Hundreds of protestors rally against Greenbelt development in Durham

Hundreds of protestors rallied to call on the Ontario government to stop the development of Greenbelt land in the Durham region.

Protestors gathered outside of Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s Pickering office in an effort to save Duffins Rouge Agricultural Preserve.

The preserve currently comprises 60 per cent of the land set to be removed from Greenbelt protections against development by the Ford government.

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Duffins Rouge is said to be a crucial corridor for the movement of wildlife and water.

The demonstration follows the release of Auditor General Bonnie Lysysk’s report on the decision to open up Greenbelt land that found government bias towards certain developers and a lack of transparency in the selection process of land to be rezoned.

A spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford’s Office claims that the City of Pickering has been advocating for the removal of the Duffins Preserve for the last 20 years.

WATCH MORE: Local groups, officials react to auditor general’s Greenbelt report