gb_hor_11.jpg
 

Toronto Star Series

Familiar Waters

 

Sponsored Content in the Toronto Star GTA Section June 22, 2011

 

 

Click here to read all these stories...

Familiar Waters

We may face rising gas and oil prices, but we do have the largest Greenbelt space in the world to explore. No wonder Ontarians are spending their vacations closer to home. 

 

Click here to read just this story...

 

Local Matchmakers 

Connecting the missing link in the food chain, one farmer at a time. Thanks to one of the largest food-distributing companies in North America and a grant from the Greenbelt Fund, the local food system is getting connected to public-sector buyers. 

Click here to read just this story...

 

Nature Therapy: Nature is Nurture

 Sponsored Content in the Toronto Star GTA Section May 25, 2011

Click here to read all these stories...

Nature Therapy: Nature is Nurture

Video games, movies, cell phones, smart phones - our society is packed with gadgets that distract us from the basics. Experts say that getting out into nature can be good for your family's health, and Ontario's Greenbelt is all around us to enjoy. This article explores the idea of nature deficit disorder and what you can do to prevent it.

Click here to read just this story...

Green Behind the Lens

Picturesque landscapes, inspiring farming communities, and dedicated hard working people in Ontario's Greenbelt - Harbourfront Centre's Beyond Imaginings Greenbelt photo exhibit is not over yet. With over 12 million visitors, the successful exhibit has been extended until June 2012.  

Click here to read just this story...

Spud 2.0 

A cutting-edge industrial potato peeler cuts back the water and ups the environmental ante for a Greenbelt farming, processing, and packing plant. Saving water by 80 per cent, the new machine makes choosing local even more appealing. 

Click here to read just this story...

 

The Food Network: New Connections

Sponsored Content in the Toronto Star GTA Section April 20, 2011

Click here to read all these stories...

The Food Network

Rising food prices and food security validate Greenbelt farmers’ efforts to grow new crops that suit everyone’s tastes.

Click here to read just this story...

Green Minds Think Alike

Recently, people from across the world showed their environmental commitment at the first ever Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto. Through speakers, presenters, attendee engagement and great conversation; global values and goals emerged. 

Click here to read just this story...


 

Greening the Iron Curtain

Sponsored Content in the Toronto Star GTA Section March 9, 2011

Click here to read all these stories...

Greening the Iron Curtain 

The Iron Curtain Green Belt is inspiring. This story discusses the origins of The European Greenbelt focusing specifically on Germany's Iron Curtain Green Belt and its similarities and differences to Ontario's Greenbelt. Germany's Iron Curtain will be just one of the many international greenbelts in attendance at the first ever Global Greenbelts Conference in Toronto from March 22nd-24th.

Click here to read just this story...

Food Foundation 

More and more ethno-cultural foods are being successfully grown right here in Ontario. This article provides an in-depth look at sustainable agriculture through the Greenbelt - funded Farm Share program and the advantages and challenges of growing ethno-cultural foods, locally. 

Click here to read just this story...

Ontario’s Local Food Champions: Back to Basics

Across the province, Broader Public Sector institutions like daycares, universities and long-term care facilities are championing the local food movement. This article tells the story of one long-term care facility in Guelph that is leading the way.

Click here to read just this story...

 

How Clean Is Our Water?

Sponsored Content in the Toronto Star GTA Section Jan. 19, 2011

Click here to read all these stories...

A Clean Act

This story examines the quality of our water here in Ontario, the effects of pollutants, and how natural aquifers clean water and make it safe for our families to drink.

Click here to read just this story...

Ontario’s Local Food Champions: Food Citizens

An in-depth look at the good work that inspiring students and champions of local food, like Jaco Lokker are doing at the University of Toronto, by increasing local food is cafeterias across campus and creating student groups that support it.

Click here to read just this story...

The Grape Cure

Clean water and the great tasting ice wine that Ontario is known for go hand-in-hand, and as with many things there is a fine balance. Vintners in Niagara are currently undergoing another balancing act and this article tells the story.

Click here to read just this story...

 

URBAN SPRAWL: What are the real costs?

Advertorial in the Toronto Star GTA Section Nov. 30, 2010

Click here to read all these stories...

The Home Stretch

This story explores the costs of urban sprawl to Ontario and Ontarians - from obesity to isolation to health risks, many are not living the dream of being in a rural community.

Click here to read just this story...

Green is Gold

Recent public opinion research by Environics shows that despite the economic downturn, Ontarians see the value of the Greenbelt and nine out of 10 Ontarians identify the Greenbelt as important to the future well-being of Ontario.

Click here to read just this story...

Ontario's Local Food Champions: Growing Up Green

City of Toronto daycares are among the first to qualify for funding from the Broader Public Sector Investment Fund - helping our children grow up green.

Click here to read just this story...

 
 

The Greenbelt Foundation is

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

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

  • Supporting interested Greenbelt Farmers to Go Organic

  • 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

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

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

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

  • 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

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

  • Supporting food policy council in Durham to create food charter

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

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

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

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

  • Developing a successful culinary tourism platform for Niagara

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

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

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

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

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

  • Successfully merging social welfare initiatives with environmental concerns

  • Convincing Peel school boards to buy Greenbelt food for students

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Supporting tourism initiatives including in the Niagara and Caledon areas

  • Contributing to greater sales of Greenbelt wines at the LCBO

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

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

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

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

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

Advertorial sponsored by the Greenbelt Foundation

Toronto Star

Familiar Waters
Series Archive »

The Greenbelt Blog

Walls Come Alive in York Region Elementary Schools

This is my first blog about my exciting journey of painting Greenbelt murals in York Region elementary schools. I will start with how all began. I was one of 40...

Read more from our Blog »

Greenbelt on Twitter

RT @marketmilton: It’s going to be a beautiful day tomorrow for the second week of the farmers' market! Who's coming? 2 days ago

Follow us on Twitter @greenbeltca »