Growth & Planning

The future vitality of Ontario and our Greenbelt will require its rural and urban communities to imagine a healthier future and find new approaches to growth and planning challenges. This bold legislation has created the largest greenbelt in the world, one which fosters a more sustainable way of living and enhances the quality of life for over eight million residents and thousands of businesses who call this region home. The Foundation takes a lead on sustainable planning including:

  • Participating strategically in growing the Greenbelt by working with Toronto, Peel, Halton, and Guelph
  • Supporting the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance to foster strong Greenbelt Plan implementation at the municipal level
  • 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
  • Reaching 40 million readers of mainstream papers with custom content advertorials, and reached 1.5 million readers of 7 multi-cultural papers with custom content, often in their language
  • Reaching over 75 million by placing 220 permanent highway and regional road signs to ensure Ontarians and visitors know about this valuable protected area
  • Will host the first ever Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto in March 2011 with speakers and delegates form over nine countries

 

It’s less expensive to preserve the natural environment and the benefits it provides us, than to replace it with man-made infrastructure.

 

The David Suzuki Foundation Report

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Local Solutions to Global Challenges - Global Greenbelts Conference Proceedings

Growth & Planning  |  October 6, 2011

Conference AttendeesAs you may know, the Friends of the Greeneblt Foundation hosted the Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto, Canada from March 22nd to 24th 2011. The conference brought together a dynamic mix of people from around the world and had successul exchange of information through preseation sessions and discussion regarding to greenbelt issues. Continue reading

 

Provincial Handoff: Management for 4,000 Acres of Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine Land Transferred to Local Conservation Authorities

Growth & Planning  |  September 7, 2011

Last week, the provincial government quietly announced agreements that will transfer the management of 4,000 acres of provincially-owned land in the greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine from Infrastructure Ontario to area conservation authorities. The agreements are between Infrastructure Ontario and the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. The... Continue reading

 

Issue Fact Sheet

 

Download a copy of our Economy Fact Sheet (PDF)

Ontario’s Greenbelt is the largest and most diverse greenbelt in the world. It protects 1.8 million acres of green space, prime agricultural lands and rural communities.

 
 

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Ontario Farmland Trust

Keeping Greenbelt Farmland in Farming

The Ontario Farmland Trust is an organization devoted to protecting and promoting Ontario farmland by working directly with farmers, rural communities and other interested parties. Continue reading

Grants Made:

$75,000 - March 1, 2007

 

The Greenbelt Foundation is

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

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

  • 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

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

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

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

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

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

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

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

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

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

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

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

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

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

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

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

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

  • 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

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

  • 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

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

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

  • 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

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

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

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

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

  • Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns

  • 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

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

  • Supporting interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic

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

 
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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...

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