Protecting Greenbelt Wetlands: How Effective is Policy? – 4.23 MB

This report presents the findings of a two-year study that investigated the extent to which new legislation, policy and stronger legal standards are serving to protect and restore wetlands in Ontario's Greenbelt.

Undertaken by Ducks Unlimited Canada, Earthroots, Ecojustice and Ontario Nature, the study comprised four components: a comprehensive analysis of the legal and policy framework, a planners survey, nine case studies and an analysis of the cumulative impact of water takings. The report examines the strengths and weaknesses of the three provincial land-use plans in effect across the Greenbelt - the Niagara Escarpment Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conversation Plan and the Greenbelt Plan, and their intersection with other law and policies relevant to wetland protection. 

Early last week the Globe and Mail featured an article on the growing popularity of world crops in Canada. Recognizing Canada’s rapidly changing demographics and the $800 million market, farmers and food retailers are beginning to seize this unique business opportunity by growing and selling world crops.

Last month, I was invited to experience one of Durham College’s most exciting accomplishments to date: an innovative teaching restaurant known as Bistro Max. Jointly run by the Hospitality Management and Culinary Skills Programme, this fine dining restaurant gives students hands-on experience in creating a luxurious environment in an unconventional setting. It’s currently run out of a local high school, Maxwell Heights Secondary, but you wouldn’t know it. A classroom with an adjacent kitchen has been remarkably transformed with impeccably set tables, silverware, polite servers, tantalizing scents from the kitchen and warm mood lighting. It’s easy to entirely forget the daytime function of the room.

Innovative planning aids advancement of food, farming and environment

By Lilian Schaer

Southern Ontario Green Spaces Map

This funding supports the creation of a Southern Ontario Green Spaces Map, a 540-square foot project which highlights all of the protected and green spaces in Ontario. The map shows who is looking after these green spaces and partners with other environmental and conservation organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Showcased at Toronto’s annual Green Living Show, the creation of this map has a value which extends far beyond an annual showcase. By teaching people the value of precious natural resources such as clean water, natural temperature control, wetlands, and forests, long-term support is generated for preserved green spaces across the province.

For Immediate Release

January 10, 2012

Attention: Southern Ontario Assignment, GTA, Urban Affairs, Food, Lifestyle, Environment

Protecting Water and Restoring Wetlands in the Greenbelt
- Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation Announces New Grants - 

(Toronto, Ontario) – Water is the focus of a new round of grants announced today by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. Five organizations have been awarded grants centred on protecting water systems and wetlands, extending the Greenbelt along major connecting waterways, and bringing more Greenbelt food into urban areas.

$400,000 grant over three years

Approximately half of all newcomers to Canada settle in the Golden Horseshoe, bringing with them their skills, energy, cultures and often, farming experience. The University of Guelph’s Centre for Land and Water Stewardship, in partnership with FarmStart, supports new farmers in the Greenbelt by offering multiple tours of the regions, successfully planting plots of six ethno-cultural crops, and providing training and resources to help new farmers onto their feet.

Photo: Northern Lights by Ethan Meleg

Part #1 Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

Tips from the Bruce Peninsula

Have no fear – the darkness is actually good for you. Darkness plays a vital role in our ecosystem, wildlife lifecycles and even our spirit. There is something truly inspirational about seeing the Northern Lights for the first time, or catching a glimpse of the Milky Way sparkling in the expanse above. 

White Pine, the Christmas tree I have always coveted. Soft, willowy, delicate - it's finally stuffed in my trunk to haul home for the holidays.

Hortons Tree Farms, located in and around Stouffville, has great tree choices – the bold and beautiful Scotch Pine is perfect for large homes, my smaller White Pine great for inner-city dwellers. The hardy northlander White Spruce is a familiar sight to Ontario campers hiking the Canadian Shield, the Balsam Firportrays the dark green forests of New Brunswick and the Douglas Fir is as imposing as the province of British Columbia from which it most famously hails. Don’t worry, all these trees are native to Ontario too. 

As someone who grew up on the banks of the Ganaraska River, these coat hooks invoke a surprising amount of nostalgia for me. See the grating on the concrete floor? Many a winter, I stood crammed in with my fellow classmates, peeling off 200 layers of snow gear, trying (and failing) to avoid getting my socks thoroughly soaked. We would proceed to cover ourselves in hot glue as we made pinecone Christmas trees and wreaths. We would walk steadily around a long table, dipping strings into a vat of melted beeswax to make tapered candles.