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NEWS OPINIONS DIFFER AMONG FARMERS, COUNCILLORS Continued from page 1 residents and councillors, with a groundswell of op- Position to agricultural id being redesignated a growth. Among those against the notion is citizens' co- alition Stop Sprawl Hal- ton, which has supporters throughout the region who say they’ re standing up “for preserving farm. watersheds, air quality and vibrant neigh- bourhoods within exist- ing poundaries.” density within the current urban bouns “The decision to put an end to, or power forward with urban sprawl in Hal- mn, will serve as a pivotal example of how serious our leaders are about the imate emergency they unanimously declared," said BurlingtonGreen ex- ecutive director Amy yhnurr, a supporter of the Stop Sprawl] Halton ef- fort ‘or Campbellville poultry farmer John Op- steen, protecting prime in the to be ving 5,200 acres,” said Oakvillegreen presi- dent Karen Brock, who's also part of the Stop Sprawl Halton movement. “We're in favour of no ban boundary expansion, hard stop. We're not say- But it's a question of how you're going to grow and being wise. ‘he group contends that Halton's growth can be accommodated on the thousands of acres that Ire: been - proved for development, and that planners should focus more on increasing ONTARIO JUNIOR CITIZEN AWARDS TH ANNIVERSARY nd ii growth planning process is paramount. "I think’ we hi have {ol look at goo scarce rescues aAndo ‘once it's gone, we've a that re- source forever," he said. "It doesn't maiter to me who owns it or if it's even being farmed now or rent- ed out — it's more (about) the potential. But if it's paved over, it's done. That's where my concern a But the sentiment isn't shared by all farming fam- ilies in Halt Marg Saliba co-owns a farm on the Eighth Line of Milton with her sisters NOMINATIONS WANTED "| think we have to look at good farmland as a scarce resource. And once it's gone, we've lost that resource forever." now that their parents have passed away. She supports the preferred growth concept and ex- pressed concern that cur- rent aging farmers will have nobody willing to take over when they retire due to high equipment costs, the 24/7 demands of lp certaint: around income and more. "In my humble opinion, if you save the farmland, it will be for naught in the future when there are no ore farmers. The land will stay vacant,” she said in a letter she recently penned to councillors. "Milton needs these employment lands to en- sure employment for its citizens. Consider the em- ploym one would get from indus- try versus farming." - John Opsteen There are also differing opinions on the proposed growth plan around the council table and even at Queen's Park. Halton Hills councillor Jane Fogal and Milton councillor Colin Best — who've spoken out against urban sprawl — recently joined Ontario Green Par- ty leader Mike Schreiner Halton to say no to the pre- ferred growth concept and We recognize that diversity is the strength of our communities and we are inviting you to share your bac farmland. ‘ban sprawl is not the ‘olution to the hous- ing crisis," said Schreiner. "It is expensive, terrible for the environment, and destroys farmlands and lands." 3 But others, like Halton Hills councillor Somerville, have support for expanding ur- ban boundaries. He con- tends that Halton Hills doesn't have enough em- ployment land to support ne’ job opportunities, and space will be needed the future for essentials like a new Georgetown hospital. "You can have sustain- able development and an urban d. In a statement to Met- roland ledia, Halton planning staff said a land needs assessment identi- fied a shortfall of space in the existing urban areas for 15,000 ground-related housing units, such as sin- gle and semi-detached homes, and 24,000 jobs. While accommodating was considered, staff said it would result in "a high voice in our publications. DMMUNI proportion of apartment condominium ‘s_ thai would not meet he wads for a diverse al UL la stages of life, household sizes and incomes, as Gi rected by the province.” also not be = buildings, like high-tech = manufacturing," staff not- < ed in the statement. 8 While regional council was originally set to vote on the matter Feb. 9, the decision has been scheduled to a future meeting, with the Febru- ary session now serving asa council workshop. — With. Files, from I Man- weer STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With much atten- tion focusing on Halton's growth plan in recent weeks, we wanted to take a closer look at how resi- dents and politicians feel before the significant decision is made. it [a] SCAN THIS CODE for more local news, Nominate them for an ONTARIO JUNIOR CITIZEN AWARD DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 11, 2022 Nomination forms are available from this and ni juniorciti Do you know someone between the ages of 6 - 17 who is making a difference within their community? Brought to you by Email jr.citi org for more it ocna RS eordyeuy