FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 21st, 2019

GREENBELT FOUNDATION AND PARK PEOPLE ANNOUNCE SECOND YEAR OF GREENBELT RIVER VALLEY CONNECTOR PROGRAM GRANTS

Five 2019 grantees were announced 9/21 at a launch event for City of Vaughan’s – Doctors McLean Urban River Valley Outreach Project.

CITY OF VAUGHAN – Greenbelt Foundation Program Director, Shelley Petrie, announced the five 2019 Greenbelt River Valley Connector program grantees at a launch event Saturday morning in Doctors McLean Park. The event was a celebration for City of Vaughan’s project, and an announcement of all five 2019 grantees: Corporation of City of Vaughan, Friends of the Rouge Watershed, Ontario
Streams, Bowmanville Valleys 2000, and the Riverwood Conservancy.

The Greenbelt River Valley Connector Program was initiated in 2018 as a partnership between the Greenbelt Foundation and Park People. The program is in its second of three years, and supports five municipalities, conservation authorities or other groups each year in running place-based projects that engage Ontario residents with the enhancement and enjoyment of their local urban river valley.

These river valleys, which have been Greenbelt protected since 2017, are critically important waterways that flow through Canada’s most developed region. They provide a protected source of clean drinking water for 9 million Ontarians, mitigate flood risk, provide integral greenspace, and act as a natural refuge for biodiversity.

“Our Greenbelt-protected urban river valleys and associated coastal wetlands provide vital natural infrastructure for our urban centres and rural communities,” says Edward McDonnell, CEO of the Greenbelt Foundation. “In order to protect them and realize their potential for mitigating climate change impacts, we need to engage local citizens in their ongoing stewardship, which is exactly what the Connector Program is all about.”

“Last year, over 2000 people were engaged through this program. There was such great work happening across the GTA,” said Dave Harvey, Executive Director Park People. “We’re very excited to see the community impacts the projects will have this year.”

About The Greenbelt Foundation

The Greenbelt Foundation is the only charitable organization solely dedicated to ensuring that Ontario’s Greenbelt remains permanent, protected and prosperous. We make the right investments in its interconnected natural, agricultural and economic systems, to ensure a working, thriving Greenbelt for all.

About Park People

Park People supports and mobilizes community park groups, community organizers, non-profits, park professionals and funders who activate the power of parks. Through Canada-wide and city-specific programs and events, funding, resources, research and professional services we help realize the power of parks to build strong communities, healthy environments, and resilient cities.

When you are a newcomer the first months you spend in Canada can be a very busy and stressful time. Migratory process, settlement, finding a place to live, searching for a job or learning a new language are some of the challenges you face when you arrive in Canada. All this in an environment full of traffic, tall buildings, fast-changing weather and an intimidating city.

The Greenbelt Foundation’s Research & Policy team lead a group of newcomers/TDSB’ students into Rouge National Urban Park. We walked the Woodland Trail, a 4.5km roundtrip, through the woods alongside the Little Rouge Creek. For some of the students and the staff, it was their first time in the Greenbelt!

Are you a photographer? Do you know a photographer? The Greenbelt Foundation has partnered with the McMichael Art Collection of Canada to host a photo contest celebrating the Humber River Valley's 20th Anniversary as a Canadian Heritage River.

Added to the protected lands of the Greenbelt in 2017, the Humber River Valley is a critically important resource linking the rural lands of the Greenbelt to Lake Ontario, while traveling through one of the most densely populated areas in the country. 

Canada Day Weekend is upon us! With the summer in full swing it's time to take advantage of all the Greenbelt has to offer, from cycling the Greenbelt Route to barbecuing Greenbelt-grown food on the grill. To help you get started we've put together this handy guide:

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

2lbs ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves of crushed garlic2
tablespoons olive oil
fine sea salt
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable)
1/2 cup white wine
5 shakes of Tabasco (or more to taste)
10 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup of heavy cream (optional)

Working as a cook in Toronto for nearly a decade, I have experienced firsthand the amazing bounty of Ontario’s local food offerings. As Ontarians, we are fortunate to have year-round access to world class beef, pork, poultry, dairy and cheese. In the spring and summer, locally grown fruits and vegetables keep seasonal eating fresh and exciting. What all of Ontario’s local food has in common is it comes from amazingly fertile soil—an often overlooked and unsung hero.  As Local Food Week approaches, June 3-9, 2019, I think it’s important to realize that Ontario’s soil has much more to offer our communities than just delicious food; it also plays a critical role in Ontario’s environmental health and climate change resilience strategy.

From Niagara to Northumberland the Greenbelt has plenty of ways to spend the May long weekend. No matter what you’re looking for whether it be ingredients for your BBQ, a bike route, or just taking a stroll in the woods we have the resources to help you plan the best long-weekend possible.

What do you do when your canoe tips at the beginning of a 10 km journey? Carry on and support the Don!

On Sunday May 5, 2019, the Greenbelt team had a blast at Paddle the Don. Sponsored by Manulife, the annual Paddle the Don event brings together recreationalists, conservationists, and corporations to voyage Canada’s most urbanized watershed, the Don River. Over the course of 3 hours, paddlers took on 10km of rapids, portages and Canadian geese to raise awareness about the health and importance of having protected, flowing urban river valleys.