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Environmental Defence

Strengthening the Greenbelt

Grants Made:

$300,000 - June 29, 2010

http://www.environmentaldefence.ca

As the coordinating organization for the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance (a coalition of groups committed to improving Ontarians' quality of life and protecting valuable agricultural and environmental lands), Environmental Defence is working to protect, enhance and grow the Greenbelt.The project aims to continue building and strengthening the voice of the Municipal Leaders for the Greenbelt and Ontario Greenbelt Alliance to ensure the effective implementation of the Greenbelt Act. Ensuring the permanency of the Greenbelt means securing a healthy environment and a reliable food source for many generations.

 

The Greenbelt Foundation is

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • 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 interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

  • 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

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

  • 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

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

  • 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

  • Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns

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

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

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

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

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

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

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

  • Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students

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

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

 
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