Aiming to engage youth in creating positive change that supports the Greenbelt in their communities, 4-H Ontario creates the Greenbelt Youth Forum to bring together youth from across the Greenbelt for an educational experience.
High school students in the Greenbelt Youth Forum gather annually at Camp Cedar Glen in Bolton, for a 3-day educational session. Joined by youth leaders from the “Leaders Today” program of Me to We, youth discuss the significance of the Greenbelt through workshops and field trips and are encouraged to create positive change within their communities that supports the Greenbelt. Students present what they learned at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
$100,000 June 25, 2007
“You may be a droplet of water in an ocean, but the ripple has to start somewhere.” – Youth forum participant
AGCare provides science and policy research on environmental and agricultural issues in Ontario, and is forming collaborative relationships between the farming and trail communities to increase awareness of agricultural stewardship.
Colourful signage is created and erected throughout trails in the Greenbelt to communicate to hikers about the environmental stewardship activities and best management practices of farmers. Messages about the Greenbelt are incorporated into the text, with an overarching aim of increasing public awareness and recognition of farmers’ contributions to the environment.
$180,000 June 5, 2006
With over 100 sites selected for sign postings, the signs encourage visitors to support plant and animal diversity, reduce food miles, protect water quality, provide open space for recreational activities, and help mitigate climate change.
Focusing on contemporary environmental issues, Alternatives Journal appeals to both academics and the general public by increasing awareness of the Greenbelt and encouraging discussion on key issues of protecting it.
Feature Articles and Escarpment Blues Benefit: Alternatives Journal increases its profile through the use of a one-page feature article on an organization working towards sustainable change. The funding also supports a fundraising event featuring singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer.
Journal Issue, Protecting Near Urban Lands: The June 2008 issue of Alternatives Journal focuses on protecting near urban lands, such as the Greenbelt, with various articles by Foundation grantees.
Alternatives Journal Support: Multiple issues of Alternatives Journal are supported in 2009 and 2010, with many themes and topics directly related to the Greenbelt and support of the Greenbelt as a sustainable, permanent feature.
Feature Articles and Escarpment Blues Benefit: $5,000 February 25, 2008
Journal Issue, Protecting Near Urban Lands: $5,000 July 15, 2008
Alternatives Journal Support: $10,000 December 10, 2008
"People are coming to understand that sprawling cities and shiny new highways are not proof of a burgeoning economy. There are ways for our economy to develop in tandem with our countryside. What we need is the political will to take the first steps toward implementing these mutually beneficial solutions.”- Nicola Ross, Alternatives Journal, December 29, 2008.
Harnessing technological innovations, Brock University and Tourism Niagara enable visitors to create their own Greenbelt adventure and download itineraries, directions, podcasts, GPS information, and photos onto portable digital technologies (iPhone, Smartphone) to enhance their experience.
High tech meets low-impact as visitors to Niagara’s Greenbelt access tourism activities online and at four major Niagara Tourism Centres. Visitors discover a dynamic Greenbelt by selecting activities from an extensive community database of Niagara’s ‘best keep secret’ destinations and experiences. Written and audio-based overviews of specific destinations or multimedia thematic cycling, hiking and transit tours can be downloaded, while Directional GPS coordinates automatically trigger directional information on portable digital devices.
$219,000 March 1, 2007
The Greenbelt Discovery Tours project captures over 400 points of interest through images and innovative mapping tools, available for tourists to download directly to their personal communication devices.
In a new age of digital media communications, the Canadian Biosphere Reserves garners wider audiences through the use of online TV ‘webisodes’, to promote ecotourism in the Niagara Greenbelt region.
The Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association (CBRA) produces high-definition television programs and interactive website to promote awareness and exploration of the Niagara Escarpment – a World Biosphere Reserve in Ontario’s Greenbelt. The ‘Webisodes’ are streamed online in varying lengths, enabling viewers to choose between watching segments on culinary and agricultural life, travel, or other and healthy recreational opportunities in the Niagara Greenbelt region.
$150,000 June 23, 2008
The CBRA hopes to take advantage of booming internet usage through the introduction of ‘webisodes’, targeting the 38% of Ontarians who booked their holidays online and the more than 3.2 million users sessions banked on Ontario’s official travel website in 2007.
Located in historic St. Lawrence Hall, the St. Lawrence Farmers’ Market has been around since 1803, serving the public with over 120 different specialty vendors, including fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, grains, baked goods and dairy products.
The St. Lawrence Farmers' Market incorporates Greenbelt messaging into all of their communications materials, reminding shoppers in Toronto’s downtown core that most of their market goods come from right inside the Greenbelt.
$15,000 January 16, 2009
The St. Lawrence Market, located in downtown Toronto, is open year round, and is one of the city’s most popular markets.
Situated close to urban centers, Rouge Park is composed of a variety of natural landscapes, from rolling hills to vast wetlands and sandy beaches, serving as an important region of the Greenbelt to focus on for restoration of local biodiversity.
Rouge Park's Little Rouge Corridor Ecological Restoration Initiative Phase I involves developing detailed site prescriptions for restoration zones to maximize biodiversity, ensuring compatibility with the existing geography and protecting archaeological sites in the process.
$147,300 September 11, 2006
Created in 1995 by the Province of Ontario to protect the Rouge River, Rouge Park is currently the largest urban park in North America at 47 square kilometers in size, housing 762 plant species, 225 bird species, 55 fish species, 27 mammal species, and 19 reptile and amphibian species.
Supporting the Toronto Region Conservation Authority, the Conservation Foundation of Greater Toronto works to make Toronto a greener and healthier place to live, and uses a major traveling Greenbelt exhibit to help spread the word.
Thousands of visitors to the GTA’s conservation areas can explore the Greenbelt through an interpretive traveling exhibit that weaves a story celebrating the past and present farming and rural cultures of communities in the Greenbelt, and highlights important natural features.
$105,000 January 29, 2007
Since its launch, the exhibit has circulated to 25 venues across the Golden Horseshoe, and has had exposure to over 450,000 people.
Formed in 2005, Hamilton Eat Local utilizes the Hamilton Eat Local Farm Map & Directory and the Hamilton Fruit Tree Project to encourage residents of Hamilton to buy locally grown food.
Expanding on the Hamilton Eat Local project, this undertaking implements Greenbelt-grown food procurement systems in elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools and the municipal government, in order to secure the long-term viability of local agriculture and the Greenbelt in the Hamilton area.
$50,000 June 8, 2009
With over 80% of Hamilton’s land base designated as rural area, Hamilton is well equipped to feed itself locally and sustainably.
Aiming to build a local food network in the City of Hamilton, Farm Fresh Hamilton expands supplies of local Greenbelt-grown foods into markets, business and schools in the area, and promotes the bounty of foods that the Greenbelt has to offer through communication materials.
The City of Hamilton is buzzing about local food as residents use the new Hamilton Eat Local Map to find farmers and products in their area, to fill their cupboards with fresh and prepared food from area farms. Even restaurants and stores find the maps handy and are adding locally-grown food items to their menus and shelves.
$180,000 June 25, 2007
40,000 copies of the Eat Local Map were distributed in 2008, which now includes 65 Greenbelt and Hamilton area farmers
Country Heritage Park is an interactive heritage park in Milton, depicting the Ontario Greenbelt’s vibrant agriculture and rural life over the last 150 years in Ontario.
Country Heritage Park’s Master Development Plan for the Park is improving future development and bringing the park into conformity with regional planning requirements. The plan guides decision making, integrates Park needs with those of commenting agencies and allows the Park to operate and prosper as a not for profit owned site without being reliant on government subsidies.
$25,000 June 23, 2008
Country Heritage Park is located on 80 acres in the Niagara Escarpment, with over 30 exhibit buildings and 20,000 artifacts, including a fascinating array of vintage tractors.
The Credit River Watershed is home to diverse species of plants and animals. Facing pressures of drought and flooding, natural hazards, sediment and erosion, loss of habitat, spills, fragmentation and pests among others, the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation is heightening the visibility and identity of the watershed area.
Clean and safe drinking water is high on Ontarians’ minds. It is also what the Greenbelt protection provides. The Credit Valley Conservation Authority increases their watershed identity with a road signage program, consisting of fifteen signs which identify the Credit River Valley as a vital Greenbelt watershed, emphasizing clean water and healthy watersheds as one of its crucial, long-term benefits.
$12,000 December 17, 2007
Covering an area of over 25,000 acres, the Credit River watershed is connected to ten different municipalities, populated by 600,000 people.
The Credit River Watershed sources water to its 10 neighboring municipalities, protects the habitats of a variety of species, serves as a central location for community-oriented environmental initiatives, and provides recreational space for local residents.
The Credit Valley Conservation Foundation study on the economic value of wetland ecosystems is the first of its kind, with a primary valuation of wetlands in Ontario. This builds on the work done by the David Suzuki Foundation in 2008 to estimate the economic value of all of the ecological goods and services provided by the Greenbelt, and lends input into a wetlands restoration strategy.
$25,000 January 16, 2009
600,000 people live in the Credit River Watershed, and the population is growing at a rate of 2%. By 2020, 40% of the watershed will be developed, based on official municipal plans.
Oshawa is the largest urban centre in the Durham Region, and hosts a weekly farmers’ market from May to October of every year.
The Regional Municipality of Durham seeks to foster relationships between producers, processors and consumers, through an innovative, centralized, year-round market for local food in a historic downtown Oshawa building. This work includes a feasibility study on the proposed location, a review of best management models, and cost determination associated with the proposed market.
$10,000 May 15, 2009
With over 500,000 acres of farmland, agriculture is the second largest industry in the Durham region.
Ecojustice is Canada’s leading non-profit organization of lawyers and scientists, with a dedication to the environment and conservation, and a mandate to assess the effectiveness of the Greenbelt Plan with respect to provincial groundwater and wetlands conservation.
This planning grant is an extraordinary example of the partnerships forming to implement effective change throughout the Greenbelt. Ecojustice scopes the potential for a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the Greenbelt Plan in relation to wetland protection by reviewing selected case studies, transitional developments, and plans in action. This prepares the group to identify issues and geographic areas where implementation needs improvement, or where the Greenbelt Plan may need refinement.
$20,000 June 8, 2009
The Greenbelt protects about 535,000 acres of lakes, wetlands, river valleys and forests, providing protected habitat for wildlife and endangered species.
The Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) is an organization established in 1979 to promote the advancement and understanding of ecological agricultural methods.
The EFAO, recognizing an opportunity to enhance farmers’ profits while strengthening their commitment to the land through sustainable organic practice, ushers in an era of farmer-to-farmer training and support. This project encourages farmers in the Greenbelt to benefit from market trends, and focuses on current courses, workshops, farm tours, and a structured mentorship program, which allows established farmers to share their knowledge with newly interested organic farmers.
$150,000 June 25, 2007
Since 2005, organic farming and production in Ontario have grown by 1.6% and 8% respectively, In fact, Ontario houses 497 certified organic farmers, which is close to 14% of Canada’s organic farmers.
Simple changes in daily habits can add up to large reductions in our environmental impact. EcoSource, a youth and family-oriented organization devoted to promoting environmentally friendly lifestyle choices, brings LFP-certified food and education programs to the Peel District School Board.
The Peel District School Board may become the first in Ontario to offer Greenbelt and other locally grown food to all of the students and staff in its 232 elementary, secondary and culinary arts schools, creating a substantial and sustainable market for Greenbelt farmers interested in supplying produce to the local area. This program provides an important forum for education with classroom visits and farm activities, forging a connection between a whole new generation and the farmers and land that feed them.
$380,000 Jan 28, 2008
EcoSource’s Go Ontario! Granola Bars feature no additives, preservatives or trans-fats, and 100% Ontario-grown cranberries, apples, cherries, oats and honey.
Environmental Defence Canada is the coordinating organization for the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance, a coalition of groups who share a common vision for improving Ontarians' quality of life and protecting valuable agricultural and environmental lands.
Building upon the success of the Alliance, Environmental Defence’s Greenbelt-wide network draws on the collective expertise of Alliance members, municipal leaders, farmers and other professionals. The network is essential in fostering municipal compliance and implementation of the Greenbelt Plan through innovative community planning, and focuses on the creation of productive connections between urban and rural organizations.
$600,000 June 23, 2008
Environmental Defence, in association with 12 other environmental groups, makes expanding the Greenbelt a priority, resulting in new government standards allowing municipalities to apply for farmland, natural heritage, and other environmental lands in the Greenbelt.
Sitting in the center of downtown Toronto, the historic Don Valley Brickworks is undergoing a transformation from abandoned industrial site into a lively environmental centre and a burgeoning source for local foods.
Chefs have long been interested in sourcing local ingredients for their menus because of the unparalleled taste and freshness. The Greenbelt Depot at the Don Valley Brick Works fills an infrastructure gap in the local food system by establishing a weekly wholesale market where Greenbelt farmers and Toronto chefs can do business. The Depot also hosts public education activities and events on food and farming, and serves as a hub for farmers and chefs to meet and discuss current food trends, strengthening the bond between producers and chefs.
$75,000 March 26, 2008
"I hadn’t realized the disconnection between us and the efforts of farmers to grow our food. And even a wider gap of what it takes to grow organically and sustainably. Cooking professionally never taught me this, ten minutes on a farm did."- Edmund Rek, Chefs' Market Manager
The Farmers’ Market Network helps to support local agriculture, and enhance public spaces, while making fresh food accessible for all.
The establishment of the Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network enables market managers to run stronger markets, advocate for market-friendly policies at the municipal level, and to conduct consumer and policy research.
$100,000 April 20, 2009
According to a study by Farmers Markets Ontario, over 15 million people visited the 154 farmers’ markets in Ontario in 2008. From 1999-2008, the estimated annual growth in sales at farmers’ markets was 7.3%.
Reaching out to over 100,000 children and adults a month, FoodShare Toronto is a community food security organization which subsidizes fresh produce distribution, workshops and nutrition programs. FoodShare Toronto works in conjunction with Everdale, an organic farm and environmental learning center, to build a local food culture for kids.
Connecting kids with food is a natural and interactive way to introduce them to the splendor of their local landscape. In order to show young people about all aspects of their food system, the Greenbelt and eating local foods, students visit Everdale Farm, where farmers and schools in the Greenbelt work together to enhance foods skills and cultivate a food ethic. They explore and interact in the FoodShare Toronto kitchen, tasting the bounty of local products and creating meals with them.
$100,000 March 26, 2008
Everdale farms’ “train the trainer” workshops provide insight to farmers on how to transform their farms into living classrooms.
With an emphasis on equal access to healthy food, FoodShare Toronto prioritizes healthy eating for children through programs and workshops that emphasize accessible, fresh, local, and healthy foods in schools.
Using their existing distribution network of fresh produce programs, FoodShare Toronto builds awareness and connections to Greenbelt producers. Expected results of the project include an increase in Greenbelt produce sold to Toronto community organizations, schools, and individuals, as well as opportunities for education and recognition of the Greenbelt and its produce.
$55,000 June 8, 2009
The project has already delivered local food system workshops to over 1400 students, delivered teacher training, and coordinated the second annual Great Big Crunch, with over 29,000 Canadian participants.
As a Canadian not-for-profit independent think tank, the George Morris Centre fosters excellence in the agri-products sector by provoking informed dialogue and providing industry decision makers with analyses of critical issues affecting this sector.
In order to thrive, vibrant local food systems and their small and medium producers require infrastructure facilities to store, process, pack, and ship their fare. In line with their mission to foster excellence in the agri-products sector, The George Morris Centre partners with the municipalities of Hamilton and Niagara and the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation to perform a feasibility study on establishing a local food distribution mechanism in these regions.
$67,000 June 8, 2009
In search of a distribution system, the study incorporates a random phone survey to about 275 Hamilton and Niagara food producers and processors, to assess the need and demand for such a centre.
In the face of high disease incidence from international rootstock importations, the Grape Growers of Ontario are working to create a healthy, domestic supply of grape vines under a new certification system.
The Grape Growers of Ontario, along with the University of Guelph and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, recognize the importance of developing a domestic supply of grape vines from material propagated right here in Ontario. A feasibility study determines the viability of creating such a supply in order to contribute to a sustainable domestic wine industry in the Greenbelt to continue our rich tradition of viticulture.
$25,000 January 17, 2008
According to a KPMG study, every one litre of domestic wine sales contribute $8.48 to the economy, in comparison to a $0.67 for sales of imported wines (Wine Council of Ontario, 2008).
Representing over 600 grape growers in eastern, southern and southwestern Ontario, the Grape Growers of Ontario provides resources and support to maintain a healthy market for grape growers.
Farmers in Niagara face an uncertain future after a local company announced an end to manufacturing grape juice. Many of these farmers want to transition to growing new products, including high quality wine grape varieties that would elevate Niagara’s reputation as a world renowned wine region. This project invests in that goal.
$50,000 Feburary 22, 2007
The replant strategy converts up to 25% of total acreage from juice grape production to wine grapes, which typically experience higher market demand.
The Grape Growers of Ontario works towards sustainable growth of Ontario’s grape industry, and hosts an annual wine festival to celebrate their fruits of labour.
Each September, the Grape Growers of Ontario furthers viticultural awareness through the Niagara Wine Festival, combining local food and wines to celebrate the Niagara Peninsula’s 100,000 protected acres of tender fruit and grape crops and the people that tend them. The Grape Growers of Ontario produces the Festival Kick-Off Luncheon and distributes educational materials, including 2,000 brochures, to inform visitors about this abundant area of the Greenbelt.
Phase I: $15,000 2007
Phase II: $15,000 2008
Phase III: $20,000 June 8, 2009 & 2010
The successful Niagara Wine Festival has witnessed a record number of guests in recent years, attracted by the festival’s celebrity hosts which have included Don Cherry and Peter Mansbridge.
The Dundas Valley Conservation Area, home of the Hamilton Conservation Authority’s outdoor environmental education program, hosts a teaching garden, created in memory of one of HCA’s teachers, Bruce Duncan.
The late Bruce Duncan, former General Manager and Chief Administrative Officer of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, worked tirelessly to instill younger generations with a passion for protecting and enhancing the natural environment. This teaching garden in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area is a tribute to his legacy.
$2,500 November 15, 2007
During his 18 years with the Hamilton Conservation Authority, Bruce Duncan was a teacher-naturalist, ecologist and manager, leading over 45,000 children throughout his career in various outdoor education programs and nature hikes and sharing his love of nature with the public.
Though the Holland Marsh is already an extraordinarily productive region of Ontario farmland, farmers there are ushering in a new era of agricultural sensitivity, doing their part to become more environmentally sustainable and finding new markets for their products.
Holland Marsh farmers, in collaboration with local packers and processors, are shifting fresh vegetable production from a largely export market to the local market. They are diversifying crop production and implementing more sustainable growing practices through Local Food Plus certification and other changes. Additionally, the entire distribution chain is being shortened through the processing and packaging of food products directly within the Holland Marsh.
$400,000 June 23, 2008
Holland Marsh plays a major role in Ontario’s food economy annually, bringing in $130 million for its carrots, $160 million for its onions, and $160 million for its greens.
Devoted to conserving the natural and cultural heritage of the Kawartha bioregion, the Kawartha Heritage Conservancy helps link new farmers with land from established or unused farms.
The two-phased project emphasizes partnership building among agricultural groups in the Eastern Greenbelt and tackles the challenges facing farmers in that area, such as access to new land and short-term tenancy agreements. The project now includes the FarmLink Program, which connects new farmers with available agricultural land through long-term leases with landowners.
A Farming Future for the Eastern Greenbelt- Phase I:$55,000 June 5, 2006
A Farming Future for the Eastern Greenbelt- Phase II:$84,000 June 25, 2008
By August 2009, more than 270 accounts had been created on the new FarmLink website, with over 100 farm seekers identified and 59 farms interested in finding farmers.
In partnership with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority encourages environmental stewardship actions among farmers in the Greenbelt.
Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program - Phase I: Environmental Farm Plans encourage Greenbelt farmers to share in the protection of the environment, ensuring their farmland, the surrounding Greenbelt countryside and area residents continue to thrive. Led by farmers for farmers, the Plans includes management practices to create energy and water efficiency, protect wetlands, help with proper soil management, correct disposal of farm wastes and improve handling and storage of pesticides as well as a variety of other stewardship activities.
Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program - Phase II: In response to tremendous interest from the farming community after the initial stewardship program, the expanded program enables more farmers to undertake environmental management projects. From water well protection, energy and water efficiency, to wetland maintenance, soil management, manure control, and farm waste disposal, farmers are innovating to ensure safe methods of food production and natural landscape preservation.
Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program - Phase I: $1,400,000 June 25, 2007
Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program - Phase II: $1,000,000 June 8, 2009
“Farming in a way that looks after the environment is important for the land we work, for our family’s health and for those who live around us. It’s in our own best interest to learn, adapt, and keep up with the times” -Niagara area farmer Martin Schuele
The Lincoln County Fair has been around for over 150 years, but its newest addition, the Niagara Agri-Education Day, has already been successful in spreading valuable agricultural information to school children for the past three years.
From a delicious maple syrup tasting to a chat with beekeepers and a chance to see the baby animals up close, 400 students learn first-hand about agriculture in the Greenbelt during a special school day at the Lincoln Fair.
$25,000 June 25, 2007
For many kids, this is a unique opportunity to get out into the country and speak with farmers about the important work that they do, deepening their understanding about our rural communities and lifestyles and helping them share with their families the importance of supporting healthy, local food systems.
Committed to creating local sustainable food systems, Local Food Plus is stepping in to boost employment in the agricultural sectors of the Greenbelt, as many Ontarians reel from job losses in Ontario’s largest industry, the automotive sector.
Local Food Plus (LFP) creates new, green employment built on the Greenbelt’s food and agriculture sector while enhancing agricultural protection. Targeting the Greenbelt regions hardest hit by the loss of auto-related jobs—Hamilton, St. Catharines, and Oshawa—LFP creates local food jobs by establishing local food procurement strategies in municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals.
$200,000 June 8, 2009
The food sector is the second largest employer in Ontario after the auto industry, employing more than 700,000 people.
Initiated in 2005 on a platform of farming reform to increase the industry’s viability, Local Food Plus certification system incorporates economic, environmental and social issues and opens new markets for Canadian farmers.
This project catapults local, sustainably produced food into the public consciousness in Ontario. Consumers are recognizing the label in their universities and grocery stores, and vendors and shoppers alike are recognizing the value of what it means to buy from certified farmers and processors: that the food is produced using environmentally and socially responsible growing practices.
$1,000,000 June 5, 2006
LFP certified Greenbelt-grown products include field vegetables, greenhouse vegetables, tender fruit, berries, apples and pears, chicken, table grapes and wine grapes.
Of all the beautiful land of the Greenbelt, the Niagara Escarpment stands out as a national treasure, and the Milton Chamber of Commerce is helping to highlight this jewel of the Greenbelt.
This new marketing campaign co-brands the Niagara Escarpment with the Greenbelt, increasing awareness of the Milton region of the Niagara Escarpment and unifying the landscapes through the use of advertising, signage, photo displays, and an interactive website.
$25,000 March 26, 2008
Situated in the heart of Southern Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe, Escarpment Country™ captures 380 square kilometers of sprawling countryside, and is visited by more than 2 million people every year.
The Greenbelt Youth Leaders program has been introduced by the Niagara Environmental Corps, which was created in September 2006 to increase environmental awareness at Niagara College and to empower students to solve environmental problems and build healthy communities.
Niagara College, in collaboration with Durham’s Fleming College, has developed a sustainable model of student-led environmental action. The Greenbelt Youth Leaders learn to increase public environmental awareness, assist companies and non-profit community organizations to develop and test environmental solutions to problems, and gives the students experience in applied research activities.
$25,000 June 1, 2007
Of the many successes from the Greenbelt Youth Leaders program, an annual Green Day was established at Niagara College, building awareness of environmental issues and recruiting members for the next year’s Environmental Corps.
Designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 1990, the Niagara Escarpment is one of the “gems” of the Greenbelt, the pride of the region and a natural feature worth preserving and enhancing.
The project creates the Water Research Network and Escarpment Kids to help fulfill the organization’s mission of conducting research and education in the region. Further, the project strengthens this charitable organization, enabling them to address key issues related to the escarpment, while building key partnerships with the public, private sector, conservation authorities, and educators.
$25,000 July 23, 2008
The Niagara Escarpment is the longest continuous natural corridor in south-central Ontario, extending over 1,000 kilometers and housing 1,000 year old cedars, Niagara Falls, and incredible rock formations resulting from 250 millions years of erosion.
The Niagara region offers an abundance of local fruits, veggies, and culinary treats year round. The Niagara Culinary Trail project ensures that visitors have all the information necessary to access and enjoy farm-fresh local products, linking agriculture, tourism and food to promote sustainable cuisine in the Niagara Greenbelt region.
As the first agritourism trail of its kind in the Greenbelt, the project focuses on three main activities: increased culinary tourism, an “Eat Healthy, Eat Local” educational campaign, and a business training and marketing development program for local culinary business owners. It engages a vibrant agricultural and food service community in the Niagara specialty crop area of the Greenbelt, fostering a shared vision for local agriculture and encouraging mutual support between the culinary and farming communities.
$200,000 March 1, 2007
According to the Niagara Culinary Trail’s “Harvest Calendar”, apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, mushrooms, and onions are available locally almost entirely year round.
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.
Keeping Greenbelt Farmland in Farming involves a major campaign to encourage the donation of agricultural easements throughout the Greenbelt, aiming to establish three easements in year one, seven in year two and ten in year three. The Ontario Farmland Trust aims to impact the policy and planning process, communicating the importance of retaining active farming, local food and enjoying the countryside.
$75,000 March 1, 2007
Only 11% of Canada’s land can support agricultural production, and Ontario boasts 52% of all of Canada’s class 1 farmland.
Atlantic Salmon was wiped out of Lake Ontario before 1900 by damming of spawning streams and overfishing, but a new initiative by the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters re-populates and restores Lake Ontario’s population of this popular fish species.
The Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program’s wildly popular classroom hatchery program adds almost a thousand new junior aquaculturists thanks to this funding. The grant for the 2008–09 school year directly funds 30 new classroom hatcheries in Greenbelt-area and urban schools, and allows for the ongoing expansion of the program through the hiring of an Education Coordinator.
$84,000 March 26, 2008
Over 1,000 students have now had the opportunity to participate in the hatchery program, which involves observation of the development of the eggs, and participation in “release days”, where fry are released into streams targeted for restoration.
Representing all fruit and vegetable farmers, growers, and industry members in Ontario, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) is assessing the economic viability of the agricultural industry in the province, and ways to improve it for the future.
This economic impact study is the first of its kind, looking at the Greenbelt as an agricultural region within Ontario through an in-depth picture of the fruit and vegetable industry in this near-urban agricultural area. The study examines the economic viability of the industry and the impacts of recent changes in land use legislation. It also looks to future opportunities, in particular the economic significance of having eight million consumers within driving distance and how farmers might benefit from this rural-urban relationship.
$98,000 March 1, 2007
The OFVGA is comprised of 28 member organizations representing more than 7,500 farmers throughout the province.
Raising awareness of the Greenbelt’s value is one of the most important steps in protecting it. Ontario Nature has led the way by performing outreach and education to local leaders and the public on the beneficial health values associated with the Greenbelt.
Showcasing the efforts of farmers and community volunteers to steward the land is a proud and productive opportunity. In partnership with the Ontario College of Family Physicians. Ontario Nature is creating booklets to highlight the significance of a farmer’s work to protecting the Greenbelt’s water resources, forests, and unique habitats, and to link rural and urban residents with the building blocks of a healthy lifestyle the Greenbelt has to offer.
$235,000 September 11, 2006
The Greenbelt serves an important function as a natural air filter. The Ontario Medical Association estimates the costs of air pollution in Ontario to be 5,800 premature deaths, 17,000 hospital admittances, 60,000 emergency room visits, and a total of $7,800,000,000 in health care cost, lost work time, and productivity.
Proudly operating in the city of Hamilton for over 50 years, the Ottawa Street Farmers’ Market has been renewed and relocated, and is ready to provide customers with locally grown and competitively priced produce, year-round.
A refreshed and expanded Hamilton farmers’ market is recruiting local farmers, hiring a market manager and launching a marketing campaign to attract new customers and broaden community support to make this market a lasting success. The market provides competitively priced produce grown within 80 km of the market location, strengthening the relationship between urban and rural communities.
$15,000 April 18, 2008
The Ottawa Street market uniquely markets itself as a predominantly growers’ market, making it necessary for all new vendors to either farm or produce within a 100 kilometer distance from the market.
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has been held since 1922, and is now the world’s largest indoor agricultural fair, celebrating the assorted foods, animals, and farm cultures of Canada.
Celebrating the Greenbelt at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2006-2008: This three-year project introduces the Greenbelt as a prominent theme at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, where promotions, exhibits and activities are used to increase understanding and awareness of the Greenbelt, and to showcase its features to the general public.
Greenbelt Childrens’ Activity Books: The Greenbelt Kids’ Activity Book is published, as a fun, informal way for kids to learn about all there is to do and explore in Ontario’s Greenbelt.
Celebrating the Greenbelt at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2009: The 2009 fair continues the tradition of highlighting the Greenbelt through a special Greenbelt pavilion, while the Fair’s restaurants feature “Greenbelt inspired” menus and Greenbelt awards for red and white wines.
Celebrating the Greenbelt at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2006-2008: $600,000 September 11, 2006
Greenbelt Childrens’ Activity Books: $40,620 December 8, 2008
Celebrating the Greenbelt at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair 2009: $100,000 June 8, 2009
Over 300,000 people visit the annual fair to see the horse and dog shows, to taste the assorted fare, and to experience urban life transformed into a rural countryside.
The Royal Botanical Gardens’ Land Management Strategy helps to preserve the beauty and wildlife of Cootes Paradise, which has attracted artists such as Robert Bateman, birdwatchers from around the world, and thousands of locals to hike its trails and paddle its waters.
This community-based conservation and land management plan protects 4,000 acres of natural Greenbelt lands from the impacts of nearby urban development. The planning process is led by an advisory group of local stakeholders and the project is overseen by experts in a diverse group of organizations, including conservation authorities, and regional and municipal governments. A final report recommends action items for each partner group who has committed to implementing the plan within five to seven years.
$185,000 March 1, 2007
This ecological area is the only remaining contiguous area of habitat from Lake Ontario to the Escarpment not broken by a 400-series highway.
Under continual erosive pressure from sprawling development, Ontario’s Greenbelt receives a boost from the Sierra Club, an organization which has stepped in to inform and help residents stand up and defend the Greenbelt.
Though primarily rural, the Greenbelt is neighbour to vibrant urban communities who value it deeply and want to protect this gem. Using resources such as a Greenbelt tool-kit, presentations, and public meetings, this campaign informs residents in urban communities adjacent to the Greenbelt about land use decision-making and the important role they can play in fostering effective municipal implementation of the Greenbelt Plan. Community groups, such as residents associations, church groups and conservation organizations, along with their municipal leaders, are encouraged to become defenders of the Greenbelt.
$80,000 March 26, 2008
In 2009, The Sierra Club helped champion the zoning of the Streetsville portion of the Credit River watershed as Greenbelt by the City of Mississauga.
Bent on closing the policy gap in the local food web, Sustain Ontario builds a healthy and sustainable local food system in Ontario by creating new connections in the web and strengthening local food infrastructure.
While demand for local food seems to be ever-increasing, major infrastructure barriers prevent a local food web in Ontario from becoming fully developed. Sustain Ontario brings together diverse stakeholders from across the food supply and distribution system to create a road-map for success, offering concrete ideas about how to revitalize regional fruit, vegetable and meat processing infrastructure in Ontario.
$15,000 June 8, 2009
Though food distribution is a major component of Canada’s agri-food sector, with expenditures of $137 billion in 2005, the consolidation of major grocery chains and a lack of local distribution channels inhibits widespread access to local food products.
The Toronto Environmental Alliance is helping to make people of all cultures feel more at home in Toronto, by offering information on types and locations of cultural foods grown in the Greenbelt and surrounding area.
These unique guides celebrate the diverse cultural heritage of the City by providing information for major ethnic groups, African/Caribbean, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and South Asian about where to buy Greenbelt-grown fruit, vegetables, meats, spices and other farm products that are common to cuisine from their home countries and cultures of origin. The project involves further research on established retailers selling meat, spices, fruits and vegetable grown within the Greenbelt.
Greenbelt Food from Home - Phase I: $23,000 June 20, 2007
Greenbelt Food from Home - Phase II: $15,000 October 27, 2008
Increasing numbers of Greenbelt farmers are planting multi-cultural food crops, making items such as okra, coriander, green chili, squash, red radishes, vine leaves and calaloo more readily available in Ontario.
Many Torontonians are not aware of the abundance of resources provided by a healthy greenbelt right outside of their city. In its trademark campaigning style, the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) is working with Torontonians and other organizations to raise awareness and generate pressure on policy makers, to help preserve and grow the Greenbelt.
Greenbelting Toronto: Greenbelting Toronto is the first phase of TEA’s successful Greenbelt campaign, which has successfully lobbied the Toronto City Council to adopt the Local Food Procurement Policy and Implementation Plan that prioritizes Greenbelt-grown food for purchase in City institutions.
Greenbelting Toronto 2.0: Greenbelting Toronto 2.0 build’s on TEA’s successful “Greenbelting Toronto” project to further encourage adoption and implementation of Greenbelt-friendly policies by the City of Toronto. The project focuses on maintaining a stable market for Greenbelt farmers by ensuring the effective implementation of Toronto’s Local Food Procurement Policy, and growing the Greenbelt in Toronto.
Greenbelting Toronto:$250,000 March 1, 2007
Greenbelting Toronto 2.0:$150,000 June 8, 2009
The “Greenbelting Toronto” campaign has been successful in encouraging the adoption of a 50% target for local food procurement.
Our children will play a key role in shaping the future of the Greenbelt and maintaining it for generations to come, so TVO Kids is playing a vital role in its preservation by recruiting thousands of children to jump in to the Amazing Greenbelt Adventure.
Children and their parents around Ontario are experiencing the Greenbelt through an awareness and education project aimed at children aged 5-11. The project includes multimedia programming on the popular and educational TVOKids show and website, short video vignettes introduce Greenbelt treasures, and special events. The aim is for children and their families to become inspired to protect the Greenbelt and maintain it for a bright and healthy future.
$440,000 March 26, 2008
TVO Kids draws in almost 4 million viewers every week, with the TVO Greenbelt Adventure television program reaching an average of 715,000 viewers per week.
Immigrants face many obstacles when attempting to become farmers, but a new initiative by the University of Guelph’s Centre for Land and Water Stewardship helps support and ease new farmers into successful farming relationships in Ontario.
The University of Guelph’s Centre for Land and Water Stewardship supports new farmers in the Greenbelt by offering multiple tours of the regions, successfully planting plots of 6 ethno-cultural crops, and providing training and resources to help new farmers onto their feet.
$400,000 June 25, 2007
MentorLINK is an exciting internship program being established to link up new farmer interns with professionals who can provide technical farming and business planning assistance.
A new farmers’ market at Sorauren Park in Toronto’s Roncesvalles and Parkdale neighbourhoods draws Greenbelt farmers to market and showcases locally-grown ethno-cultural crops to residents of this diverse community.
The Sorauren Farmers’ Market has already proved to be wildly successful in Toronto’s downtown, open seasonally each year. The new market offers a unique newsletter, weekly educational and event programming on local food, farming and gardening, and generally raises awareness of the greenbelt through guides and brochures.
$10,000 April 18, 2008
The Sorauren Farmers’ Market hosts 17 vendors in total, 10 of which are farmers, from the Greenbelt.
Cycling is an excellent way to see and explore the immense landscapes of the Greenbelt and visit its vibrant communities, and the Bike Train makes it easier for Ontarians to jump on board and head out for a leisurely ride in our nearby Greenbelt areas.
The Greenbelt Express Toronto-Niagara Bike Train: After a successful pilot run, the Bike Train expands to create a model cycling tourism program for Niagara. The expanded program enables visitors to bring their bikes onto existing passenger trains, to encourage low impact Greenbelt tourism and healthy lifestyles.
Growth of the Greenbelt Express: This second expansion of the Toronto-Niagara Bike Train service allows cyclists of all levels more flexibility when planning their cycling adventures to the Greenbelt’s beautiful areas. The expanded program introduces increased service times, routes and destinations, aimed at increasing awareness of the Greenbelt and the diversity of cycling experiences available in Ontario.
The Greenbelt Express Toronto-Niagara Bike Train: $25,000 November 29, 2007
Growth of the Greenbelt Express: $36,750 January 19, 2009
The Bike Train has already carried over 1,000 passengers, and now offers a trip route for bikers between Toronto and Montreal
