Visit the Greenbelt

Cyclist? Hiker? Foodie? There's plenty to do and see in Ontario's Greenbelt. Follow the links below and start planning your Greenbelt Adventure!

Looking for local? Greenbeltfresh.ca is your guide to the Greenbelt's farms and farmers' markets. Use the interactive map to find a market near you or view the News section for in-season recipes and local food events. 

More than 475 kilometres of cycling adventures await you in the beautiful, protected countryside of Ontario’s Greenbelt. Enjoy lush forests, winding rivers, welcoming communities, and family farms, as you ride across this stunning landscape.

Take a hike! Check out our Greenbelt Walks guides and explore the Greenbelt 10,000 km trail network. 

Toronto's ravines are only a click away.

Find a Greenbelt event near you! 

Need more inspiration? Explore one of the Greenbelt's many regions, including the Hill of the Headwaters, Hamilton, Halton, and Brant, Bruce County and Niagara's wine country.

Local Food, Food and Drink, Summer, Recreation, Winter, Fall, Spring,

Tales from Niagara is a blog series focused on the people and places that make Niagara’s Greenbelt great. The series will cover everything from local businesses, to seasonal events, to life on Niagara farms. Look out for our upcoming posts to stay up-to-date and informed on exciting going-ons in Niagara's Greenbelt. 

My Dad has been a Budweiser guy for as long as I’ve known him. Growing up, we ate spaghetti and meatballs, chicken, potatoes, soup and sandwiches – on white bread. It’s not that we weren’t open to new food and drink, but hey, if it ain’t broke, then why fix it?  

That’s why, when my sixty-something year old father told me he had a new favourite craft beer, I knew it must be something special. 

To find said craft beer, we took a drive into the Greenbelt, to an old church near Niagara-On-The-Lake. Silversmith Brewing Company sits on the main stretch in downtown Virgil, population 2,325. Tucked in tight, and covered in greenery, it could be an easy place to miss. A small town secret. It was just before noon, and we were early for our 12:45 tour. I thought I’d have some time to snap a few pictures before the other tour-goers showed.  We opened the grand wooden church doors and, well, small town secret it was not. The place was packed. Like Saturday night pub kind of packed.

Local Food, Food and Drink, Recreation, TalesfromNiagara,

The end of the summer is upon us, which also foreshadows the end of the gardening season. Not to tout my own horn, but I’ve learned a few things about community gardening through overseeing the 2015 growing season of the Greenbelt Foundation's New Canadian Go Greenbelt grant. One of the grant's main purposes was to supply Chinese and South Asian crop seedlings to 14 low-income community gardens found throughout the Greater Toronto Area. 

Food and Farming, Grants, Local Food, Food and Drink,

Tales from Durham is a blog series focused on the people and places that make Durham’s Greenbelt great. The series will cover everything from local businesses, to seasonal events, to life on Durham farms. Look out for our upcoming posts to stay up-to-date and informed on exciting going-ons in Durham's Greenbelt. 

On a Saturday afternoon in August, I sat among a crowd of over 600 waiting anxiously to hear the results. Armed with Tyrone Mill’s delicious homemade donuts, we were prepared for any outcome. Then they announced it, Durham Region had broken the Guinness World-Record for the longest picnic table!

Food and Drink, Family Fun, Recreation, TalesfromDurham,

If you’re looking for fresh local food, look no further. Recently launched Greenbeltfresh.ca is your one-stop shop to discovering all the delicious food available in the Greenbelt.

Local Food, Food and Drink, Family Fun, Summer, Recreation,

Free Market Bucks Returning to Farmers’ Markets and TD Branches this Summer

Market Bucks are back!

With the support of $25,000 from TD Bank Group, the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation is connecting farmers’ markets with TD’s loyal customers in several Greenbelt communities by giving away free Market Bucks to purchase fresh and delicious local food.

Each Market Buck is redeemable for $5 worth of merchandise at select local markets. Spending Market Bucks and investing in local markets helps reduce food miles, and supports the region's farmers and Ontario's Greenbelt, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Food and Farming Grant, Local Food, Food and Drink, Family Fun, Recreation,

 
Program assistant Sam Cheuk "giving it a go" at the Regent Park Community Garden

Like most people working from an office, I get a palpable itch to be out and about while envying all that golden cascade of sunlight peeking through the office shades in summertime. Murphy’s Law dictates that when I do get the chance to be out and about for work, as I had last week jumping location to location to see one of the grants I oversee in action, the weather would refuse to cooperate.

I'm currently overseeing The Stop’s New Canadians Go Greenbelt! grant, run by Peter Mitchell, one of the most active Greenbelt Champions the Foundation's worked with. At the time I joined Peter on-site, his team had already completed the delivery of ethno-cultural crop seedlings: bok choy, napa cabbage, Chinese and Indian eggplants, Indian and Thai hot peppers, okra and bitter melon, to 14 community gardens across the GTA. These community gardens—often situated in ethnically-mixed, low-income neighbourhoods—are meant to help subsidize food costs and increase access to fresh, healthy vegetables for neighbourhood residents.   

Food and Drink, Farming,

Tales from York is a blog series focused on the people and places that make York's Greenbelt great. The series will cover everything from local businesses, to seasonal events, to life on York farms. Look out for our upcoming posts to stay up-to-date and informed on exciting going-ons in York's Greenbelt. 

If you’re on your way to the cottage or near the south shore of Lake Simcoe in Georgina at the northern end of the Greenbelt, you can find a great opportunity to experience local seasonal dishes expertly prepared at Cori’s Café.

The rustic cottage exterior hides a chic modern intimate café where chef Cori works her magic. She endeavours to use organic, local, seasonal foods as much as possible.

The cafe has won many awards since opening in 2013. It won the Small Business award in Excellence for Georgina and The Advocates Reader’s Choice for Best Salad and Best Deserts for both 2013 and 2014.  And, this year, Cori’s Café is the winner for York Region Excellence in Business for The Best Small Business in York Region!

Local Food, Food and Drink, TalesfromYork,

Photo:Tom Elgersma www.encorephoto.ca

Tales from Niagara is a blog series focused on the people and places that make Niagara’s Greenbelt great. The series will cover everything from local businesses, to seasonal events, to life on Niagara farms. Look out for our upcoming posts to stay up-to-date and informed on exciting going-ons in Niagara's Greenbelt. 

A guide to Niagara's farmers' markets

As Ontario's tender fruit capital, Niagara is a hot-spot for farmers’ markets. There's a market in nearly every municipality and no shortage of options to buy Greenbelt-grown food throughout the year.

Check out the list below for details on where you can find the freshest food each week.

Food and Farming, Food and Drink, Recreation, TalesfromNiagara,

Tales from Niagara is a blog series focused on the people and places that make Niagara’s Greenbelt great. The series will cover everything from local businesses, to seasonal events, to life on Niagara farms. Look out for our upcoming posts to stay up-to-date and informed on exciting going-ons in Niagara's Greenbelt. 

Local Niagara fruit and herbs are being used to concoct something delicious.

Dillon’s Distillery has been using locally grown grapes, cherries, and pears, coupled with select botanicals to craft a new Niagara classic. No, it’s not wine, and no, it’s not a pie - it's small-batch unfiltered gin.  

Food and Drink, Recreation, TalesfromNiagara,