About the Greenbelt
The Greenbelt's 1.8 million acres (728,000 hectares) wraps around the Golden Horseshoe and is vital to the quality of life of Ontarians. It encompasses the Niagara Escarpment, the Oak Ridges Moraine, Rouge Park, agricultural land, pristine environment, and hundreds of rural towns and villages.
Where is the Greenbelt?
Established in 2005, the Greenbelt spans 1.8 million acres across Southern Ontario.
The area stretches 325 kilometres from Rice Lake in Northumberland County to the Niagara River and is about 80 kilometers wide at its widest point.
If you live in Southern Ontario or anywhere in the Golden Horseshoe from Niagara to Durham and Northumberland to Lake Simcoe, the Greenbelt is close to you – close enough for an easy day trip.
You can see road signs and trail markers indicating when you are in the Greenbelt. There are also detailed maps available on this site.
You can also pick up a 2006/2007 Ontario Road Map to see in detail where to find the Greenbelt.
What is the Greenbelt
Ontario’s Greenbelt is an area of permanently protected green space, farmland, vibrant communities, forests, wetlands, and watersheds.
It surrounds the province's Golden Horseshoe – the most populated area of Canada, and is vital to the quality of life in southern Ontario. It’s our protected countryside.
There are over 1.8 million acres in the Greenbelt – an area larger than Prince Edward Island. The Greenbelt includes the Niagara Escarpment, the Oak Ridges Moraine, and the Rouge Park.
The Greenbelt was created by legislation in February of 2005. The purpose of the Greenbelt is to protect key environmentally sensitive land and farmlands from urban development and sprawl.
