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Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Greenbelt Assets

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Livable Communities

The Greenbelt delivers $9.1 billion economic impact every year and 161,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Ontario depend on it. It serves as a solid anchor for the region’s agricultural, tourism and recreation industries.

Climate Change Adaption: Ontario's Resilient Greenbelt

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

This report examines the potential impacts, both positive and negative, of climate change on the long-term viability of the Greenbelt, and proposes a suite of measures that would allow for adaptation.

Ontario's Greenbelt in an International Context

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Research

An exploration of greenbelts around the world, that protect prime agricultural lands, environmentally-sensitive areas, and natural and cultural heritage features.

Cootes to Escarpment Conservation and Land Management Strategy

Tags: TYPE: Grant, INTEREST: Growth and Planning

The Royal Botanical Gardens led a collaborative to undertake a conservation and land management planning process to protect 4,000 acres of natural Greenbelt lands within the municipalities of Hamilton and Burlington.

Dollars and Sense: Opportunities to Strengthen Southern Ontario’s Food System

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

If local production expanded to replace 10% of the top 10 fruit and vegetable imports, the Ontario economy would gain close to quarter of a billion dollars in GDP and 3,400 full-time jobs.

The Agricultural System: Components, Linkages, and Rationale

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

This paper, written by Dr. Wayne Caldwell from the University of Guelph, provides an overview of the agricultural system and its component parts.

Greenbelt Farmers: Sowing the Seeds of Success

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

A close look at 9 local farm operations that are innovating and adapting their businesses to ensure economic prosperity to their families, communities, and Ontario’s $34 billion agri-food sector.

Farmland at Risk

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

Farmland makes up about half of the land area of the Greater Golden Horseshoe and represents one of the most important economic sectors of the region, contributing $11 billion and 38,000 jobs to Ontario’s economy.

Natural Heritage Features Mapping: Challenges and Best Practices

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Research

This study examines the process by which natural heritage features are mapped and communicated to the public by municipalities.

Agricultural Advisory Committees: Recognizing the Value of Agriculture in the Golden Horseshoe

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

Produced in collaboration with the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance, this report examines the structure, challenges, and successes of AACs across the region.

Greenbelt Farmers: Sustaining Soil Health

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Climate Resilience

Dig into the stories of 14 farmers who are using a variety of innovative practices to improve their soil health.

Agriculture Trends and Updates: Understanding the Greenbelt’s Unique Advantages

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

High quality soils, unique climates, and direct access to Canada’s largest market are a recipe for success for Greenbelt agriculture.

Ontario's Good Fortune: Appreciating the Greenbelt's Natural Capital

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Natural Systems

The Greenbelt delivers $3.2 billion in ecosystem services every year, making it an irreplaceable resource critical for the future of the province.

Green Infrastructure Guide for Small Cities, Towns and Rural Communities

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

By incorporating nature into the built environment, Green Infrastructure can improve water quality, reduce infrastructure costs, reduce the flood risk, and ensure our watersheds and communities are more resilient to climate change.

Tender Fruit Acreage Revitalization Initiative

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Grant

An innovative program to increase acreage in production, yields and overall quality of Niagara tender fruit, specifically peaches, nectarines, pears and plums.

Smart Prosperity Institute

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

Smart Prosperity Institute's Municipal Natural Assets Initiative (MNAI) project, successfully 'mainstreamed' decisions to protect and invest in natural capital.

Municipal Natural Assets Initiative Society

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, INTEREST: Green Infrastructure

By taking the value and role of natural assets into account, municipalities across the Greenbelt can reduce infrastructure costs and increase climate resilience.

Ancient Forest Exploration & Research

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

A hiking guide will help Ontarians discover old-growth forests in the Greenbelt, and learn about their ecological value and related conservation information.

The Shared Path Consultation Initiative

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

Park People

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Grant

A project recognizing the Greenbelt's newly protected Urban River Valleys while facilitating the use, enjoyment and stewardship of these unique spaces by local residents and tourists.

Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

An Indigenous-led pilot program that physically brands a cultural narrative on the landscape asa reminder of the deep ancestral connections of the First Nations, Métis and Indigenous communities in the Greenbelt.

Wilderness Eco-Adventures in the Bruce

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

Year-round, guided outdoor adventures on the Bruce Peninsula support environmental education, local economy and rural vitality–enhancing the benefits realized from the protected Greenbelt.

Foodshare: Strengthening Farmers' Markets

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Grant

The Greenbelt Foundation continues to support the Greenbelt Farmers' Market Network in expanding, innovating, and provide professional development to market managers.

The Stop Community Food Centre

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Grant

This grant set out to purchase and grow seedlings for 20 community gardens, showcasing world crops.

Highlighting Ontario's Natural Wonder: the Oak Ridges Moraine!

Tags: Featured Home, Stories from the Greenbelt

Formed over 12,000 years ago by advancing and retreating glaciers, the Oak Ridges Moraine currently forms the watershed divide between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe, and is the headwaters to more than 30 rivers.

A Natural Wonder: the Niagara Escarpment

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: News

Aside from the ecological benefits, the Niagara Escarpment offers some of Ontario's most beautiful and unique natural settings in which to walk, camp, cycle, or drive.

Local Leadership Matters: Ontario Municipalities Taking Action to Strengthen the Greenbelt

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

From tree planting to local food processing, this report looks at a mix of initiatives and tools 30 municipalities are using to enhance Ontario’s Greenbelt.

Winners of Photo Contest on Display in Grimsby

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: News

Press Release: 20 Winning Photos showcased at Grimsby Public Art Gallery as last stop on Photo Tour.

Friend of the Greenbelt Award Presented to David Crombie and Co-ordinated Review Panel

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: News

Press Release: The Greenbelt Foundation celebrated David Crombie and the Co-ordinated Review Advisory Panel for their leadership in enhancing and growing the Greenbelt.

Greenbelt Foundation Now Accepting Funding Applications

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

Press Release: The Greenbelt Foundation has launched two new funding streams to protect and enhance Ontario’s Greenbelt.

Small Plot Agriculture Workshop Huge Success

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: News

Press Release: Greenbelt Foundation partners with the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance and Niagara Region, workshop explores aspects of operating a small farm

Erin Soil Health Coalition Launches with Farmer Forum

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: News

Press Release: One-year pilot project will bring farmers in Erin together with citizen scientist volunteers to improve soil health

New Greenbelt River Valley Connector Program will fund projects to realize the potential of newly protected Greenbelt urban river valleys

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: News

Press Release: New program will fund projects to realize the potential of newly protected Greenbelt urban river valleys

1,000km Cycling Route Challenges Riders to Take Trip of a Lifetime Through Greenbelt and Great Lakes

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: News

Press Release: The Grand Greenbelt and Great Lakes Cycle Route takes Ontario cycle-tourism to new levels

Urban Rivers get more love with Greenbelt River Valley Connector Program grant recipients announced

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: News

Press Release: The Greenbelt Foundation and Park People are thrilled to announce the 2018 grant recipients of the Greenbelt River Valley Connector Program.

GREENBELT FOUNDATION ACCEPTING FUNDING APPLICATIONS FOR FALL GRANT ROUND

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: News

Press Release: The Greenbelt Foundation invites applications for funding to protect and enhance Ontario’s Greenbelt and its water systems in particular

New Report Shows How Climate Change Impacts Gardening

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

Press Release: “Gardening in a Changing Climate” identifies how gardeners can take action in their own yards to reduce impacts of climate change

New Report: Climate Change Impacting Birding

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

Press Release: “Birds in a Changing Climate” highlights 31 species of Greenbelt birds that are climate threatened or endangered and actions to mitigate these impacts

CLIMATE CHANGE WILL REDUCE ONTARIO’S OUTDOOR SKATING SEASON

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

Press Release: Greenbelt Foundation partners with RinkWatch to discuss how unpredictable weather could make rink-making a thing of the past for Southern Ontarians

Ducks Unlimited Canada

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Grant

A partnership with Ducks Unlimited to support the installation of a naturalized stormwater management system in a new development site.

Into the Greenbelt - Boys and Girls Club of Canada

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

Park People is engaging children, youth and families from Boys and Girls Clubs across the Greater Golden Horseshoe to visit the Greenbelt and enjoy and learn about the benefits and beauty of our natural systems and protected spaces through fun and educational day trips.

Rebuilding Consumer Trust in Farmers' Markets

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Grant

In 2018-2019, the GFMN focused on increasing the volume, diversity and sales of local food for Greenbelt farmers and raising public awareness of local agriculture.

Credit Valley Trail Master Plan

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

The Credit Valley Conservation Foundation Board has created and approved the Credit Valley Trail (CVT) Strategy.

The Greenbelt Moccasin Identifier Program - Planning Grant

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

The planning grant provided capacity to the Mississauga of the Credit First Nations to develop ideas, partnerships and workplans for Greenbelt-wide Moccasin Identifier Program to reflect the presence of First Nations on the land.

Enhancing the Resilience of the Greenbelt (Phase 1)

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

Ontario Nature is supporting the Federal government’s high profile international commitment to conserve 17% of land and freshwater by 2020.

Protecting Natural Core Areas and Corridors in the Spirit and Practice of Reconciliation (Phase 2)

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Grant

Ontario Nature is advancing the protection of natural core areas and connection corridors throughout the GGH.

Resilient Circle of Green

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

Bowmanville Valleys 2000 is enhancing access to and user-experience of the greenspaces that surround Bowmanville by creating digital wayfinding stations that build community awareness of the Greenbelt-protected Bowmanville and Soper Creek river valleys.

Find-Your-Flavour Tour in Durham

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Grant

Durham Region's Farm Fresh Marketing Association has developed an agri-tourism route that connects visitors with eight farms, allowing them to sample local products and meet the farmers who produce their food.

Greening the Rouge Watershed

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

Friends of the Rouge Watershed is engaging 2,000 youth and community volunteers to take part in restoration and stewardship initiatives within the Rouge River Watershed.

Grape Growers Celebrity Luncheon

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Grant

This fundraiser promotes local food and drink, and includes talks on best wine-growing practices, industry success stories, and goals for strengthening the local wine sector.

Thornton Bales Trailhead Improvement

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Grant

Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority is transforming the entrance to Thornton Bales Conservation Area, encouraging recreational cycling and low carbon tourism activities.

Ontario Streams: River Valley Restoration Projects

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

Ontario Streams is engaging residents and community members in Richmond Hill, Markham and Brampton to take part in stream restoration and stewardship initiatives.

Lake Simcoe Greenlands Mapping

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

Rescue Lake Simcoe Charitable Foundation is collaborating with local stakeholders and residents to identify a set of key recommendations for the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan and opportunities to reach 40% natural cover in the area - a target encouraged in the Plan.

Critters and Creeks

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

With a focus on pollinators and airborne wildlife, The Riverwood Conservancy will engage 830 volunteers and school children in hands-on restoration efforts and environmental programming. The Critters and Creeks project will build a greater understanding and appreciation for pollinators and other airborne wildlife and the important role they play in our ecosystem.

Resilient Relationships

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Grant

The Oak Ridges Moraine Land Trust is providing long-term protection and stewardship of key natural heritage and agricultural lands across the Oak Ridges Moraine and surrounding Greenbelt landscape.

Restoring and Enhancing Niagara’s Only Coldwater Resource: Twelve Mile Creek

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

Trout Unlimited Canada–Niagara Chapter is working with local landowners to improve water quality within Upper Twelve Mile Creek watershed's sensitive coldwater ecosystem.

World Wildlife Fund: Shifting the Paradigm Forum - 2019

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Grant

Shifting the Paradigm 2019 is a day-long forum led by the World Wildlife Fund designed to stimulate cross-sector conversations and actions that will accelerate progress towards creating healthy landscapes and resilient communities.

Greenbelt Protected Urban River Valleys

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: News

The addition of these waterways to the Greenbelt is an important recognition of the vital role the Greenbelt plays in protecting the hydrological features we rely on for clean drinking water, flood protection, and healthy ecosystems.

Mental Health in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

An examination of the impacts of climate change on the physical and mental well-being of youth, women and newcomers.

Gardening in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Explore how a changing climate is impacting gardening and what you can do in your own garden to take action.

Newcomers in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Based on the longer Mental Health in a Changing Climate series of reports, this short digest highlights the effects of climate change on newcomers in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

Women in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

The social positioning of women as caregivers is known to add increased psychological stress during extreme weather events. 

Youth in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Research suggests that youth are at increased risk of longterm trauma, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Birds in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Some 31 species of birds in the Greenbelt are already at risk, and will become increasingly vulnerable as climate change adds to other treats, including habitat loss.

Health in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Climate change is the greatest environmental issue of our time; it is also the greatest health issue of our era.

Hockey in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

The fate of the outdoor skating rink is symptomatic of the many challenges we must confront in the face of a rapidly changing climate.

Biodiversity in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Scientific evidence suggests that biodiversity is in decline across the globe, and that one of the drivers of this phenomenon is climate change.

Press Release: Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation to Join Greenbelt Foundation

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Natural Systems

“Moving into our 16th year, the Greenbelt Foundation looks forward to working together with the Moraine Foundation to strengthen our work as champions of conservation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe.”

Fresh Water in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Ontario has 250,000 lakes, containing about one-fifth of the world’s fresh water. Unfortunately, this unique offering could be undermined by climate change.

Natural Infrastructure in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

In partnership with York Region and Jenny Hill, Assistant Dean, Academic Planning and Governance at the University of Toronto, we're exploring the positive impacts natural infrastructure can have on a changing climate.

Press Release: Greenbelt Foundation Announces Landmark Natural Asset Management Plan in Halton

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Climate Resilience

The initiative will help the municipalities invest in the creek’s watershed as a means of cost-effectively addressing local flood-risk and water contamination in Hamilton Harbour.

Cooling Corridors: The Role of Green Infrastructure in Building Resilience to Extreme Heat

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

“Cooling Corridors..." is the first report of its kind that quantifies the positive impact that the Greenbelt’s urban river valleys have on temperature. Using climate modeling in two neighbourhoods in Peel Region, the report finds that tree canopy provides cooling benefits to local residents and that there is the opportunity to significantly increase these benefits.

Greenbelt Farmers' Market Network - Now Online

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: News

The Greenbelt Farmers Market Network is a network of over 85 markets that span Southern Ontario. With support from the Greenbelt Foundation, the network is moving to online sales to ensure farmers have an online market place and that Ontarians are still able to access fresh, local food.

Press Release: Greenbelt Foundation Report Highlights Natural Infrastructure As Valuable Economic Tool For Ontario

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

According to a report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, money spent on natural infrastructure provides a 6:1 return-on-investment.

Press Release: New Greenbelt Foundation Report Reveals Critical Cooling Effect of Tree Canopies

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

Using climate modeling in two neighbourhoods in Peel Region, the report finds that increasing the number of mature trees could lower average daily temperatures by 2 °C and at times it could feel as much as 11 °C cooler.

A Conceptual Framework to Understand the Business Case for EcoHealth in Ontario

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Press Release: First-of-its-Kind Economic Impact Assessment of the Green Infrastructure Sector in Ontario Reveals Important Contributions to the Provincial Economy

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

An Economic Impact Assessment of the Green Infrastructure Sector in Ontario

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

Investing in the Future: The Economic Case for Natural Infrastructure in Ontario

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Climate Resilience

Press Release: Report Shows that Investments in Natural Infrastructure Have Significant Economic Returns

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: News

By investing in natural areas, municipalities can save money, reduce reliance on expensive built infrastructure, mitigate the effects of extreme weather and create much-needed jobs.

Plant the Seeds: Opportunities to Grow Ontario's Fruit and Vegetable Sector

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

Press Release: Research Reveals New Ability to Expand Ontario’s $2.2 Billion Fruit & Vegetable Sector

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: News

Pollinators in a Changing Climate

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Climate Resilience

With the projected changes to our climate, it is more important than ever to understand the role pollinators play in our ability to adapt to and mitigate climate change. 

Review of Implementation of the Water Resource System in the Greenbelt

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Research

There is a need for updated and finer resolution mapping with layers that delineate surface and sub-surface hydrologic features and elements that reflect hydrologic functions.

Landmark Natural Asset Management Plan: The Grindstone Creek Project

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Grant

Press Release: Greenbelt Foundation Report Explains Climate Change’s Impact on Pollinators and How You Can Help During COVID-19

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

Growing Close to Home: Creating Complete Rural Communities

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: Research

Press Release: Seven Strategies to Improve Livability in Rural Communities

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, TYPE: News

State of Large Parks in Ontario's Golden Horseshoe

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

A Near-Urban Nature Network for the Greater Golden Horseshoe - Southern Ontario Nature Coalition

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, INTEREST: Biodiversity

While we often look to protect wilderness areas farther afield, southern Ontario is one of the most biodiverse regions in Canada—providing direct and irreplaceable eco-services to the country’s largest concentration of communities and people."

Greenbelt Foundation Announces Green Infrastructure Investments In-Line with Federal Taskforce Recommendations

Tags: Featured Home, THEME: Climate Resilience

In a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: Research

The entire Greater Golden Horseshoe region is being affected by a combination of climate change and population growth. It is now commonly accepted that current climatic changes and extreme weather impacts are just the beginning.

Natural Asset Inventories: Seeking Expressions of Interest from Local Governments

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: News

Understanding, valuing and better managing nature’s role in providing infrastructure services can play an important role in helping local governments tackle the dual challenges of recovering from the pandemic and adapting to climate change.

News Release: Climate Change Promises Profound Impacts on Southern Ontario’s Forests and Communities

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, TYPE: News

Urban Forests in a Changing Climate

Tags: THEME: Climate Resilience, INTEREST: Climate Change

Urban trees play an important role helping communities mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. Urban forests store carbon and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Now Hiring: Project Coordinator - Greenbelt Fund

Tags: TYPE: News,

Climate-Smart Agriculture: Jumpstarting Soil Health in Ontario and Canada

Tags: TYPE: Food & Farming, INTEREST: Agriculture

News Release: Increasing Access to Outdoor Recreation in Ontario this Fall

Tags: THEME: Grants, Featured Home

Farming in a Changing Climate

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Food & Farming

While farmers have always had to adapt to changing weather, year to year, global shifts in climate patterns are predicted to have significant consequences for our local and global food systems, impacting how and where we grow food.

Economic Impact Assessment of the Ontario Greenbelt

Tags: TYPE: Research, INTEREST: Climate Resilience

News Release: Ontario Farmers are Adjusting to Impacts of a Changing Climate

Tags: TYPE: News, Featured Home

Friend of the Greenbelt Award: Meet our 2020 Recipients

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: 2020 Friend of the Greenbelt Award Recipients Announced

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation Makes Pivotal Investment in Natural Asset Inventories

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

With significant support from a private donor, the Greenbelt Foundation is making its largest investment to date—over $500,000—in helping municipalities in the Greenbelt and across Canada shift to using nature to deliver critical community services, like stormwater management.

The Power of Soil: An Agenda for Change to Benefit Farmers and Climate Resilience

Tags: THEME: Food & Farming, TYPE: Research

Rivers for Resilience: Ontario Greenbelt Urban River Valleys

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: Grants

Plan to Achieve Report 2016

Tags: TYPE: Research, INTEREST: Growth and Planning

Building a Resilient Tender Fruit Industry in Ontario

Tags: TYPE: Research, INTEREST: Local Food & Drink

Farming in the Greenbelt: Possibility Grow Here

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Food & Farming

Sustaining Ontario Greenbelt

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Livable Communities

Feasibility Study for Establishing a Local Food Distribution Initiative in Niagara & Hamilton

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Food & Farming

Report Card on the Environmental Health of the Oak Ridges Moraine and Adjacent Greenbelt Lands

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Natural Systems

Statement on Growing the Greenbelt

Tags: TYPE: News, Featured Home

Especially in the context of COVID-19 and economic and social recovery, any growth of the Greenbelt will only improve the Greenbelt’s overall contribution to the region’s economy.

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation to Build on 16 Years of Work with Renewed Provincial Funding

Tags: TYPE: News, Featured Home

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation Now Accepting Funding Applications for Three Funding Streams

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Greenbelt Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, TYPE: Research

Tracking Market Farmer and Vendor Performance 2009-2015

Tags: THEME: Local Food and Drink, INTEREST: Tourism

Natural Heritage Guide

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, INTEREST: Tourism

Protecting Greenbelt Wetlands - How Effective is Policy?

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Natural Systems

Bringing Local Food Home: Legal, Regulatory and Institutional Barriers to Local Food

Tags: THEME: Local Food and Drink, TYPE: Research

News Release: The Hidden Power of Healthy Soil: Saving Canadian Agriculture from Climate Crisis

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Stewardship Groups: City of Toronto

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Stewardship Groups: Peel

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Stewardship Groups: Halton

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News Release: Ontarians are Asked to Get Involved with Greenbelt River Valley Protection

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Stories from the Greenbelt: Your Greenbelt: A Source of Pride

Tags: TYPE: News, Stories from the Greenbelt

Stewardship Groups: Durham

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Stewardship Groups: Niagara

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Stewardship Groups: York

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Stewardship Groups: Cross-Region

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Priced Out: Understanding the factors affecting home prices in the GTA

Tags: THEME: Livable Communities, INTEREST: Economic Development

Canada's Wealth of Natural Capital: Rouge National Park

Tags: THEME: Natural System, INTEREST: Economic Development

Biodiversity in Ontario's Greenbelt

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, INTEREST: Biodiversity

Carbon in the Bank: Ontario's Greenbelt and its Role Mitigating Climate Change

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, INTEREST: Climate Change

Ontario's Wealth, Canada's Future: Appreciating the Value of the Greenbelt's Ecoservices

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Natural Systems

Ontario's Local Food Champions 2012: Cultivating Change in the Broader Public Sector

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Food & Farming

Holland Marsh Agricultural Impact Study

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Food & Farming

The Holland Marsh: Challenges and Opportunities in the Greenbelt

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Food & Farming

Bruce Peninsula Conservation and Stewardship Plan

Tags: TYPE: Research, THEME: Natural Systems

News Release: New Projects Will Help Sustain the Greenbelt’s Natural and Agricultural Systems

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Stories from the Greenbelt: Our Cities Need Nature Too

Tags: TYPE: News, Stories from the Greenbelt

News Release: Ontario Coalition Identifies Opportunities for Protecting Nature in Canada’s Most Developed Areas

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Communiqué de Presse: Un organisme ontarien veut protéger la nature dans les régions les plus exploitées du Canada

Tags: TYPE: News,

Natural Infrastructure, Natural Solutions: Consider Nature

Tags: THEME: Soil Health, THEME: Natural System

Southern Ontario Nature Coalition: Un réseau de protection de la nature périurbaine dans le the Greater Golden Horseshoe

Tags: THEME: Natural Systems, INTEREST: Biodiversity

The Impacts of Linear Infrastructure Development on the Greenbelt

Tags: TYPE: Research, INTEREST: Growth and Planning

Growing the Greenbelt 2021 Consultation: Greenbelt Foundation's Submission

Tags: TYPE: Research, INTEREST: Growth and Planning

Enhancing Municipal Capacity to Support Agriculture in the Greenbelt

Tags: TYPE: Research, INTEREST: Growth and Planning

Stories from the Greenbelt: Inventory Acceleration Project

Tags: TYPE: News, INTEREST: Green Infrastructure

News Release: New Case Studies Show Nature’s Public Health and Economic Benefits

Tags: TYPE: News, Featured Home

News Release: Research Reveals $135 Million Opportunity for Ontario’s Fruit and Vegetable Sector

Tags: TYPE: News,

News Release: Shared Path to Continue Improving Municipal-Indigenous Engagement Work

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: Nine Ontario Municipalities Part of National Cohort Undertaking Natural Asset Inventories and Building Climate Resilience

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: The Moccasin Identifier Continues to Promote Indigenous Cultural Awareness in Ontario

Tags: TYPE: News, Featured Home

Stories from the Greenbelt: From Seed to Savannah

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Request for Information: Oak Ridges Moraine Trail Master Planning

Tags: INTEREST: Growth and Planning,

News Release: Southern Ontario Nature Coalition Calls for Protecting Nature in Canada's Near-Urban Areas

Tags: Featured Home, Featured News

Communiqué de Presse: La Southern Ontario Nature Coalition appelle à la protection de la nature périurbaine au Canada

Tags: TYPE: News,

Stories from the Greenbelt: Be a Nature-Based Local Tourist this Summer

Tags: TYPE: News, INTEREST: Tourism

News Release: Ontario's cyclists welcome back the Great Waterfront Trail adventure in the Bruce, Grey and Simcoe counties

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REQUEST FOR SERVICES - STRATEGIC AND PROGRAM PLANNING

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Now Hiring: Research and Policy Analyst

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Stories from the Greenbelt: The 2021 Great Waterfront Trail Adventure

Tags: TYPE: News,

A Solution to Climate Change and Biodiversity loss: Recap of the Near-Urban Nature Information Session

Tags: TYPE: News,

Now Hiring: Senior Media and Communications Officer

Tags: TYPE: News,

Are you passionate about telling stories and engaging the public on environmental, agricultural, and planning issues? If you are looking to work with a great team for a good cause, this might just be the career move for you!

News Release: 85,000 New Trees and Vines Will Strengthen the Resilience of Niagara’s Tender Fruit Sector

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE:News

Stories from the Greenbelt: Our Forests – Continually Giving

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: Report Reveals How Ontario Municipalities Can Better Support Local Agriculture

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: Native Plant Nursery Will Contribute to Increased Natural Cover and Climate Resilience

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation Unveils New Signage to Improve Accessibility of Oak Ridges Moraine Trail

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

News Release: EcoSchools Canada will Engage Students as Protectors of Biodiversity in the Greenbelt

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Stories from the Greenbelt: Uncovering the Essence of Rural Ontario with the Greenbelt Discovery Routes

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Healthy Soil? What it is and Why it Matters: A free webinar with David Montgomery and some local soil champions

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: Research

News Release: Forests Ontario and the Greenbelt Foundation Partner to Enhance Forest Cover

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE: News

Forests Ontario and the Greenbelt Foundation are working together to increase natural forest cover on private land throughout the Greenbelt.

Statement: York Regional Council Decision Proposes to Weaken Greenbelt Protections

Tags: Featured Home, TYPE:News

Friend of the Greenbelt Award: Meet our 2021 Recipients

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The 2021 recipients of the Friend of the Greenbelt Foundation are being recognized for innovative solutions to COVID-19 response and recovery—Conservation Ontario and Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network.

News Release: 54 Million Trees Needed to Prepare Greater Golden Horseshoe for a More Climate Resilient Future

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The federal Two Billion Trees commitment can prepare Canada’s urban areas for the future and reverse biodiversity loss where it is most at risk.

54 Million Trees: Seeding Climate Resilience Across Southern Ontario

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The federal Two Billion Trees commitment can prepare Canada’s urban areas for the future and reverse biodiversity loss where it is most at risk.

1 Million Greenbelt Trees: Seeding climate resilience in Near-Urban Nature

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The IUCN World Congress has officially recognized the value of peri-urban natural areas as part of urban infrastructure and urgently requested the acceleration of their protection and restoration.

The Greenbelt Value of Nature Survey for Recreation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

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“The Greenbelt Value of Nature Survey for Recreation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe” is a new report that examines Ontarians’ participation, awareness, and investments in nature-based activities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH).

News Release: Study Shows Pandemic Increased Time Spent in Nature

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Over a one-year period, approximately 3.7 million people travelled to a Greenbelt destination to engage in a nature-based activity, according to a new report released by Greenbelt Foundation.

Stories from the Greenbelt: What Your Food Ate

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Soil health is receiving a lot of well-earned attention at the moment. It’s role in climate mitigation and adaptation is becoming ever more important. Food, farming and soil health were on the agenda at the recent Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 summit with some positive developments.

Request for Proposal: Oak Ridges Moraine Trail Strategy Development

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Q&A: Oak Ridges Moraine Trail Strategy Development Request for Proposal:

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Stories from the Greenbelt: Highlights of An Eventful Year

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My year at the Greenbelt Foundation has been an eventful one, to say the least. One could define it as a year of business as unusual given the global pandemic and ongoing climate crisis from extreme heat waves to floods. What kept me going was the number of innovative projects and excellent collaborations with Foundation team members and brilliant partners.

The State of Ecosystem Compensation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

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The State of Ecosystem Compensation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe is a new report that assesses ecosystem compensation practices and protocols. In Ontario, natural heritage systems, natural hazard lands, and natural features and systems are protected through multiple policies at the provincial and municipal levels.

Municipal Green and Natural Asset Management: Case Studies in the Greater Golden Horseshoe

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Municipal Green and Natural Asset Management: Case Studies in the Greater Golden Horseshoe is a new report that seeks to advance understanding about natural asset management in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH).

Towards a Business Case for Soil Health: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge on the Economics of Soil Health Practices in Ontario

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Towards a Business Case for Soil Health: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge on the Economics of Soil Health Practices in Ontario addresses key recommendations from The Power of Soil: An Agenda for Change to Benefit Farmers and Climate Resilience, which was released by the Greenbelt Foundation earlier this year.

News Release: 2021 Friend of the Greenbelt Award Recipients Announced

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Today, the Greenbelt Foundation announced Conservation Ontario and Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network as recipients of the 2021 Friend of the Greenbelt Award.

Stories from the Greenbelt: More Than a Highway Sign - Ontario's Greenbelt

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Many of us recognize them: friendly green and white signs peppered along our roads and highways. If you look closely, past the car exhaust and overpasses, you will notice they are usually accompanied by deep green forests, thriving wetlands, or rushing rivers.

Now Hiring: Communications Intern - Website Assistant

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Are you passionate about telling stories and engaging the public on environmental, agricultural, and planning issues? If you are looking to work with a great team for a good cause, this might just be the career move for you!

Now Hiring: Senior Research and Policy Analyst

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Come help make a difference to the future of southern Ontario, leading impactful and diverse projects, working collaboratively with a variety of partners and organizations.

Stories from the Greenbelt: The Benefits of Escaping into Nature

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For the majority of Ontarians, the amount of time spent in nature has increased during the pandemic.  Whether that means going for a walk in a nearby park or cycling along the shores of Lake Ontario, a lot of us have turned to nature for the many benefits it provides

Now Hiring: Communications and Engagement Advisor

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Are you passionate about telling stories and engaging the public on environmental, agricultural, and planning issues? We are looking for an individual to provide communications and engagement advisory services on a fee for service basis (contractor).

Understanding How Greenbelt Agriculture Feeds the Regional Economy and Greenbelt Farmers: Economic Network Case Studies

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Understanding How Greenbelt Agriculture Feeds the Regional Economy is a new study that details the significant contribution of agriculture in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) to other sectors of the economy. Home to a quarter of Canada’s population and responsible for two thirds of Ontario’s economic activity, the GGH is essential to the province of Ontario. Within the GGH is another important region, the Greenbelt.

News Release: Benefits from Greenbelt Agriculture Sector Ripple through Ontario’s Economy

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The Greenbelt’s agri-food sector generated an estimated $4.1 billion in GDP and close to 59,000 jobs in 2020, according to new reports published today by Greenbelt Foundation, with support from the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance.

News Release: Soil Health Practices a Win-Win-Win for Farmers, Profit, and the Planet

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Improving soil health across the country will provide many benefits. Through shifts in farm practices, we can sustain farm incomes, strengthen food security, stabilize water cycles, contribute to human health, and conserve biodiversity."

News Release: Improved Trail in Uxbridge Promotes the Benefits of Outdoor Recreation

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Supported by the Greenbelt Foundation, improvements to the trail will allow year-round access for local residents and tourists alike, and enhanced signage will highlight specific features of the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine, where Uxbridge is located. The trail improvement project promotes the benefits of outdoor recreation and being in nature, such as increased mental and physical well-being and a deeper understanding of and connection to the land.

Improving Access to Large Parks in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe: Policy, Planning, and Funding Strategies

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In partnership with Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Re:Public Urbanism, and the Ontario Parks Association, Improving Access to Large Parks in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe: Policy, Planning, and Funding Strategies presents an analysis of current and planned large park distribution and accessibility within the Golden Horseshoe (GH) region, and proposes strategies to overcome barriers to the equitable funding, planning, and establishment of new large parks in the region.

Upcoming Webinar: Improving Access to Large Parks in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe: Policy, Planning, and Funding Strategies

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Please join the Greenbelt Foundation and the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition (GIO) at our upcoming webinar launching our new report: Improving Access to Large Parks in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe: Policy, Planning, and Funding Strategies.

Statement: The Greenbelt Foundation Supports the Expansion of the Greenbelt to Include Additional Urban River Valleys

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The Greenbelt Foundation supports these proposed additions to the Greenbelt. Urban River Valleys are essential connectivity corridors between the suburban and rural lands of the Greenbelt and Lake Ontario, providing our communities with greenspaces to explore, clean water and air, and reduced flood risks.

Stories from the Greenbelt: The Comeback Story

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Conservation Authorities, 36 in total across Ontario, are dedicated to protecting, restoring and enhancing our local natural environment on a watershed basis. A watershed is the area of land that all drains into a single body of water, like a river. The health of land and water, and our communities, are all connected. And the actions we take on land, whether it’s building new roads and buildings, growing our food, or planting trees, has an impact our rivers.

News Release: The Golden Horseshoe Region is Growing, and So Must its Parkland

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Over two million people in the Golden Horseshoe are living in neighbourhoods with low accessibility to parks, which is regrettable given the mental and physical health benefits of being in nature have never been clearer.

Greenbelt Foundation Housing Affordability Task Force Submission

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The Greenbelt Foundation is pleased to issue a submission on the important job the Government has undertaken to increase housing affordability for Ontarians.

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation Supports Three Urgent Projects that Protect and Enhance Nature in Canada’s Most Developed Areas

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The Greenbelt Foundation has announced targeted investment for three projects that address key recommendations of the Southern Ontario Nature Coalition (SONC), to protect biodiversity where it is most at risk and value near-urban nature’s ability to strengthen climate resilient communities.

News Release: Niagara Peninsula Aims for Ontario’s First UNESCO Global Geopark Designation

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With support from the Greenbelt Foundation, Niagara Peninsula Aspiring Global Geopark (NPAGG) is aiming to secure a UNESCO Global Geopark designation and has developed a broad partnership that includes tourism, conservation, academic, agricultural, and Indigenous organizations. Following approval, the Niagara Peninsula will become Ontario’s first UNESCO Global Geopark and the sixth in Canada.

News Release: Shake Up The Establishment Launches Podcast Series About the Greenbelt

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The Greenbelt Foundation is pleased to support Shake Up The Establishment’s new podcast series that will enhance youth involvement in the Greenbelt. Podcast lovers, nature enthusiasts, and those wishing to learn more about the Greenbelt will enjoy listening to wide range of topics that delve into the features and benefits of the Greenbelt from a climate-action lens.

Stories from the Greenbelt: Introducing the Southern Ontario Seed Strategy

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More than ever, we are looking to native plants to heal the landscape, but ecologically appropriate plants can be difficult to produce at the scale restoration projects demand and called for by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. What can we do in southern Ontario where native plants have been removed from over 80 per cent of the landscape?

Request for Proposals: Conference Organizing Services

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The Greenbelt Foundation is seeking to procure the services of an Event Management Agency or Independent Event Planner. The Foundation is planning for the second Ontario Global Greenbelts Conference in September 2023. This RFP provides the background, intent, and expectations for the project to allow prospective bidders an opportunity to submit a competitive proposal for this exciting project. 

Stories from the Greenbelt: The Greenbelt Through My Lens

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The work of an inspiring conservationist in the Oak Ridges Moraine, the forming of the iconic Bruce Trail, the creation of an organic hops farm - these are the stories and experiences I get to share.

News Release: Canadian Public Relations Society Recognizes Greenbelt Foundation’s Excellent Communications Program on the Significance of Protecting Nature

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Greenbelt Foundation’s communications campaign Near-urban nature, far-reaching solutions to promote a Southern Ontario Nature Coalition (SONC) project has been honoured at the national level with two 2022 Awards of Excellence by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS).

Stories from the Greenbelt: Regenerative Soil Health Practices Help Reduce Weeds

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Like taxes, weeds are a fact of life. But what are weeds? They are just plants growing in the wrong place. Growing crops for a living means reducing the impact of weeds that can outcompete your crops by taking the available moisture and nutrients. Weeds and pests can reduce yields, farm income, and profits, regardless of the type of production system: be it grains and oilseeds, vegetables, fruit, organic, or otherwise.

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation Grant Helps Black and Indigenous Youth Form a Meaningful Connection to Nature

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The Local Explorers program supports Black and Indigenous youth (girls aged 11-17) to cultivate a connection to nature that can be found all around them in creative and sustainable ways. The new program is a partnership between Green Thumbs Growing Kids and Project Canoe, and the project leaders are Black and Indigenous.

Greenbelts Around the World Responding to Local and Global Challenges

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Greenbelts Around the World Responding to Local and Global Challenges examines how greenbelts are evolving to respond to current and emerging conditions found within cities and regions around the world, as an update to the Greenbelt Foundation’s global greenbelt research first published in 2010."

News Release: New Global Research Reveals Protection of Greenbelts Now More Critical Than Ever to Adapt to the Growing Threat of Climate Change

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The protection and enhancement of greenbelts around the world is more important than ever to the future of the cities and regions in which they exist. That is one of the key findings of a new report that shows how greenbelts, or natural areas with protected land-use policies, are evolving globally to respond to current and emerging conditions.

Now Hiring: Short term Contract Housing Affordability

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Stories from the Greenbelt: Near-Urban Nature and Achieving Canada’s Protected Areas Targets

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In southern Ontario, municipalities and Conservation Authorities (CAs) play an essential role in conserving natural areas and greenspace, which are vital in preserving biodiversity and enhancing climate change resilience.

Now Hiring: Director of Communications

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Are you passionate about engaging the public and key stakeholders in creative and impactful ways? Interested in working across a diverse set of issues areas including environmental sustainability, food and agriculture, as well as regional planning? If you are looking to work with a great team for a good cause, this might just be the career move for you!

Stories from the Greenbelt: Sip, Savour and Cycle with the Greenbelt Foundation and Waterfront Regeneration Trust this Fall

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Ontario's Waterfront Trail and Greenbelt Route offer great cycling experiences every season. From August 7-12, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust (WRT), in partnership with the Greenbelt Foundation, CAA and Simcoe County, hosted a six-day, 450-kilometre   event. The 2022 Great Waterfront Trail Adventure (GWTA) featured a circular route, starting and ending at the Blue Mountains, and it took riders from South Georgian Bay's coastline to Lake Simcoe's shores and back.

Stories from the Greenbelt: The Future of Ontario's Farmland

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When I began my master’s in Rural Planning and Development at the University of Guelph, I wanted to learn new ways to integrate community development and agricultural systems. My hope was to find a model of development that would reconnect people to Ontario’s farmland, which provides our communities with nutritious food, stimulates local economies, and can be a key player in fighting climate change.

How Ontario Municipalities Can Support the Greenbelt

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Research consistently shows more than 9 in 10 Ontarians across the political, demographic and geographic spectrum support the Greenbelt. Municipalities play a key role in supporting the Greenbelt as the implementers of provincial plans and policies that align with local priorities.

News Release: Support from the Greenbelt Foundation helps Ontario Tender Fruit Growers strengthen the economic viability of the Niagara product 

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The Greenbelt Foundation is celebrating the success of the Ontario Tender Fruit Tree and Vine Program with project partner Ontario Tender Fruit Growers, who undertook the first round of planting in the 2016-17 season.

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation funds critical restoration work in the Ganaraska Forest

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This devastating storm caused damage that can’t be easily reversed. We must come together to respond to extreme weather events, supporting rehabilitation projects that build climate resilience."

Stories from the Greenbelt: My experience hiking 900 kilometers on the Bruce Trail

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After five weeks on the Bruce Trail, listening to the sound of hiking poles grinding on the narrow path and seeing the final cairn surrounded by the people we loved, my hiking partner Sima and I rounded the last corner of the trail in Tobermory. We had started bright and early on April 25, 2022 in Niagara Falls, and on June 3, we finally reached the end of our journey. We had arrived. Feelings of exhaustion and accomplishment washed over me. What does it mean to start a journey? What does it mean when it ends?

News Release: Greenbelt Foundation grant helps Earth Rangers create the next generation of conservationists in Ontario

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With renewed support from the Greenbelt Foundation of $125,000, Earth Rangers will educate the next generation on the importance of protecting nature through Greenbelt-themed “missions”, school assemblies and classroom resources, and six community events. The project – called “Education and Action in the Greenbelt: Creating the Next Generation of Conservationists in Ontario” – builds on the success of programming launched in 2019. It was developed with the goal of inspiring kids and their families across the Greenbelt and the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) to interact with and protect the natural environment around them.

Municipal Finances and Growth Planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe: Opportunities for Better Integration to Support Smart Growth

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Municipal Finances and Growth Planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe: Opportunities for Better Integration to Support Smart Grow explores the link between the management of municipal finances and growth management, especially in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) region. The report's purpose is to show how growth planning and financial management are intimately interrelated and have the potential to be more mutually supportive than is currently the case. 

News Release: New research calls for more integrated financial and land-use planning in Ontario municipalities for sustainable urban growth

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A new report by the Greenbelt Foundation, titled Municipal Finances and Growth Planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, looks at how financial and land management are closely tied together and should be mutually supportive to create a sustainable growth model for Ontario municipalities. The findings show that more efficient and integrated planning is needed to ensure municipal governments are generating revenue to address the financial needs of new development and infrastructure projects, or in other words, growth should pay for more of the costs associated with growth.

Stories from the Greenbelt: A Resilient Greenbelt and Rouge National Urban Park

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I’m on a bus full of happy day-trippers chatting about their September excursion. They have just had an outing to Rouge National Urban Park, courtesy of Park Bus – a non-profit enterprise that connects people with nature through free transit to parks around Toronto. I’ve volunteered to be the bus coordinator today, and I’ve brought my 10-year-old daughter, Clara, along for the adventure.

Stories from the Greenbelt: Growth, municipal finances, and integrated planning – What’s the Greenbelt connection?

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The phrase “growth pays for growth” is an oft-heard although seriously misleading refrain, one that seems almost designed to put our minds to rest about how governments pay for growth. If growth pays for itself, after all, what is there to worry about? Despite this mesmerizing mantra, municipal finance is becoming an increasingly “hot” topic in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) as land and housing prices escalate, municipal infrastructure debt climbs, and there is increasing pressure on households in terms of property taxes and user fees.

Now Hiring: Soil Health Specialist

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The Greenbelt Foundation is recruiting a Soil Health Specialist to assist with our soil health assessment initiative. This four-year project has a dynamic team of soil scientists, researchers and educators, working together to assess and promote beneficial management practices (BMPs) on Greenbelt farms to increase climate resilience, improve biodiversity, and build productivity and profitability for farmers.

Stories from the Greenbelt: 2022 Year in Review

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The past year saw some incredible milestones and accomplishments at the Greenbelt Foundation, along with some of the biggest challenges we’ve faced to date. We continue to be inspired by the work of our partners and grantees and our collective ability to strengthen and realize the full potential of the Greenbelt.

Now Hiring: Manager, Greenbelt Natural Asset Management Program

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A Greenbelt for all seasons: Reflections from a guide on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula

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A recreational journey across woodlands and coastline can, in fact, be the catalyst for great change. Inspiring curiosities in both young and old, and to teach those who thought their days of learning were long at an end, is the grand endeavor upon which a guided tour is embarked.

Join the Greenbelt Foundation's Free Soil Health Sampling Program

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Improve your soils, farm business and community! A new 4-year program aims to measure soil health in Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. This will provide valuable insights to farmers about the current health of their soil and potential for improvement.

Stories from the Greenbelt - Summer memories: Learning new skills and meeting people in the Greenbelt

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I grew up in Bradford, surrounded by the Greenbelt so I’d gotten used to seeing Greenbelt signs along the roads and highways. They almost blended into the landscape after so many years of driving past them. The Greenbelt logo had become for me as much a part of the surrounding area as the farms and streams. I thought I was familiar with the Greenbelt Foundation, but I actually knew very little. As part of the Environmental Visual Communication program at Fleming College in partnership with the Royal Ontario Museum, I completed a summer placement in 2022 as a Communications Intern with the Greenbelt Foundation.

Stories from the Greenbelt: Restoring a Greenbelt Swamp, 2 decades in the making

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Restoring a wetland takes time, dedication, and leadership. More than 20 years ago, Conservation Halton staff proposed the idea of restoring a wetland in the Grindstone Creek watershed located in a municipal park within the City of Hamilton. At the time, the project wasn’t aligned for success. Fast forward two decades, we had strategic alignment, and the seeds of opportunity were ready to be sown.

Stories from the Greenbelt: A thriving partnership with Earth Rangers.

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The Greenbelt’s current value is enormous, but its future value is immeasurable. Climate change will continue to put pressure on southern Ontario, but the Greenbelt can help ensure we remain resilient in its face."

Now Hiring: Soil Health Sampling Specialist

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Stories from the Greenbelt : Taking Action with EcoSchools Canada

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Schools across Canada — particularly those in and around the Ontario Greenbelt — have been learning about this biodiverse area and exploring the biodiversity in their own schoolyards through the “Taking action in the Greenbelt with EcoSchools Canada” project, funded by the Greenbelt Foundation. The project has provided schools with resources and funding to support learning and action on this important and timely topic!

News Release: New Soil Health Program Will Improve Profits for Ontario Farmers, Boost Sustainability for the Region

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The Greenbelt Foundation is providing Ontario farmers the opportunity to measure and evaluate the impact of different beneficial management practices (BMPs) on soil health. Through a regionally unique Soil Health Testing Program, the Foundation and the US-based Soil Health Institute will advance soil health assessment and management across Ontario, improving profits for farmers, boosting the strength of local food systems, and furthering Ontario’s ecological sustainability goals.

Stories from the Greenbelt: Taking Steps Together to Cover the Greenbelt in Moccasins

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June is Indigenous History Month in Ontario. It’s an opportunity for all Ontarians to learn about Indigenous Peoples, the foundations of Canada and what it means to uphold our responsibilities as Treaty Partners.

Greenbelt Foundation Celebrates Planting Half a Million Trees with Forests Ontario

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The Greenbelt Foundation, Forests Ontario, their planting partners and local political figures gathered in Richmond Hill to celebrate the planting of 500,000 trees on private and public land in the Greenbelt and its river valleys over the last two years – but the planting is far from over.

Now Hiring: Senior Grants Officer

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Stories From the Greenbelt: Working together to increase forest cover and improve climate resilience in communities across Ontario’s Greenbelt

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It was clear that the efforts paid off as we stood amongst newly planted trees and were surrounded by trees that were planted years before that were growing and thriving."

Health-Informed Heat Mitigation Approach: Case Study of The Regional Municipality of York

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The Greenbelt Foundation’s latest research report, Health-Informed Heat Mitigation Approach: Case Study of The Regional Municipality of York with University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University introduces a novel framework that emphasizes the crucial role of greenery cover in protecting people from heat stress and building environmental resilience to climate change.

Now Hiring: Data Management Specialist

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News Release: Extreme Heat Study Reveals the Power of Green Spaces in Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change

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xtreme heat events are predicted to rise in the Greater Toronto Area from 20 days per year to 66 days per year by 2050, leading to increased risk of heat-related illnesses and mortality. A new study Health-Informed Heat Mitigation Approach: Case Study of The Regional Municipality of York introduces a novel framework that highlights the importance of greenery cover in protecting people from heat stress and building environmental resilience to climate change.

Stories From the Greenbelt: Ontario’s Greenbelt in a Global Context

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Greenbelts are becoming increasingly important in the face of mounting global challenges, such as climate change and extreme weather events, disruption in global food systems, rising energy prices, and water quality and supply.

Statement on Permanently Protecting Ontario’s Greenbelt

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Request for Proposal: Tracking Integration of Natural Assets into Municipal Asset Management Plans

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Request for Proposals: Greenbelt Indicators – Data Analysis and Report Writing

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The Greenbelt Foundation's Statement on the Ontario Government’s Announcement of Permanent Protection for the Greenbelt

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Stories From the Greenbelt: Country Cruising Through the Greenbelt

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Creating an appealing rural cycling route should include peaceful country roads, secluded limestone rail trails, picturesque waterfront paths, places to grab a meal, and spots perfect for capturing a selfie or group photo. "

Request for Proposals : Re-envisioning the ‘Into the Greenbelt’ grant program

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Stories from the Greenbelt: Canadian Geographic's Mini-Forest Summit

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The Summit’s purpose was to bring experts, implementors and funders together to increase mini-forest awareness as a nature-based solution while identifying opportunities to accelerate the deployment of these forest practices across Canada. "

Now Hiring: Senior Advisor, Social and Digital Media

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Stories from the Greenbelt: The Importance of Natural Asset Management within the Greenbelt

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I am deeply committed to enhancing and restoring the Greenbelt's overall health, while also supporting sustainable community services, climate mitigation, and adaptation efforts.

2023 Year in Review: A Growing and Prosperous Greenbelt

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Reflecting on a truly unprecedented year at the Greenbelt Foundation, I am struck by the milestones and accomplishments that our team achieved working with our partners and grantees. We continue to be inspired by their work and our collective ability to strengthen and realize the full potential of the Greenbelt."

Stories From the Greenbelt: Soil That Feeds Ontarians

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Soil health testing provides an understanding of how well soil performs all of its functions...and how it's being preserved for the future."

Stories From the Greenbelt: Ontario’s Greenbelt as a Community of Support

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For this month’s Stories from the Greenbelt to celebrate 19 years of the Greenbelt, we caught up with Cheryl Weldon, Director of Community Relationships & Partnerships, who shared her story of growing up in the Greenbelt both before and after it’s inception. She discusses what that community means, and how it has impacted her work running the Foundation’s development department.

The Greenbelt Foundation Receives $12 Million Funding Renewal from the Ontario Government

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Paddling Up the Rouge River Through the Years

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The first time I paddled the Rouge River, I was alone. I drove a kayak to the Rouge Hill parking lot at the eastern edge of Scarborough, where the river’s mouth feeds into Lake Ontario. As a former summer camp canoe trip, I was determined to make my hobby work in the city and find enjoyable paddling experiences hidden between the concrete and asphalt-laden streets of Toronto. The Rouge River didn’t disappoint.

Request for Proposals: Housing Needs and Actions for the Agricultural Sector in Rural Greenbelt Communities

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Stories from The Greenbelt: Green Communities Canada and the Network of Nature Plant Mini Forests

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Mini forests also known as Miyawaki Forests, are dense, biodiverse pockets of trees planted through a strategy developed by Dr. Akira Miyawaki in the 1970s. Designed for urban environments, mini-forests are bringing the natural woodlands and tree canopies to cities in Canada

Local Governments Recognize the Importance of Natural Asset Management

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Establishing the state of natural assets in Southern Ontario is one of the complexities this guide can assist. The document can help define the geographic scope, inventory, condition, and replacement costs while incorporating risk and criticality"

Stories From the Greenbelt: Keeping Uxbridge Clean: Provincial Day of Action on Litter

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New Release: Ontario Schools Protect Greenbelt’s Biodiversity and Native Plant Species through EcoSchools Program

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EcoSchools Canada’s Take Action in the Greenbelt program provides resources for schools across Ontario to learn about native plants and biodiversity."

News Release: Solutions for Addressing Loss of Public Park Space

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The greatest need for recreation and biodiversity conservation are within the nation’s most urban regions, which also have high levels of private land ownership"

Integrating Private Lands in Large Park Networks– Case Studies and Recommendations

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The report highlights key recommendations to update existing government conservation and land securement programs for private lands such as the Ecological Gifts Program and Natural Heritage Conservation Program, to reflect these goals."

Stories from The Greenbelt: 2024 Friend of the Greenbelt Award Recipient Interview: Chief R. Stacey Laforme

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The Greenbelt offers an invaluable opportunity to experience nature. Regardless of where the idea originated, its core concept is to care for Mother Earth.”

Stories From The Greenbelt: Attending the 79th Soil and Water Conservation Society International Annual Conference

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Soil health is crucial not only for agricultural productivity but also for maintaining the ecological balance and sustainability of natural landscapes.

Stories From The Greenbelt: Come for a Ride and Discover So Much More: The 2024 Great Lakes Waterfront Trail Adventure Cycling Tour

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If you have ever envisioned yourself cycling along one of the picturesque landscapes of Lake Superior, Lake Huron North Channel, and Manitoulin Island, the 2024 GWTA recently granted cyclists the opportunity to transform that vision into reality."

Request For Proposals: Maintaining the Policy Framework in Place for Ontario’s Greenbelt

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News Release: Greenbelt Foundation Celebrates National Forest Week with 1 Million Trees in the Greenbelt Program to Enhance Forest Systems While Educating Communities

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Greenbelt Foundation Celebrates National Forest Week with 1 Million Trees in the Greenbelt Program to Enhance Forest Systems While Educating Communities

Stories From The Greenbelt: 2024 Greenbelt Summer Towns Tour

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At the beginning of the summer, the Greenbelt Foundation’s Comms Team embarked on a brand new social campaign highlighting local tourism within the Greenbelt. When presented with the opportunity to go, I jumped at the chance!

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