We need farmland

Re: Build that belt! Wendell Cox, May 4

In Wendell Cox’s column about the housing crisis in the GTA, he proposes a “serious rethink of the Torontoarea housing policy, with a focus on putting the right priorities first.”

He cites individuals with the London School of Economics who have argued that “urban policy needs to focus on people, rather than the place.”

We agree urban policy should be about people, but people need farmland, they need greenspace and they need affordable housing.

We know there is enough land in the GTA to support the growing population until at least 2031. But for the long run, we need to invest in development elsewhere. We are recommending a more balanced approach to growth that includes opportunities for those interested in jobs and the lifestyle of smaller communities.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture is calling for investments and developments in rural Ontario as a solution to economic growth and the ongoing challenges facing urban centres (affordable housing) for the entire province. We are urging government and policymakers to make infrastructure investments outside urban centres to support the agrifood industry and our smaller rural towns and communities.

These investments will create opportunities for everyone, including urban residents looking for affordable communities where they can live and work. We remind policymakers that the agri-food sector is the largest economic driver in the province, and when we adequately and fairly support this industry with schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and broadband … we support thriving, affordable communities.

Regardless of the political party in power on June 8, the next Ontario government has the opportunity to address the housing and transportation crises by looking beyond the GTA.