The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Oakville's mayor on Greenbelt meeting's expert panel by Dennis Smith Special to the Beaver 5 | Friday, March 13, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Battle-ready Greenbelt advocates, including Mayor Rob Burton, appealed for public support at a town hall meeting last Thursday (March 5). Ontario's Greenbelt is under review and faces threats of developments like subdivisions and gravel pits, an audience in Burlington was told. "Developers and some municipalities are using the review to try and erode the plan," said Susan Swail of the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance. "But there's an opportunity to make a difference and strengthen the plan." The Greenbelt protects nearly two million acres of green space, rural areas, farmland, forests, wetlands and watersheds. It runs from Rice Lake (near Peterborough) to Niagara-on-the-Lake, with large portions in north Burlington and Halton. It also includes protected lands in the Niagara Escarpment, the Oak Ridges Moraine and an area known as protected countryside. "The Greenbelt draws the line and defines where urban growth is not allowed," said Swail. "It protects farmland and nature." We need to deal with problems of urban sprawl and traffic congestion, she said. "Build up, not out," said Swail. "Invest in rapid transit and move more commuters by rail." Greenbelt plan improvements were urged by speakers at the meeting, held at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business -- A town hall meeting to discuss threats to Ontario's Greenbelt was held at the DeGroote School of Business Thursday. An offering of Burlington Green, it included a panel of Greenbelt experts that included, pictured, from left, Mayor Rob Burton, Susan Swail, Environmental Defence and Faisal Moola of the David Suzuki Foundation. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) Ron Joyce Centre. "To protect Ontario's Greenbelt, one of the good ways to do it is to grow mini-greenbelts," said Burton, citing natural heritage systems like Oakville's, which protects lands running through four new communities there. Burton noted there's undefined white space in Ontario's Greenbelt. Burton recommended streamlining rules for the Greenbelt, Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine plans. "Merge them into the highest level of protection, not the lowest," he said. Panelist David Donnelly suggested expanding the Greenbelt. "We can't have a system with artificial boundaries," said the environmental lawyer. "These features don't stop at the town line." Donnelly said there's lots of land for housing to meet population growth forecasts for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. He told onlookers to consider the Greenbelt as their legacy. "We're going to go and make sure it's not cut to ribbons by piecemeal development," he said. The Greenbelt can protect against the further loss of valuable agricultural land, said Faisal Moola of the David Suzuki Foundation "We've lost 16 per cent of the Class 1 farmland in the GTA over the last 15 years," he noted. "Much of this is due to urban sprawl." He said most of the Greenbelt's $9.1 billion in market goods and services is from agriculture. Moola noted parks, forests and wetlands are a form of natural capital and wealth that provide clean air and water, plus benefits to our health. It was noted other threats to the Greenbelt include infrastructure (highways, sewers etc.) the proposed Pickering airport and dumping of contaminated fill and soil. Just over 100 people attended the free event, co-hosted by the Rural Burlington Greenbelt Coalition, Environmental Defence and the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is holding town hall meetings for its review of the Greenbelt and other provincial land use plans. Local sessions will take place April 16 at the Hamilton Convention Centre (1 Summers Lane) and April 22 at the Milton Banquet Hall (3090 Steeles Ave. W.), with open houses at 6 p.m. and the meetings from 7-9 p.m. For more details, visit saverurlburl.org. For a thick, green and healthy lawn KenSington LawnS Includes Taxes Save your time and money and let us do it for you! 6 VISITS AND 12 TREATMENTS · YOU ARE COVERED SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL Book Now Only $350* Save $100 *Average Oakville Property You receive · Weed control · Fertilizer · An Aeration · Soil check · Compost · Complete monitoring of weeds, insects, diseases, cutting and watering Choose any individual service also mowing and nematodes for grubs. We take our time to do a great job for you! 905-802-0158 Licensed by Ministry of the Environment Voted Number 1 Financial Planner 11 Years STATE OF THEART ART DENTAL DENTAL IMPLANTS STATE OF THE IMPLANTS rePLace YOur Missing teeth With the best OPtiOn aVaiLabLe Available Hours: Mon. - Fri. 7am - Midnight · Saturday 10am - 4pm We speak Portuguese, Spanish, French, Urdu Dr. Marcelina Benedito DMD, Emergency, Cosmetic & Family Dentistry Dr. Herman Comlekci BSc, DDS, Special Interest in Dental Implantology FREE* Laser DentaL Whitening · Direct insurance biLLing * Peter Watson MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI Certified Financial Planner Since 1991 DIAMOND Ask for details www.toothfairydentistry.ca 487 Cornwall Rd., Unit 5E., Oakville · 905-844-tale (8253) 220 Randall Street · Downtown Oakville Phone: 905.842.2100 www.peterwatsoninvestments.com