Greenbelt Express/Toronto-Niagara Bike Train

The Bike Train has already carried over 1,000 passengers, and now offers a trip route for bikers between Toronto and Montreal

Cycling is an excellent way to see and explore the immense landscapes of the Greenbelt and visit its vibrant communities, and the Bike Train makes it easier for Ontarians to jump on board and head out for a leisurely ride in our nearby Greenbelt areas.

The Greenbelt Express Toronto-Niagara Bike Train: After a successful pilot run, the Bike Train expands to create a model cycling tourism program for Niagara. The expanded program enables visitors to bring their bikes onto existing passenger trains, to encourage low impact Greenbelt tourism and healthy lifestyles.

Growth of the Greenbelt Express: This second expansion of the Toronto-Niagara Bike Train service allows cyclists of all levels more flexibility when planning their cycling adventures to the Greenbelt’s beautiful areas. The expanded program introduces increased service times, routes and destinations, aimed at increasing awareness of the Greenbelt and the diversity of cycling experiences available in Ontario.

Greening the Economy: Economic Stimuli and the Opportunity for Restructuring for Sustainability in Canada – 2.31 MB

The economy represents both risks and opportunities in terms of advancing environmental sustainability. This paper looks at the current economic situation and its effects on the Canadian environment . [The eighth installment in the Occasional Paper Series presented by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.] "Greening the Economy: Economic Stimuli and the Opportunity for Restructuring for Sustainability in Canada" by Mark S. Winfield, Assistant Professor for the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University.

Highlighting the Greenbelt at the Market

The St. Lawrence Market, located in downtown Toronto, is open year round, and is one of the city’s most popular markets.

Located in historic St. Lawrence Hall, the St. Lawrence Farmers’ Market has been around since 1803, serving the public with over 120 different specialty vendors, including fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, grains, baked goods and dairy products.

The St. Lawrence Farmers' Market incorporates Greenbelt messaging into all of their communications materials, reminding shoppers in Toronto’s downtown core that most of their market goods come from right inside the Greenbelt.

“Economic Value of Ecosystems Provided by Wetlands” Study

600,000 people live in the Credit River Watershed, and the population is growing at a rate of 2%. By 2020, 40% of the watershed will be developed, based on official municipal plans.

The Credit River Watershed sources water to its 10 neighboring municipalities, protects the habitats of a variety of species, serves as a central location for community-oriented environmental initiatives, and provides recreational space for local residents.

The Credit Valley Conservation Foundation study on the economic value of wetland ecosystems is the first of its kind, with a primary valuation of wetlands in Ontario. This builds on the work done by the David Suzuki Foundation in 2008 to estimate the economic value of all of the ecological goods and services provided by the Greenbelt, and lends input into a wetlands restoration strategy.

Planning Grant

Planning grant for future work on park trails.

Bringing Local Food Home - Legal, Regulatory and Institutional Barriers to Local Food – 2.38 MB

The focus of this report is on legal, regulatory, and institutional barriers identified through interviews with producers and other stakeholders who are currently participating in, and have knowledge of, the Greenbelt local food economy and supply chains. 

Various Issues

"People are coming to understand that sprawling cities and shiny new highways are not proof of a burgeoning economy. There are ways for our economy to develop in tandem with our countryside. What we need is the political will to take the first steps toward implementing these mutually beneficial solutions.” - Nicola Ross, Alternatives Journal, December 29, 2008.

Focusing on contemporary environmental issues, Alternatives Journal appeals to both academics and the general public by increasing awareness of the Greenbelt and encouraging discussion on key issues of protecting it.

Feature Articles and Escarpment Blues Benefit: Alternatives Journal increases its profile through the use of a one-page feature article on an organization working towards sustainable change. The funding also supports a fundraising event featuring singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer.

Journal Issue, Protecting Near Urban Lands: The June 2008 issue of Alternatives Journal focuses on protecting near urban lands, such as the Greenbelt, with various articles by Foundation grantees.

Alternatives Journal Support: Multiple issues of Alternatives Journal are supported in 2009 and 2010, with many themes and topics directly related to the Greenbelt and support of the Greenbelt as a sustainable, permanent feature.

Feature Articles and Escarpment Blues Benefit:
$5,000 February 25, 2008

Journal Issue, Protecting Near Urban Lands:
$5,000 July 15, 2008

Alternatives Journal Support:
$10,000 December 10, 2008

Sponsorship

Promoting local agriculture and supporting educational and networking opportunities is essential to lessening consumer dependence on imported food and improving the livelihoods of local fruit and vegetable growers. The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention includes two days of educational sessions with speakers from around the world, a trade show, and an evening Food and Wine event for producers in the Greenbelt and beyond.

Toronto, October 8, 2008 ─ This November, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair will roll into town, and roll out the red carpet to thousands of livestock, the biggest, giant vegetables you’ve ever seen, hundreds of farmers and competitors, and over a dozen Olympic equestrian riders, including Canada’s individual gold medallist Eric Lamaze and his incredible mount Hickstead, as well as Canada’s silver medal show jumping team members Ian Millar, Jill Henselwood and Mac Cone. The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs Friday, November 7 to Sunday, November 16, 2008.

Toronto, October 29, 2008 – The Honourable Steve Peters, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, hosts the Queen’s Park Plate tonight where MPPs and Mayors along with farming and environmental advocates celebrate a Greenbelt-grown harvest. Top chefs, vintners and brew masters from various Greenbelt regions will tempt taste buds with delicious local food and beverages. “Making the Legislative Assembly of Queen’s Park a showcase of Ontario product is an initiative of mine as Speaker,” affirms Speaker Peters. “This event is a great example of what is grown and produced in our own backyard.”