Stories from the Greenbelt: Restoring a Greenbelt Swamp, 2 decades in the making
Restoring a Greenbelt Swamp, 2 decades in the making
Written by Nigel Finney and Alex Meeker, restoration ecologists with Conservation Halton. Find out how a new wetland was restored by Conservation Halton.
March 30th, 2023
Restoring a wetland takes time, dedication, and leadership.
More than 20 years ago, Conservation Halton staff proposed the idea of restoring a wetland in the Grindstone Creek watershed located in a municipal park within the City of Hamilton. At the time, the project wasn’t aligned for success. Fast forward two decades, we had strategic alignment, and the seeds of opportunity were ready to be sown.
Stories from the Greenbelt - Summer memories: Learning new skills and meeting people in the Greenbelt
Summer memories: Learning new skills and meeting the people in the Greenbelt
February 28, 2023
June is Indigenous History Month in Ontario. It’s an opportunity for all Ontarians to learn about Indigenous Peoples, the foundations of Canada and what it means to uphold our responsibilities as Treaty Partners.
So no matter where you may find yourself, along the path of your reconciliation journey, the Moccasin Identifier is a helpful resource to add to your knowledge bundle.
Join the Greenbelt Foundation's Free Soil Health Sampling Program
Soil Health Testing Program
This program enables farmers to measure and evaluate the impact of different beneficial management practices (BMPs) on soil health. Farmers know healthy soils are key to improving farm productivity and profitability, while at the same time sequestering carbon, improving biodiversity, and supporting ecosystem health. But we can’t ask farmers to manage what they can’t measure. By providing the ability to track and measure soil health, farmers can make informed decisions about which practices are right for their farm. This can lead to increased yields, reduced input costs, improved water holding capacity, and increased carbon sequestration, among other benefits.
The Greenbelt Foundation and soil scientists at the Soil Health Institute are working together with Ontario agricultural partners to develop an interpretable, scalable, locally relevant method for evaluating and monitoring soil health. This will enable farmers to:
- Evaluate their current soil health compared to similar soils in their region.
- Understand how much healthier their soil can be.
- Measure and track the impact of different management practices on soil health.
This opportunity is open to grain and oilseed farmers throughout the Golden Horseshoe region. In 2023, the program will be available to grain and oilseed farmers in Hamilton, Halton, and Peel, while in 2024, farmers in Niagara, York, and Durham will be eligible. If you're interested in signing up for free soil health sampling and assessment, please fill out the information below and someone from the Greenbelt Foundation will be in touch to assess your eligibility.
A Greenbelt for all seasons: Reflections from a guide on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula
A Greenbelt for all seasons: Reflections from a guide on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula
January 31st, 2023
A recreational journey across woodlands and coastline can, in fact, be the catalyst for great change. Inspiring curiosities in both young and old, and to teach those who thought their days of learning were long at an end, is the grand endeavor upon which a guided tour is embarked. Being an EcoAdventures guide on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula has been an experience transcending everything I had expected it to be.
Now Hiring: Manager, Greenbelt Natural Asset Management Program
Are you passionate about tackling climate change and improving communities? Interested in working on nature-based solutions for rural and urban areas? Comfortable engaging government staff, elected officials and community organizations? If you are looking to work with a great team for a good cause, this might be the job for you.
Ontario’s Greenbelt and its unique landscapes include near-urban agricultural lands and Ontario’s only two specialty crop areas with fertile soils and unique climate—the Holland Marsh and Niagara Tender Fruit and Grape Area, the Niagara Escarpment, Oak Ridges Moraine, and important regional water systems, including 21 urban river valleys. The Greenbelt receives consistent support from a large majority of the public, inspiring excellence in how we live, plan and grow.
The Greenbelt Foundation is an independent, charitable organization dedicated to promoting and sustaining Ontario’s Greenbelt. The Foundation is focused on making the right investments in the interconnected natural, hydrological, and economic systems that Ontario's Greenbelt protects. By ensuring continuous, progressive investment in the Greenbelt, the Foundation nurtures a living, thriving Greenbelt for all to enjoy.
Position: Manager, Greenbelt Natural Asset Management Program
Duration: 12 Month Contract Position
Current Work Model: Hybrid
Hours/Weeks: Fulltime (40 hrs and 5 days per week), with some flexibility
The Manager, Greenbelt Natural Asset Management Program will report to Shelley Petrie, Program Director and work closely with the Research and Policy and Communications Teams.
POSITION OVERVIEW: The Foundation is interested in advancing natural infrastructure projects and municipal natural asset management across the region with results focused on enhancing, restoring and increasing the overall health of the Greenbelt, and supporting the provision of sustainable community services and climate mitigation and adaptation.
The Manager position will lead implementation of an established workplan, develop and manage relationships with key partners and support communication goals.
The role is for an individual with some knowledge of nature-based solutions and/or asset management, and the ability to form and manage professional relationships with conservation authorities, governments and non-profit organizations.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Support outreach activities with the Province of Ontario, providing evidence of the benefits of natural infrastructure and alignment with provincial priorities, outlining options to support projects and municipal natural asset management, and facilitating participation in events that advance projects and other actions.
- Advance natural infrastructure projects and municipal natural asset management among leading municipalities and conservation authorities in the Greenbelt and surrounding region, including inventories, policies and programs; and increase the use of natural infrastructure solutions.
- Expand and promote a municipal hub of resources, tools and case studies to support natural infrastructure projects and municipal natural asset management and address barriers. Host workshops and meetings to introduce key concepts, tools and benefits of natural infrastructure and facilitate action by participants.
- Manage meetings among a core group of partners.
- Support stakeholder mapping and related outreach, communication activities and events to engage stakeholders.
Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of professional certificate and experience.
- Experience in project design and delivery.
- Good communication skills, both written, and oral.
- Strong organizational skills, strategy development and problem solving skills.
- Experience in collaborations, partnership development and stakeholder management.
- Effective information management.
- High standards of ethics and confidentiality to handle sensitive information.
- Responsible, detail oriented, and team player.
- Keen interest and understanding of natural assets, natural infrastructure and/or municipal asset management.
- Experience in working for a non-profit organization desirable.
Terms of Employment: 12-month contract position. Pay range: $65,000-$80,000.
The Greenbelt Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and we particularly welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.
TO APPLY: Applications should be received no later than January 23, 2023 at 5:00pm and will be considered on an incoming basis. Interviews for successful candidates will be held in Toronto or online.
Please apply here.
The Greenbelt Foundation thanks all applicants for their interest, but only successful candidates will be contacted.
Stories from the Greenbelt: 2022 Year in Review
2022 Year in Review: A permanent Greenbelt and a prosperous Ontario
December 21, 2022
The past year saw some incredible milestones and accomplishments at the Greenbelt Foundation, along with some of the biggest challenges we’ve faced to date. We continue to be inspired by the work of our partners and grantees and our collective ability to strengthen and realize the full potential of the Greenbelt.
Now Hiring: Soil Health Specialist
About the Greenbelt Foundation:
The Greenbelt Foundation stewards Ontario's Greenbelt, two million acres of protected land that provides clean air, fresh water, climate resilience, and a reliable local food source to help Ontario thrive. The Foundation was established in 2005 with a mandate to support the long-term viability of agriculture, strengthen rural economies, and restore and enhance natural features. We are the only charitable organization solely dedicated to the health and prosperity of Ontario's Greenbelt.
About the Project & Position:
The Greenbelt Foundation is recruiting a Soil Health Specialist to assist with our soil health assessment initiative. This four-year project has a dynamic team of soil scientists, researchers and educators, working together to assess and promote beneficial management practices (BMPs) on Greenbelt farms to increase climate resilience, improve biodiversity, and build productivity and profitability for farmers. The project will develop practical, effective measurements for assessing the status of a farm’s soil health and provide a way to evaluate progress over time. To do so, soil health benchmarks will be established for soil groups across the Greenbelt.
Soil sampling to establish the benchmarks will be conducted in 2023 and 2024, which requires coordinating sites, conducting sampling and documenting management practices for approximately 135-225 sites. Securing sampling sites will require extensive engagement with local and provincial farm organizations, as well as leading major on-farm events to garner attention. Once the benchmarks are established, the program will be promoted to additional farmers (75-125 farmers annually) through on-farm events and online campaigns in 2025 and 2026. All farmers participating in the program will require the outcomes of their soil health tests communicated to them and be provided materials on relevant BMPs to encourage adoption. The project requires extensive coordination with agricultural organizations (e.g., Soil Health Institute, Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario Certified Crop Advisors Associations, and the University of Guelph), landowners (e.g., farmers, conservation authorities), and Greenbelt Foundation staff. This role requires an individual comfortable with soil sampling, farmer outreach and education activities.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Contacting farmers and landowners, as well as individuals/organizations that engage with land managers (e.g., OSCIA, OFA, CAs) to identify soil sampling locations, coordinate sampling logistics, and conduct brief interviews on management practices for 300-500 sites.
- Communicating with landowners about timing of sampling and site access and collecting management history data.
- Traveling within the Greenbelt’s counties and regions to conduct soil sampling.
- Assessing suitability of sampling locations with respect to project sampling design (i.e., fit within priority soil health groups and management systems) using maps and in-field assessments.
- Recording and managing metadata on soil samples and site characteristics.
- Collecting soil samples for soil health analyses using slide hammers, core samplers, and push probes/augers.
- Shipping soil samples to laboratory for analysis.
- Project reporting, data management, and surveying.
- Develop and contribute to written educational and communication materials.
- Develop and coordinate virtual and in-person educational programs that include listening sessions, field days, and soil health events for a diversity of farming communities.
- Providing educational materials to farmers and landowners participating in the programs on relevant BMPs and incentive programs available in their region.
- Reporting regularly to the Greenbelt Foundation’s Research and Policy Analyst and the Soil Health Institute’s Lead Soil Scientist, as well as ongoing engagement with project committees (e.g., advisory committee, scientific committee, and outreach and education committee).
Qualifications:
- Bachelors or Master’s degree in soil science, agronomy, soil conservation, natural resource management, or a related field is desired. Candidates with field-based research experience is an asset. Soil sampling and safety training will be provided.
- Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills; directly relatable experience in effective communication with a diversity of agricultural stakeholders is preferred.
- Desire to foster effective partnerships with farmers, landowners, extension educators, researchers, government staff, commodity organizations, and industry partners.
- Enthusiasm for meeting landowners/farmers and to learn about soilscapes and management practices. Understanding of agricultural management practices is required.
- Organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Knowledge of soil formation and soil-landscape relationships is desired (e.g., soil mapping).
- Ability to characterize basic soil morphology in the field.
- Experience in translating technical information regarding soil health principles and practices into accessible recommendations for what producers can do to improve the health of their soils.
- Ability to complete physically demanding work in adverse environmental conditions, including intense summer heat and humidity.
- Valid G driver’s license.
- Ability to lift 35 lbs.
- Applicants must be authorized to work in Canada.
Location:
Full-time work collecting soil samples will likely occur in April and May, annually. Additional site visits may be required to provide sample results to farmers and information related to BMP adoption and/or incentive programs. The candidate will be provided with a rental car for travel to and from sampling sites. Alternatively, the candidate can use their own vehicle and be compensated for travel. Sampling will occur across the Greenbelt landscape. Depending on travel time/distance, lodging will be provided. Remote work both prior and post soil sampling may be conducted from the employee’s home office. Attendance at periodic in-person meetings at the Greenbelt Foundation’s office in Toronto or other locations is expected.
Compensation:
Compensation ranges from $70,000-$82,000 annually and is negotiable according to demonstrated experience and ability. This is intended to be a 4-year, full-time contract with some flexibility.
TO APPLY:
Applications should be received no later than January 22, 2023.
To apply for this position, submit a cover letter and resume through our online portal.
The Greenbelt Foundation thanks all applicants for their interest, but only successful candidates will be contacted.
Stories from the Greenbelt: Growth, municipal finances, and integrated planning – What’s the Greenbelt connection?
Growth, municipal finances, and integrated planning – What’s the Greenbelt connection?
November 30th, 2022
The phrase “growth pays for growth” is an oft-heard although seriously misleading refrain, one that seems almost designed to put our minds to rest about how governments pay for growth. If growth pays for itself, after all, what is there to worry about? Despite this mesmerizing mantra, municipal finance is becoming an increasingly “hot” topic in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) as land and housing prices escalate, municipal infrastructure debt climbs, and there is increasing pressure on households in terms of property taxes and user fees. Developers are pushing back on the hefty municipal fees imposed to pay for new infrastructure and the province wants to ensure that municipalities are less reliant on provincial grants to pay for infrastructure refurbishment and replacement.
Stories from the Greenbelt: A Resilient Greenbelt and Rouge National Urban Park
A Resilient Greenbelt and Rouge National Park
October 27, 2022
I’m on a bus full of happy day-trippers chatting about their September excursion. They have just had an outing to Rouge National Urban Park, courtesy of Parkbus – a non-profit enterprise that connects people with nature through free transit to parks around Toronto. I’ve volunteered to be the bus coordinator today, and I’ve brought my 10-year-old daughter, Clara, along for the adventure.
Once experienced, the Rouge needs little promotion. People are amazed that so much nature can be found so close to the city. I’ve seen it with hundreds at Wildlands League’s yearly Paddle the Rouge events. I see it in the faces on the bus.
Municipal Finances and Growth Planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe: Opportunities for Better Integration to Support Smart Growth
Municipal Finances and Growth Planning in the Greater Golden Horseshoe: Opportunities for Better Integration to Support Smart Grow explores the link between the management of municipal finances and growth management, especially in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) region. The report's purpose is to show how growth planning and financial management are intimately interrelated and have the potential to be more mutually supportive than is currently the case.
This study explores this potential by asking the following questions:
- How does the municipal planning and fiscal systems work in the GGH?
- In what ways are the municipal planning and fiscal systems currently working together or failing to work together?
- How could better integration of those systems help achieve both planning and fiscal management goals?
- What steps need to be taken to seize these opportunities?
Research Approach
An urban sustainability consultant worked with an expert panel of thirteen academics and practitioners involved in municipal finance and land-use planning. The research involved case studies of nine municipalities in GGH to reveal whether fiscal instruments and processes are aligned with growth management goals.
Key Findings and Recommendations
Municipalities in GGH are at different stages of financial and land use planning integration. There are good practices to build upon, and there are also gaps in processes that require regulatory changes and development of guidance materials. The municipalities can address some of these issues at the local level, and leadership from the Government of Ontario is needed for a broader vision and framework.
The report outlines two main ways to achieve better synchronicity between growth planning and financial management:
- High-level opportunities to integrate fiscal sustainability into growth management processes.
- Restructuring of revenue instruments to promote smart growth practices and avoid subsidization of low-density development.
The report examined four categories of financial tools and processes:
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Integrated growth planning: This approach integrates infrastructure and financial planning in order to achieve more efficient growth outcomes. Recommendations include developing a handbook on municipal finances for smart growth and providing municipal staff professional training to transition to integrated growth planning.
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Development charges: Development charges calculated on area-specific basis, as opposed to city wide, give a more accurate representation of the cost of services to defined areas and encourage more efficient land development. Recommendations include that the Government of Ontario develop a handbook on municipal finances for smart growth and provide municipal staff professional training to transition to integrated growth planning.
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Property taxes: Many multi-residential units pay higher tax rates compared to lower density units, which increases the operating cost of those buildings. This makes them less attractive for investment and may lead to reduced density in an urban area. The report recommends that the Government of Ontario amend the Municipal Act to require that municipalities apply the same tax rate on multi-residential properties, including old and new developments, as is used for other residential properties.
- User fees: User fees can generate more reliable revenue sources for municipalities to pay for infrastructure services and incentivize smart growth outcomes. For example, stormwater fees generate revenue and encourage the adoption of on-site controls to reduce runoff. The report recommends that the Government of Ontario amend the Municipal Act to require municipalities with stormwater management to impose user charges as a sustainable revenue source to fund those services.
As the long-term costs related to inefficient growth patterns become increasingly obvious over time, the conversation on how to stem sprawl and move to more sustainable forms of growth will likely intensify. This report tries to bring attention to one strand of this conversation, namely the use of financial processes and instruments to support Smart Growth outcomes.
Read the full report:
