Ghosts in the Greenbelt?
Scary movies, frightening books, and creepy camp fire stories have never really appealed to me. No wait, that’s not true, they do interest me, I’m just very easily scared and therefore try my best to avoid such situations. However while working on a project here at the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, I have stumbled across a few very interesting stories related to Ontario’s Greenbelt. The stories that I came across are not your typical shadow looming in the dark of an old cottage story, but instead about abandoned towns, otherwise known as ghost towns. Contrary to what you may believe, a ghost town does not mean a town full of ghosts, it usually refers to towns that were once successful, and then were completely abandoned.
There are four towns in particular which can be found in the Greenbelt, all of which are now considered to be ghost towns. Ball’s Falls, Cheltenham Brickworks, Ballycroy, and Crook’s Hollow. Now the detective in me was definitely sparked, because I was so curious to know why these towns were abandoned, what used to go on in these towns, who lived there and where did they go. I curled up in my office chair (as much as one can curl up in an office chair) and read all four ghost town stories from start to finish. A few days later I found myself in the library with a fellow Greenbelter, looking at books about ghost towns all over Ontario.
The Greenbelt in the Caribbean Camera, June 16th 2011
"Our Greenbelt gets a world of respect, as Act plays big on global stage"
As printed in the Caribbean Camera, Canada's largest newspaper on Caribbean Affairs.
Roadtripping through the Greenbelt
Last weekend, I travelled north for a weekend in the country. One thing I realized is that you don’t have to go too far outside of Toronto until you’re deep into the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine.
A Day Trip into Ontario's Greenbelt: Devil's Punchbowl
You probably think I am hitting the pub for some local beers. Well yes, of course but that comes later! In fact, Hamilton is home to the third largest waterfall: the Devil’s Punchbowl – a one hundred metre wide, 37 metre high rock face that exposes 40 million years of geological history.
Off of the QEW, through the Niagara Escarpment and onto Ridge Road you will come up to a platform that overlooks Hamilton. From there, a trail descends down into the gorge. The first half of the hike is quite steep, but the second half evens out and there is a stairway that helps you down further. Travel up a creek and it will lead you directly into the base of the falls.
Sunny Money
Image courtesy of Essex Solar Solutions
As a student who’s on a budget, I have learned to master the art of saving money and reducing costs. Frequenting used book stores, buying half price movie tickets, and hoarding grocery store coupons are all ways of saving a few bucks here and there. But how about saving money on a large scale while also saving the planet? Well, in the Greenbelt, farmers have been given a way to do both. Green Energy is becoming all the rage.
2011 Greenbelt Harvest Picnic Tickets: Get Yours Now
If you haven't already heard, this year the Greenbelt Foundation is the title sponsor of the aptly named "Greenbelt Harvest Picnic" at Christie Lake. September Seventh Entertainment in partnership with the Hamilton Conservation Foundation have planned a great musical event in support of eating local and sustainability.
Fairmont Royal York Hotel Welcomes New Seeds
Courtesy of Ming Pao Daily News
The brilliant sun smiled upon rich fertile soil as the earth welcomed new varieties of world crops to the famous Fairmont Royal York Hotel rooftop garden. David Garcelon, Executive Chef at the Royal York Hotel, is adding fresh new ingredients to his menu this summer, thanks to Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in partnership withOntario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association. This collaboration, which started in 2010, enables the testing of new world crops in Vineland research fields and on farms in Ontario’s Greenbelt.
Rooftop Garden at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel Plants New Crops and Plans New Menu
World Crops Grown in Ontario’s Greenbelt Attracts Attention in Diverse Toronto
Photo Op: Planting of world crops on rooftop
1:00 pm Royal York Hotel, 19th Floor, Salon 4
Located at 100 Front Street West, Toronto
Climate Change Adaption: Ontario's Resilient Greenbelt
Climate Change Adaption: Ontario's Resilient Greenbelt – 4.06 MB
Natural systems in southern Ontario (like water resources, habitat, and wildlife) and human activities (like agriculture and recreation), are subject to significant climate change impacts. This report examines the potential impacts, both positive and negative, of climate change on the long-term viability of the Greenbelt. It proposes a suite of measures to adapt to these changes.
Recommended adaptation measures include:
- Integrate climate change adaptation into provincial policies that govern provincial and municipal planning processes, including the Provincial Policy Statement, the Growth Plan, and the Greenbelt Plan;
- Implement provincial measures to reduce air pollution from industrial sources and the transportation sector in order to decrease stress on natural and agricultural systems in the Greenbelt;
- Pursue improvements to water quality and supply/demand management in municipal climate change adaptation strategies;
- Promote compact growth to prevent further habitat destruction and fragmentation;
- Protect and restore habitats and reduce impervious surfaces; and,
- Adopt climate change adaptation strategies in agriculture, such as diversifying crops, undertaking practices that improve soil health, and adopting more water-efficient systems.
Conquering Cancer in the Greenbelt
“This has got to be the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” I thought, as I and 4,600 other riders cycled our way down Lakeshore Road. For two days, we were to bike 200+km from Toronto all the way to Niagara Falls in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, benefiting Princess Margaret Hospital.