In the densely populated cities and suburbs of southern Ontario, the idea of finding a slice of nature to set aside for conservation can seem impossibly difficult.
Urban and suburban boundaries sprawl out ever further, bumping into natural spaces as the population grows. Developers and environmentalists, meanwhile, spar over the fragmented green space that remains.
But there are conservation opportunities just waiting to be unlocked, says the Southern Ontario Nature Coalition (SONC), a group of environmental, Indigenous and agricultural groups. The key, SONC outlines in a new plan for a near-urban nature network, is to think beyond traditional ideas like provincial parks and start looking to private landowners and Indigenous communities as stewards of the land.
The expansion could offer economic, social and environmental benefits to the area
Ontario s Greenbelt is the world s largest, with over two million acres of farmland, forests, wetlands and rivers working together to provide clean air, fresh water, and a reliable local food source. (Photo: Greenbelt Foundation)
March 12, 2021
The provincial government recently announced its plans for potentially the largest expansion of the Ontario Greenbelt since its inception, to include additional critical water systems, as well as the Paris-Galt Moraine, a glacial deposit that is essential for headwaters. But what does that ultimately mean? What are the advantages, what needs to be considered on an environmental level and on a recreational level?
February 25, 2021 · 0 Comments
The Ontario government is investing $12 million over the next three years to support the Greenbelt Foundation’s ongoing work to protect, promote and improve the Greenbelt in the Golden Horseshoe region.
The projects delivered through this funding will focus on planting trees to increase natural cover, enhancing recreational opportunities for people to experience nature, and maintaining and enhancing green infrastructure and climate resilience.
“The Greenbelt is an important part of our province consisting of farmland, forests, wetlands and watersheds, it is a natural treasure,” said Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “It’s important to support the ongoing work of the Greenbelt Foundation so it can protect and enhance this vital area – for the benefit of Ontarians today and for future generations.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford at Queen s Park in October 2018. The Ford government came under fire over the environmental impact of its zoning decisions Tuesday. File photo by Carlos Osorio
The Ford government won’t apologize for its use of a controversial special zoning order to approve developments with environmental concerns, Progressive Conservative MPP Parm Gill said Tuesday.
Gill, the parliamentary assistant to Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark, made the remarks during question period after the opposition raised an investigation by
Canada’s National Observer, released last week, which found the government had used municipal zoning orders (MZOs) to override environmental issues 14 times. An MZO is an unappealable order that allows the minister of municipal affairs to skip the local planning process and decide how land can be used.
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