In association with the Greenbelt Golden Horseshoe Conservation Authorities Collaborative (GGH CAC), Investing in the Future: The Economic Case for Natural Infrastructure in Ontario is the first-ever study on the cumulative economic and ecological benefits of restoration projects in the province.

This study outlines a comprehensive business case for three proposed restoration projects through evaluating the expected future ecosystem service values (ESVs) that are estimated using original analysis in addition to building off previous Greenbelt and Ontario research.

Case studies:

• Saltfleet Conservation Area: The Hamilton Conservation Authority is creating a new conservation area located above the Niagara Escarpment in the Upper Stoney Creek and Upper Battlefield Creek watersheds in the east end of the city. 
• Brock Lands Restoration: The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority will restore over 400 hectares of land at the former Brock Landfill sites to be used for recreation.
• Lake Scugog Enhancement Project: Lead by the Kawartha Conservation Authority, this project is intended to support the lake’s important local tourism and recreational economy by addressing water quality, nutrient budgets, invasive species, wildlife habitat and recreational amenities in and around the lake.

High-level findings from the three case studies:

• The Saltfleet Conservation Area could provide up to an estimated $1.5 million in ecosystem services per year.
• The Brock Lands Restoration could provide an estimated $3.1 million per year in ecosystem services.
• The Lake Scugog watershed, which has a total area of about 54,000 hectares could provide an estimated $220.9 million per year.

A critical component of strengthening the region’s resilience to the impacts of climate change is the investment in natural assets as infrastructure to help manage some of the largest threats including flooding, water quality issues and rising temperatures.

New Greenbelt Foundation Report Reveals Critical Cooling Effect of Tree Canopies

Evidence Demonstrates Significant Temperature Reduction for Residents Near Urban River Valleys

This summer, heat will once again become a significant health risk in southern Ontario. Climate change and the urban heat island effect are increasing this risk. While we often hear about climate change causing extreme weather events like flooding, we take for granted the impact of heat itself. In 2018, 66 people died of heat-related illnesses in Montreal. According to CBC, that was 6.4 deaths per day per million inhabitants of the city.

In partnership with Ryerson University’s Dr. Umberto Berardi, “Cooling Corridors: the Role of Green Infrastructure in Building Resilience to Extreme Heat” is the first report of its kind that quantifies the positive impact that the Greenbelt’s urban river valleys have on temperature. 

Greenbelt Foundation Announces Landmark Natural Asset Management Plan in Halton

Grindstone Creek Project Will Save Tax Dollars While Providing Critical Flood Mitigation

GTHA, March 5^th, 2020—Municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe are struggling to cope with the economic challenges posed by COVID-19. While business-as-usual pauses, climate change barrels on, bringing with it the renewed promise of seasonal extreme weather like Spring 2019’s unprecedented flooding. Existing infrastructure must be updated in order to keep residents and property safe, and yet municipal budgets are under more pressure than ever.

With the projected changes to our climate, it is more important than ever to consider the role green infrastructure can have on our communities. Green infrastructure in Ontario’s Greenbelt, particularly its forests, wetlands and grasslands provide essential infrastructure services for all Ontarians. They protect our fresh-water sources, and provide storage and purification of our drinking water; they mitigate flood risks, keeping our properties safe; and offset urban heat-island effect, keeping our cities cool during high temperature days.

Green infrastructure plays a critical role in mitigating the risks posed by extreme weather events and provides a range of economic, environmental, individual and social benefits.

It goes without saying that water is a necessity for life. But it’s also an important part of our well-being and happiness. Whether it’s hiking along rivers, swimming in lakes, fishing in streams or building sandcastles at a beach, water-based recreational activities are a significant part of our cultural heritage as Ontarians.

Unfortunately, climate change is having profound effects on watersheds across the province. Summers are getting wetter, but inconsistent rainfall also results in lengthy dry periods. Dry spells are compounded by warmer winters with less snowpack, contributing to low water levels in summer. Spring thaws often happen more suddenly, meaning there is less groundwater recharge and more runoff. And, as summers get hotter, water temperatures are also rising.

The recent history of intensive industrial and urban development in southern Ontario has also significantly impacted local water systems. Conservation Authorities have determined that the water quality in half of the rivers and streams assessed in the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Greenbelt area are degraded and at risk of further degradation, potentially exacerbated by future, unaccounted-for development and infrastructure projects.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 25^th, 2020

OAK RIDGES MORAINE FOUNDATION TO JOIN GREENBELT FOUNDATION

Newly Expanded Mandate for Greenbelt Foundation to Focus on Stewardship and Enhancement of Oak Ridges Moraine

The Greenbelt Foundation’s scope of work is expanding to incorporate the priorities of the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation. Greenbelt CEO, Edward McDonnell, was joined by MPP Andrea Khanjin—PA to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, former premier, Kathleen Wynne, NDP Environment Critic, Ian Arthur, Green Party leader, Mike Schreiner, former Board Chair of the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation, Robert Messervey, and former cabinet minister, Chris Hodgson, to announce this historic joining of forces under the Greenbelt Foundation banner. The announcement comes ahead of an important milestone—Ontario’s Greenbelt turns 15 on February 28^th.

The entire Greater Golden Horseshoe region is being affected by a combination of climate change and population growth. It is now commonly accepted that current climatic changes and extreme weather impacts are just the beginning. The Greenbelt Foundation partnered with experts to better understand how climate change is affecting many aspects of our lives, and ways that we can individually and collectively respond to these challenges.

Their articles highlight how the Greenbelt supports climate action in a number of important and interconnected ways that affect our daily lives. It is important for people to understand that they have a relationship with the Greenbelt, and it’s not just a one-way street! It will help us and our communities adapt to climate change, but it is important we help it do the same.

The entire Greater Golden Horseshoe region is being affected by a combination of climate change and population growth. It is now commonly accepted that current climatic changes and extreme weather impacts are just the beginning. The Greenbelt Foundation partnered with experts to better understand how climate change is affecting many aspects of our lives, and ways that we can individually and collectively respond to these challenges.

Their articles highlight how the Greenbelt supports climate action in a number of important and interconnected ways that affect our daily lives. It is important for people to understand that they have a relationship with the Greenbelt, and it’s not just a one-way street! It will help us and our communities adapt to climate change, but it is important we help it do the same.

Gender and Climate Change

Climate change is creating extreme and unpredictable weather patterns across the globe. While some regions are more affected than others, researchers have found universally that women are more at-risk than men from the adverse effects of a changing climate. What does this mean for women’s mental health? And how might women in the Greater Golden Horseshoe be affected?

Mental Health Impacts on Women

Research suggests that people who identify as women experience the mental health impacts of climate change 60% more than those who identify as men.1 Researchers investigating the health effects of extreme heat events throughout nine neighbourhoods in Quebec found that out of a sample of 3,485 residents, nearly 18% suffered mental health impacts—the majority of whom were women with lower socioeconomic status or who had pre-existing health conditions.2

1. Stephen Starr, “Mental toll of climate change hits women 60% more,” OZY, (July 25, 2019).
2. Diane Belanger, Pierre Gosselin, Pierre Valois, Belkacem Abdous, “Perceived adverse health effects of heat and their determinants in deprived neighbourhoods,” Int J Environ Res Public Health, (2014).

Caregivers, like nurses or hospice workers, face additional risk of mental health outcomes such as compassion fatigue (or ‘burn-out’) because of the psychological strain of taking care of people with demanding needs, while overlooking their own wellbeing. Caregiving roles also tend to be underpaid and undervalued which compounds the aformentioned stressors.

Race and culture intersect with gender to add additional layers of risk. In Canada, Indigenous women, for example, are on the front lines of climate change, facing displacement from their traditional territory due to environmental changes, such as melting permafrost in the North.