Oak Ridges Moraine © Peter Pomykacz
About
Our Greenway vision for southern and eastern Ontario is simple: a connected landscape made livable through the protection, restoration and enhancement of its biodiversity and natural features.
To achieve this, we’re working with Indigenous communities, farmers, conservation organizations, communities, businesses, land-use planners and governments to:
- Promote stewardship;
- Strengthen land-use policy; and
- Secure core habitat.
Niagara Region Farm © Tim Hagen
Stop Sprawl and Grow the Greenbelt
Across the Greater Golden Horseshoe developers and land speculators are lobbying local governments to allow sprawl-style development on precious natural areas and farmland. They’re using COVID-19 as a smoke screen saying these developments are necessary to get us through the crisis. We need to stop this assault on our natural heritage. Local governments must focus on protecting the natural spaces, farmland and precious water sources that we all depend on. They need to hear from you, and thousands of others, that you want a COVID-19 Recovery Plan that stops sprawl and grows the Greenbelt.
Please call for the government to stop sprawl, grow the Greenbelt and halt the misuse of Minister’s Zoning Orders.
Halton
Benefits
- Healthier wildlife populations and habitats
- Cleaner water and healthier water systems
- Greater ability to respond to drought, flooding, extreme weather events and other anticipated impacts of climate change
- Improved human health
- Enhanced recreational opportunities
© Keith Levit
What We Are Doing
ALUS Canada – Working with farmers to maintain a healthy environment
Conservation Offsetting – Compensating for the negative impacts of development on biodiversity
Natural heritage systems planning – Advocating for a stronger, more connected landscape
Voluntary certification of pits and quarries – Balancing aggregate extraction with the need to enhance ecological integrity
Oak Ridges Moraine © Isabel Veldhuis
Why it Matters
Towns, cities, farms, roads, dams, quarries and other forms of development dominate the landscape of southern Ontario. Such intensive development has come at a cost to human and ecosystem health.
The fertile soils, temperate climate and abundant freshwater that define this corner of the province offer vital habitat for many of Canada’s most rare and vulnerable plants and animals.
The area has been home to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years and now hosts 92 percent of Ontario’s population.
Nature’s benefits are valued at more than $84 billion per year in southern and eastern Ontario. Benefits include water filtration, pollination, soil formation, erosion control and carbon storage.
Halton farms and subdivision, Greenbelt © Margonaut
Resources
Thanks to the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation for their support of this program. You can also visit the Greenbeltfresh food website.