When the Greenbelt was created five years ago, many observers warned that it was not quite big enough to contain poorly-planned, low density, urban sprawl.
Thankfully, in 2008, the province released “Growing the Greenbelt,” a process which allows municipalities to add lands to the Greenbelt if they met certain criteria. Since that time, local citizens’ groups and municipal councils have been working to expand the Greenbelt into their communities and build a tangible connection to local farmland and the green space that help to clean our air and water.
Efforts to grow the Greenbelt are taking place in Guelph, Oakville, Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto, with more underway each day. These are exciting indicators of the Greenbelt’s popularity with Ontarians! The Greenbelt Alliance continues to work with communities and governments to facilitate this process.