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Facts & Figures

The Greater Golden Horseshoe - that area wrapping around the western end of Lake Ontario - is one of the fastest growing regions in North America. Over the next 30 years, its population is expected to increase to about eleven million people from almost eight million. Accommodating the needs of this rapidly expanding population without sacrificing the value and character of the region’s countryside, open space and rural communities will be a significant challenge. To meet this challenge, Ontario has created the Greenbelt.

The purpose of the Greenbelt is to protect environmentally sensitive land and farmland from urban development. The Greenbelt celebrates rural life ensuring towns and villages remain intact. It is essential for providing clean air and clean water to cities. Its trees act as “lungs” for a wide area, and filter air pollution, while rivers and streams feed sources of drinking water for millions of people.

Greenbelt Facts and Figures

  • The Greenbelt protects 1.8 million acres (720,000 hectares) of countryside.
  • The Greenbelt extends 325 kilometers from Rice Lake in Northumberland County to the Niagara River.
  • Farming is the dominant land use in the Greenbelt and farmers are the dominant land owners at just over 50%.
  • The Greenbelt’s natural heritage system protects about 535,000 acres of lakes, wetlands, river valleys and forests. Habitat is protected for wildlife and endangered species within a continuous band of green countryside.
  • Open space is maintained for tourism, recreation and healthy living. Over 50% of people living in central Ontario are likely to take advantage of the tourism and recreation possibilities of the Greenbelt - hiking, camping, skiing, fruit-picking, wine-tasting, holiday tours, spas and more.
  • In 2005, the Niagara Escarpment’s Bruce Trail was connected with the Oak Ridges Trail making it possible to hike from Rice Lake, South of Peterborough, to Queenston and up to Tobermory on Georgian Bay.

Agriculture in the Greenbelt

  • There are approximately 7,000 farms in the Greenbelt. Farming is still largely a family affair, with the majority being the sole proprietors.
  • The Greenbelt preserves some of the most valuable agricultural lands in Canada, providing fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, beef, pork and poultry products and grapes for prize-winning wines.
  • Specialty farms in the Greenbelt produce everything from sheep and lambs, mushrooms, maple syrup, and horticultural goods (flowers and plants).
  • On a regional basis, Greenbelt farms are smaller than the average Ontario farm by 33%, but per hectare the lands are more productive producing 12% more in gross income.
  • The Greenbelt produces over one quarter of Ontario’s apples (26.57%); 87.63% of Ontario’s peaches; 50.04% of Ontario’s sour cherries; over 85% of Ontario’s grapes; and 42.59% of Ontario’s raspberries.
  • The Holland Marsh is Ontario’s vegetable basket. Main crops are carrots and onions. Other crops include lettuce, celery, potatoes, cauliflower, beets, radish and parsnips. Enough carrots are grown in the Holland Marsh to provide every man, women and child in Canada with four pounds every year.
  • There are approximately 1,118 beef farmers in the Greenbelt, which account for about 16-18% of the farms, with the highest concentration in Durham Region (40%).
  • The Greenbelt protects about 100,000 acres of the Niagara Peninsula Tender Fruit and Grape Area. The Niagara Peninsula is the world’s largest and best producers of icewine.
  • Niagara’s 2.1 million tender fruit trees (peaches, pears, plums, cherries, grapes) produce about 800,000 baskets of fruit that would stretch along the QEW from Kingston to Niagara Falls.
  • The amount of farmland decreased by 7% in the Greater Toronto Area and 6% in the Hamilton area between 1996 and 2001.

The Greenbelt Foundation is

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

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

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

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

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

  • 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

  • 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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

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

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

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

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

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

  • 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

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

  • Supporting interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic

  • 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

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

  • Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students

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

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