Food and Farming

The Foundation helps farmers become more economically successful while being stewards of the land...

 

Environment

The Foundation is committed to protecting and enhancing the natural features of the Greenbelt to ensure we have clean air, clean water and a healthy ecosystem...

 

Economy

The Foundation is investing in building and strengthening of our local economy, from food to tourism to nurturing a working landscape that sustains jobs...

 

Growth and Planning

The Foundation actively encourages rural and urban communities to imagine a healthier future and find new approaches to planning challenges...

 
Familiar Waters
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Toronto Star

 

Featured News

More News
 

Ontario’s Local Food Champions Report Recognizes Innovative Leaders

Press Releases  |  February 22, 2012

(Toronto, Ontario) – The growth of Ontario food in our public institutions is inspiring. Today we celebrate those who change the food on plates in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and educational institutions. The Ontario’s Local Food Champions report recognizes five organizations from across the food value chains that exemplify leadership and provide solutions to incorporate more Ontario... Continue reading

 

Romancing in the Greenbelt

Greenbelt Stories  |  February 10, 2012

Ontario's Greenbelt stretches across 1.8 million acres and offers many options for romantic getaways. From enchanting winery experiences along the Niagara Escarpment, to the exploration of Rouge Park in Markham, one can find the romance in the nature all around the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. It is all about the birds and the bees after all, isn't it?  As many people are... Continue reading

 

 

The Greenbelt is a great thing for Ontario. It’s a world-leading law that protects 1.8 million acres of prime farmland and green spaces around the Greater Golden Horseshoe. It gives us clean water, healthy local food and $2.6 billion per year in ecological services. Over 90% of Ontarians agree that the Greenbelt is one of the most important contributions to the future of our Province, and 93% strongly support it.

Featured Grants

More Grants
 

Share the Road Cycling Coalition

2009 Ontario Bike Summit

Through the inaugural “2009 Ontario Bike Summit,” the Share the Road Cycling Coalition builds capacity in the bicycling advocacy movement to grow cycling infrastructure, education and awareness initiatives in Ontario, making it safer and easier for cyclists to visit the Greenbelt areas by bike. Continue reading

Grants Made:

$3,000 - July 1, 2009

 

The Greenbelt Foundation is

  • Assisting in designing new policies to protect Lake Simcoe through timely research

  • Bringing thousands of Ontarians out into the Greenbelt each year through grantee activities and the Annual Tour de Greenbelt cycling event

  • Providing grants and support to significantly increase sales at farmers’ markets

  • Supporting the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance to foster strong Greenbelt Plan implementation at the municipal level

  • Engaging with over 170 million Ontarians directly through our marketing, events and communications activities

  • Supporting the development of multi-cultural crops and training new Canadian Farmers

  • Engaged Hamilton schools to switch to Greenbelt food for their students

  • Enhancing Farmers’ Markets, increasing sales for farmers in the Greenbelt and beyond

  • Bridging farming and hiking interests to acknowledge environmental progress by farmers

  • Creating Greenbeltfresh.ca, the leading electronic marketplace to source local, Greenbelt foods from over 600 producers

  • Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel schools, City of Toronto, City of Markham and others

  • Identifying barriers to opening markets for Greenbelt farmers and proposing solutions

  • Contributing $2.65 million to Greenbelt farmers to improve their operations (leveraging millions of dollars from federal sources), and to employ the opportunities of the Green Energy Act

  • Securing local food procurement commitments for Peel, U of T. City of Toronto Facilities and Markham

  • Participating strategically in growing the Greenbelt by working with Toronto, Peel, Halton, and Guelph

  • Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students

  • Hosting the successful Tour de Greenbelt to promote Ontario’s Greenbelt as a tourism destination

  • Funding research and analysis on greenbelts around the globe which concluded that Ontario’s Greenbelt is the most robust in the world, with a strong legal and policy framework

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

  • Supporting the creation of new multi-cultural crops and development of ethnic local food guides in Toronto and York Region

  • Reaching over 75 million by placing 220 permanent highway and regional road signs to ensure Ontarians and visitors know about this valuable protected area

  • Creating a network of Farmer’s Markets to help improve our local food economy

  • Building a local food economy from developing new markets to enhancing distribution channels

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

  • Funding policy changes to encourage more local food to be sold in Durham

  • Supporting development of action plans for a variety of agricultural areas and commodities

  • Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns

  • Funding visionary planning processes such as the new Cootes to Escarpment Park Management Plan, and a massive reforestation plan in Rouge Park

  • Funding the Holland Marsh Growers’ transition from an export, commodity focus to one that serves the local market with value- added products

  • Supporting the Credit Valley Conservation Authority to protect and restore wetlands

  • Hosted the first ever Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto in March 2011 with speakers and delegates from over nine countries

  • Partnering with Harbourfront Centre to tell the story of Ontario’s Greenbelt to 12 million people via a year-long, outdoor photography exhibit

  • Increasing amount of Greenbelt food in food share program 140%

  • Supporting the creation of an award-winning Greenbelt granola bar

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

  • Supporting interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic

  • Supporting changing the City of Toronto policy to adopt a local food purchasing bylaw for city facilities

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

 
Learn more about what the Greenbelt Foundation has done for you »

The Greenbelt Blog

Romancing in the Greenbelt

Ontario’s Greenbelt stretches across 1.8 million acres and offers many options for romantic getaways. We’ve selected a few of our favourites that suit any budget. Share the beauty and nature...

Read more from our Blog »