A broad coalition of environmental groups recently recommended the protection of a large “Bluebelt,” which would add 1.5 million acres of land that are crucial for water protection to the Ontario Greenbelt.

A proposed “Bluebelt” that would expand Ontario’s Greenbelt to protect our water. Map via the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, November 2015.

The Province of Ontario is currently undertaking a coordinated review of provincial land use planning policies. This review focuses on the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and the Greenbelt. The Province particularly asked for input on where the Greenbelt should be expanded. We expect the release of recommendations from the Advisory Panel, chaired by former Toronto Mayor David Crombie, in the next several weeks.

There is enormous support for expansion of the Greenbelt across the province. A report from the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance outlines each of these sensitive water systems and the people and industries that rely on them, as well as the community support for such expansion in each area. (You can see and zoom on on the full map.)

Here in Waterloo Region, we’ve been talking about our growing water needs for decades. We’re lucky to have and rely on high quality groundwater for the most of our water supply to support our growing region. We know that water is a precious resource in our part of the province, and that human activities can threaten our aquifers.

Community members and the Region of Waterloo have been working hard to protect our groundwater with a broad range of local programs affecting everything from use of road salt to the land use planning for the entire region. Because of our local protections, expanding the Greenbelt to cover our Protected Countryside wouldn’t change things on the ground for landowners. But it would add an extra layer of crucial protection for our most important resources, and would ensure that our local resources are part of a network of protection that would extend beyond the boundaries of Waterloo Region.

The Region of Waterloo asked to be included in the original Greenbelt at various stages of the process, but the Province did not include our sensitive moraines in the Greenbelt at that time (see page 226). This is the opportunity to correct that omission. We look forward to release of the recommendations from the Advisory Panel, and to the next round of consultations where members of our community will be able to tell the Province that now is the time to fully include our community’s vital resources into provincial plans.