Towards a Business Case for Soil Health: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge on the Economics of Soil Health Practices in Ontario mobilizes current knowledge to help build the business case for soil health on farms in southern Ontario to aid decision making by farmers and their advisors. It is the first comprehensive presentation of the state of soil health economic information for southern Ontario.

This new research from the Greenbelt Foundation, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Guelph, addresses one of the main recommendations from The Power of Soil: An Agenda for Change to Benefit Farmers and Climate Resilience report to “make the business case for soil health.”  That initial report was released by the Greenbelt Foundation and Équiterre in 2021.

Benefits from Greenbelt Agriculture Sector Ripple through Ontario’s Economy

New reports provide rare insight into economic impacts and life histories of Greenbelt farmers

TORONTO, February 28, 2022—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. The first report, titled Understanding How Greenbelt Agriculture Feeds the Regional Economy, details agriculture’s economic contribution to the Greenbelt and Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH). The second report, titled Greenbelt Farmers: Economic Network Case Studies, focuses on qualitative case studies of seven local Greenbelt farms.  

Created with support from the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance, two new Greenbelt Foundation reports provide rare insight into the economic impacts and life histories of Greenbelt Farmers. The first report, titled Understanding How Greenbelt Agriculture Feeds the Regional Economy, details agriculture’s economic contribution to the Greenbelt and Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH). The second report, titled Greenbelt Farmers: Economic Network Case Studies, focuses on qualitative case studies of seven local Greenbelt farms.  

The Benefits of Escaping into Nature

February 24th, 2022

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. As for me, I have explored nearby ponds to watch the painted turtles basking in the late afternoon sun and even saw my first bullfrog this past summer!  I’ve spent many weekends exploring the Cambridge to Paris Rail-Trail, which lines the Grand River, to see the Canadian Geese raising their young.  

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). 

The Greenbelt Foundation is an independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting and sustaining Ontario’s Greenbelt. The Foundation is focused on making the right investments in the interconnected natural, hydrological, and economic systems that Ontario's Greenbelt protects. By ensuring continuous, progressive investment in the Greenbelt, the Foundation nurtures a living, thriving Greenbelt for all to enjoy. 

The Communications and Engagement Advisor will provide the following services: 

• Assist in creating and building a culture of engagement and public support for the Greenbelt, working closely with members of the Communications Team 
• Coordinate with various departments and staff to generate high quality content in a fast-paced environment, while maintaining the organization’s brand and tone 
• Inform and execute on the Foundation’s digital strategy, including: 
• Ensuring the Foundation’s website is up to date, 
• Managing all social media assets, including paid promotions 
• Create digital and print assets including but not limited to: video and photo content, marketing collateral, report and document design, and other. 
• Monitoring and reporting on web and social analytics 
• Refining and monitoring Google Ad Words 
• Creating and disseminating monthly newsletter 
• Assist with the Greenbelt Foundation media relations, urgent issues, and message matrix development, and contribute to the management of broader communications initiatives, including strategic planning, public launches, and campaign execution. 
• Maintain a robust and up-to-date content calendar and manage our digital publishing workflow to ensure that all relevant content is disseminated in an intentional and effective manner. 
• Coordinate and support event planning and execution. 
• Support and contribute to the development and execution of a comprehensive donor engagement plan, which supports the Foundation in reaching its fundraising goals 
• Support the implementation of donor stewardship and recognition activities across all Foundation departments. 
• Work with our strategy team to develop campaigns to recruit, educate, and activate supporters.
• Maintain accurate data and plans for donor relations and stewardship activities 
• Managing photo and video content 
• Engage with and respond to the public on issues related to the Greenbelt online 
• Help with other duties in the Communications department and across the Foundation as required 
• Conduct all other services as needed 

 
Qualifications 

• A university degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field. 
• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in writing and editing communications materials for multiple platforms 
• Strong writing skills – demonstrated experience producing high-quality writing for a range of audiences with minimal revision. 
• Strong video production and editing skills - demonstrated experience producing high-quality writing for a range of audiences with minimal revision. 
• Strong editing and proof-reading skills. 
• Media relations experience – passion for news media and understanding of the contemporary news landscape. 
• Fundraising communications experience including donor stewardship. 
• Experience in project management with a commitment to owning and leading projects to ensure success. Ability to balance multiple projects and maintain a flexible schedule. 
• Strong relationship management skills to work with various Foundation departments, partners and vendors. 
• Working knowledge of and comfort with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) 
• Accreditation from the Canadian Public Relations Society or International Association of Business Communicators is an asset. 
• Experience with agricultural, environmental and land use policies will be considered an asset. 

 
Compensation: Contractor (Fee for Service) 
Location: Downtown Toronto, easily accessible by public transportation. Depending on public health measures, may work from home or hybrid between home and office. 

 
TO APPLY: 

Applications should be received no later than Tuesday, March 10, 2022. This is a contract position available immediately – approximately 3-5 days a week. Work will primarily be conducted virtually although in-person work will be required. Remuneration commensurate with education and experience, between $25-$30/hour 

To apply for this contract position, submit a cover letter and resume here.

The Greenbelt Foundation thanks all applicants for their interest, but only successful candidates will be contacted. 

More Than A Highway Sign - Ontario's Greenbelt

January 26th, 2021

Many of us recognize them: friendly blue 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 that may inspire a second glance and a lingering curiosity: what’s down that road?

I am referring to the “Entering the Greenbelt” signs, of course, that exist along several main thoroughfares in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. But although many of us have a positive feeling towards these signs, do we really understand what they mean? Do we understand what they protect?

2021 Friend of the Greenbelt Award Recipients Announced

Award Focuses on Rapid Response and Innovation in the Face of COVID-19

TORONTO, January 17, 2022—Today, the Greenbelt Foundation announced Conservation Ontario and Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network as recipients of the 2021 Friend of the Greenbelt Award.

The 2021 recipients of the Friend of the Greenbelt Award are being recognized for innovative solutions to COVID-19 response and recovery—Conservation Ontario and Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network. Throughout the pandemic, Conservation Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities and Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network pivoted their operations in ways that continued to advance the Greenbelt’s economic, environmental, and social recovery.

Get to Know the 2021 Recipients

                                            Conservation Authorities                                Greenbelt Farmers' Market Network

By adapting quickly to pandemic conditions, Conservation Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities made it possible for visitors to continue enjoying nature during COVID-19.

By quickly pivoting to an online system, the Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network helped farmers bring fresh, local food to communities in the middle of the pandemic.

Resilience and Ingenuity

“Our award recipients showed great resilience and ingenuity in order to overcome pandemic challenges, ensuring that Greenbelt benefits such as fresh healthy food and access to green spaces and active recreation opportunities could continue to be accessed at a time when residents needed them the most.”

 - Edward McDonnell, CEO, Greenbelt Foundation.                                            

Find out more about our recipients

Conservation Ontario is accepting the award on behalf of the 36 conservation authorities it represents. On an annual basis, Ontario conservation authorities see about 8 million visitors a year, but during 2020 that number rose to 10 million. A surge in visitor traffic this large has never been seen before. Conservation authorities had to work very quickly to put new protocols in place to adapt to this increased demand, and many of them developed new innovative programming such as reservation systems, a Forest Therapy Program, Storybook Walks, and a Talking Forest App. Click here to learn more about Conservation Ontario.

The Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network supports and connects markets, farmers, and shoppers around Ontario’s Greenbelt and aims to increase the success of farmers’ markets in the region. This network supported its members to go online in 2020, so that consumers could engage with their local farmers’ markets virtually, buy food from their favourite vendors, and have it delivered to safe locations. This resulted in $1.3 million in sales for Greenbelt farmers from May to December 2020 and supported 570 farmers and vendors. Click here to learn more about Greenbelt Farmers’ Market Network.