Mississauga, March 7, 2007 - “Just by eating Greenbelt apples, you have become great stewards of the land,” Lea Ann Mallett, Executive Director of EcoSource told students from Thomas Street Middle School. “An apple from the local Greenbelt farm is fresh and delicious,” she explained. “But did you know that it also takes only a little energy to bring that apple to you? Your Greenbelt snack created much less pollution and smog getting from the farm to here, than an apple that traveled all the way from the West Coast.

Niagara Greenbelt Discovery Routes

High tech meets low-impact as visitors to Niagara’s Greenbelt access tourism activities online and at four major Niagara Tourism Centres. Visitors discover a dynamic Greenbelt by selecting activities from an extensive community database of Niagara’s ‘best keep secret’ destinations and experiences. Written and audio-based overviews of specific destinations or multimedia thematic cycling, hiking and transit tours can be downloaded, while Directional GPS coordinates automatically trigger directional information on portable digital devices.

Cootes to Escarpment: Conservation and Land Management Strategy

This ecological area is the only remaining contiguous area of habitat from Lake Ontario to the Escarpment not broken by a 400-series highway.

The Royal Botanical Gardens’ Land Management Strategy helps to preserve the beauty and wildlife of Cootes Paradise, which has attracted artists such as Robert Bateman, birdwatchers from around the world, and thousands of locals to hike its trails and paddle its waters.

This community-based conservation and land management plan protects 4,000 acres of natural Greenbelt lands from the impacts of nearby urban development. The planning process is led by an advisory group of local stakeholders and the project is overseen by experts in a diverse group of organizations, including conservation authorities, and regional and municipal governments. A final report recommends action items for each partner group who has committed to implementing the plan within five to seven years.

Growing the Niagara Culinary Trail

 The Niagara region offers an abundance of local fruits, veggies, and culinary treats year round. The Niagara Culinary Trail project ensures that visitors have all the information necessary to access and enjoy farm-fresh local products, linking agriculture, tourism and food to promote sustainable cuisine in the Niagara Greenbelt region.

Keeping Greenbelt Farmland in Farming

Only 11% of Canada’s land can support agricultural production, and Ontario boasts 52% of all of Canada’s class 1 farmland.

The Ontario Farmland Trust is an organization devoted to protecting and promoting Ontario farmland by working directly with farmers, rural communities and other interested parties.

Keeping Greenbelt Farmland in Farming involves a major campaign to encourage the donation of agricultural easements throughout the Greenbelt, aiming to establish three easements in year one, seven in year two and ten in year three. The Ontario Farmland Trust aims to impact the policy and planning process, communicating the importance of retaining active farming, local food and enjoying the countryside.

The OFVGA is comprised of 28 member organizations representing more than 7,500 farmers throughout the province.

This economic impact study is the first of its kind, looking at the Greenbelt as an agricultural region within Ontario through an in-depth picture of the fruit and vegetable industry in this near-urban agricultural area. The study examines the economic viability of the industry and the impacts of recent changes in land use legislation. It also looks to future opportunities, in particular the economic significance of having eight million consumers within driving distance and how farmers might benefit from this rural-urban relationship.

Annual Clean Air and Environment Guide

The Clean Air Partnership, a charitable organization working to improve local air quality, produces an annual clean air and environment guide which provides information to help individuals conserve energy and protect the environment. It also encourages businesses to market their energy-efficient products in ways that will increase consumer demand. Such information guides educate the public and supports businesses committed to energy conservation and improving air quality.

Going Geothermal in the Greenbelt

The planning grant enables the Corporate Knights Foundation to investigate ways the organization and its magazine can contribute to making the Greenbelt a success. For example, the Greenbelt possesses great opportunity for innovation and development of green energy in Ontario, which can offer savings in operating costs for individual farmers.

Greenbelt Festivals

The sponsorship program supports a diversity of cultural festivals across the Greenbelt.

“Exclusively Ours” Marketing Program

“Exclusively Ours” is strategically positioning the areas of Caledon, Erin, Orangeville, Shelburne, Mono and Dufferin County as Greenbelt tourist destinations. A promotional campaign positions the natural landscape of the area within the Greenbelt; strengthens the Hills of Headwaters’ brand; increases tourism in the area; and, engages area businesses and the community to collaboratively offer a wider tourism “franchise” that includes marketing seven tourism experiences - trails, heritage, arts, culinary, equestrian and agriculture, golf and corporate meetings in the Headwaters.