Moraine Partnership 2015
EcoSpark
$15,000  (1 year)
ecospark.ca

EcoSpark and their partners in the Oak Ridges Moraine Partnership (Earthroots, Ontario Nature, Save The Oak Ridges Moraine) will continue their work to protect and grow the Greenbelt through the Coordinated Land Use Planning Review.

Covering the Greenbelt 2015
Alternatives Journal
$5,000  (1 year)
alternativesjournal.ca

Alternatives Journal will cover Greenbelt issues during the Coordinated Land Use Planning Review.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 22, 2015

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY FOR GRIMSBY TEEN
Foundation Gives Grant for Campaign to Save Greenbelt’s Historic Woodlot

During the season of giving, the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation is providing a $500 grant to Save the Woodlot, supporting the environmental advocacy of Colton Tew in his efforts to save the Irish Grove Woodlot in Grimsby.

The investment from the Foundation will help Colton and Save the Woodlot purchase Carolinian tree and shrub species to be planted at the organization’s Spring Open House. The plantings will be used to enhance the northern section of the woodlot, providing better protection from drying winds and increasing wildlife habitats.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2015

Statement from the Greenbelt Foundation on the
GTA West Highway Corridor Project

Today, Burkhard Mausberg, CEO, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, issued the following statement on the Ontario government’s decision to suspend the GTA West Highway Corridor project:

"We applaud the Ontario government for making the difficult, but necessary decision to suspend the GTA West Corridor project.

With an estimated $5 billion price tag and no research to show that our region’s crippling congestion will be reduced, it’s time for another look at this project in the context of the Province’s review of the Greenbelt Plan. 

There is nearly universal recognition that we need to build more livable communities and better align growth and infrastructure investments. This should not include the construction of an expensive and unnecessary 400-series highway—paving over sources of local food, the water systems that clean our drinking water, and the forests that filter the air we breathe.

The majority of residents in southern Ontario agree with Minister Del Duca’s move. Recent polling by Environics found that three out of four respondents (74 per cent) believe highways should not be built in the province’s permanently protected Greenbelt.

We look forward to hearing from the Province regarding the next steps in the review of this project."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2015

Statement from the Greenbelt Foundation on the Release of the Crombie Report

Today, Burkhard Mausberg, CEO, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, issued the following statement on the release of recommendations developed by an expert advisory panel reviewing four provincial land use plans, including the Greenbelt Plan:

“We commend the expert advisory panel, led by David Crombie, for seeking input from thousands of Ontarians and a wide range of stakeholders on the future of the province’s Greenbelt. Mr. Crombie was known as the perfect, tiny mayor. Well, he is still perfect.

These 87 recommendations and the government’s response will define our region for the next decade and beyond.

The report recognizes and makes thoughtful recommendations to strengthen the agriculture sector at a time when farmland is under increasing pressure from development. Recent data shows that three quarters of the GTA’s most productive farmland is under threat of being swallowed up by unsustainable growth. We cannot jeopardize the viability of this economic powerhouse that provides us with a secure supply of local food, supports over 780,000 jobs, and contributes more than $35 billion towards our GDP.

The recommendations also address the vital role of smart growth in southern Ontario. It recommends an ambitious path to move away from urban sprawl and towards more complete communities. From Mr. Crombie’s perspective, intensification is not a dirty word. It is acknowledgment that we cannot create more land—it is a finite resource. With an influx of 100,000 people to our region each year, the recommendations recognize the need to build more livable communities and better align growth and infrastructure planning, especially for transit.

After 10 years of Ontario’s Greenbelt, the report recommends that it’s time to grow the nearly two million acres of permanently protected farmland, forests, and water systems. Environmental experts are calling for the creation of a “Bluebelt” around our sensitive water systems, including our urban river valleys. By growing the Greenbelt, we can safeguard southern Ontario’s sources of clean drinking water and continue to mitigate the effects of climate change.

We look forward to reviewing the report and to the Province’s vision for the Greenbelt—a resource that nine out of ten Ontarians cherish.”

Recent polling shows that 86 per cent of respondents believe that the boundaries of the world’s largest Greenbelt should be protected from any future urban development.

Conducted between August 19 and September 8, 2015, Environics online polling of 2,008 Ontarians found that about nine out of 10 respondents believe that it’s important to grow the Greenbelt to safeguard against urban sprawl. Additionally, three out of four respondents convey that the boundaries of the Greenbelt should be preserved forever. These polling results come on the heels of the release of 87 recommendations by an expert advisory panel chaired by David Crombie. The panel was tapped by the Ontario government to review the Greenbelt Plan and three other land use plans.

 Ontario Greenbelt Polling 2015 – 713 KB
Check out regional polling results for Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, and York. 

Recent polling shows that 86 per cent of respondents believe that the boundaries of the world’s largest Greenbelt should be protected from any future urban development. 

On the evening of December 4, 2015 the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation honoured former Premier Dalton McGuinty with the Friend of the Greenbelt Award.

Some 400 guests joined us for the celebration - from our partners and grantees, to our Greenbelt Friends and champions, to elected officials and long-time Greenbelt activists.

But among all our notable guests, it was our smallest attendee who made the biggest impression. At 7-years old, Alexander—a Friend of the Greenbelt and dedicated environmentalist—was not only our youngest guest, he was also our most enthusiastic.

After seeing Alexander work the crowd like a pro, we wanted to get his thoughts on the evening, on the Greenbelt, and on meeting the former Premier.

Here’s what he had to say!

Farmland At Risk (4 MB)

This report, produced in partnership with Environmental Defence and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, calls for improved land-use planning that recognizes and protects farmland as essential to the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) region. This is particularly true, given that GGH farmland provides the base for a robust agricultural and agri-food sector. The report highlights how agriculture should be regarded as a permanent feature of the regional landscape and how farming is an essential component of the regional and provincial economy. Protecting farmland aligns well with the Growth Plan that aims to contain and direct urban growth to settlement areas already or easily served by the necessary infrastructure. It is also consistent with principles of ecological planning that are increasingly coming to the forefront as we realize that we need to see ecological (including agricultural) systems holistically, and protect and conserve them accordingly.