Celebrate Ontario 150 by exploring over 3,000 kilometres of extraordinary coastal and countryside cycling along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail and Greenbelt Route!

Are you ready to #BikeON? To celebrate our passion for cycling in Ontario, we are excited to announce a joint partnership with Ontario by Bike, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and Share the Road Cycling Coalition. 

On Sunday June 11, we attended the Waterstock Festival in Erin to talk to people about how the Greenbelt protects clean water. Waterstock is a one-day music and food festival organized by Wellington Water Watchers and Riverfest Elora to raise awareness about the importance of source water protection and rally people around their “Water for Life, not Profit” campaign.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 19, 2017

CYCLISTS IN GEORGETOWN JOIN ONTARIO 150 CELEBRATE BY BIKE WITH “BIKE IT TO THE MARKET" EVENT
Bike It to The Market in Georgetown one of 15 events along Ontario’s iconic cycling routes for Ontario 150 celebration

Georgetown– In one of fifteen community cycling events throughout Ontario, cyclists of all ages participated in the sixth annual Bike It to The Market event on Saturday, June 17. For the first time, an Open Streets element was added to the event, with the closure of Main Street from Maple Avenue to the Georgetown Farmers Market as part of the Town’s Active Easy Strategy, a two-year plan to increase the physical activity levels of people who live, work and play in Halton Hills.

By now you have probably heard that the two-year-long Co-ordinated Land Use Planning Review has drawn to a close, and the final amendments have been released. We want to take a moment to reflect and thank you for supporting the Greenbelt for the last 12 years and beyond! 

When Ontario's Greenbelt was established in 2005, the provincial government set a ten-year review date. When 2015 arrived, it was a landmark moment and opportunity for the Greenbelt, the Growth Plan and the Greater Golden Horseshoe at large.

Photo taken in the Bruce Peninsula by Catherine Marshall

This spring, we were thrilled with the release of a new book, The Greenbelt: Protecting and Cultivating a Great Ontario Treasure by Burkhard Mausberg. To celebrate, we hit the road for a book tour across the Greenbelt. We launched at Ben McNally Books in Toronto on April 25, and visited Hamilton, Newmarket, Niagara, Guelph, Ajax, Uxbridge, Burlington and Waterloo.

Panellists along the way represented a broad spectrum of voices in the Greenbelt. They ranged from activists and musicians—including Burlington's Sarah Harmer—to farmers and leaders in the agricultural sector, and local representatives. At the first launch in Toronto, we were joined by David Crombie, former Mayor of Toronto and Chair of the 2015 Co-ordinated Land Use Planning Review Advisory Panel. We heard stories from the very beginning of the movement to create Ontario's permanently protected Greenbelt, and shared aspirations for what is to come. 

Author Burkhard Mausberg at the Toronto launch event

Ontario’s Greenbelt seems made for the theme of this year’s World Environment Day, ‘Connecting People to Nature.’ The Greenbelt permanently protects nearly 2 million acres of land stretching from Niagara to Northumberland and north to Tobermory. It encircles Canada’s most populous region, providing fresh food, water, and opportunities for active, local recreation. Half of the Greenbelt is some of Canada’s best agricultural land, and the rest boasts natural features including the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 30, 2017

Waterloo Celebration of the Greenbelt Book Showcases the Success of the World's Largest, Best Protected Greenbelt

Proponents of Smart Growht join Friends of the Greenbelt CEO and author Burkhard Mausberg at Words Worth Books to celebrate the Greenbelt Book

WATERLOO – Local residents and environmental enthusiasts gathered at Words Worth Books to celebrate the launch of a new book from Friends of the Greenbelt CEO Burkhard Mausberg about the history and success of Ontario’s Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is a compelling coffeetable book filled with beautiful photography and rich stories from the Greenbelt, published by Barlow Books.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 27, 2017

Uxbridge Celebration of the Greenbelt Book Showcases the Success of the World's Largest, Best Protected Greenbelt

Owner-operators of Geissberger Farmhouse Cider join Friends of the Greenbelt CEO and author Burkhard Mausberg at Blue Heron Books to celebrate the Greenbelt Book

UXBRIDGE – Local residents and environmental enthusiasts gathered at Blue Heron Books to celebrate the launch of a new book from Friends of the Greenbelt CEO Burkhard Mausberg about the history and success of Ontario’s Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is a compelling coffeetable book filled with beautiful photography and rich stories from the Greenbelt, published by Barlow Books.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MAY 24, 2017

Burlington Celebration of the Greenbelt Book Showcases the Success of the World's Largest, Best Protected Greenbelt

Mayor Rick Goldring and singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer join Friends of the Greenbelt CEO and author Burkhard Mausberg at A Different Drummer to celebrate the Greenbelt Book

BURLINGTON – Local residents and environmental enthusiasts gathered at A Different Drummer to celebrate the launch of a new book from Friends of the Greenbelt CEO Burkhard Mausberg about the history and success of Ontario’s Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is a compelling coffeetable book filled with beautiful photography and rich stories from the Greenbelt, published by Barlow Books.