.

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The world’s largest swath of protected greenspace has been under pressure for decades. Under threat right next to the rapidly growing GTHA, the Greenbelt has repeatedly needed advocates to fight against developers and the politicians who serve them. 

The latest fight aims to stop a new 400-series highway set to run along, and sometimes through, its southern edge, so more sprawling subdivisions can be built. 

Published in The Pointer Brampton and The Pointer Mississauga on February 21, 2021