Economic Impact Assessment of the Ontario Greenbelt

Located in the heart of the Greater Golden Horseshoe region in southern Ontario, the Greenbelt makes up over two million acres of protected lands, forests, wetlands and coastal waters. The Greenbelt was established in 2005 to safeguard quality of life in the GGH in anticipation of continued population growth and urbanization.

The Greenbelt provides natural capital to sustain complex ecological systems and also contributes to activities in various sectors through its abundant natural resources.

Ernst & Young LLP was engaged by the Greenbelt Foundation to assess the regional and provincial economic contribution of sectors supported by the Greenbelt in 2016.

The scope of this report includes the following:

• Identification of sectors and sub-sectors that are directly or indirectly supported by the Greenbelt;
• Estimation of economic contributions of activities in identified sectors to the Greenbelt region and the province of Ontario;
• Estimation of public revenue contributions of activities in identified sectors and subsectors; and
• Presentation of detailed economic contribution results by sector and region.

Key Findings:

• In 2016, the Greenbelt generated 9.6 billion in economic activity through farming, recreation, tourism sectors, resulting directly from its protected status; and
• Supported 177,700 local-full time equivalent jobs, supporting rural economic activity and community vitality.
• The province as well as local municipalities benefit from the tax revenues that flow from the economic activities in the Greenbelt, supported by the Greenbelt protected status.