Red tape strangles Greenbelt farmers

Monday, February 3, 2014

Farmers in the Greenbelt, 1.8 million acres of land around Ontario's Golden Horseshoe permanently protected from urban development, know that red tape is strangling their businesses and now the organization that supports greenbelt legislation is admitting it too.

A study released by Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation in October, co-authored by Prof. Wayne Caldwell of the University of Guelph, makes recommendations to ensure the economic prosperity and viability of farming across Ontario. It particularly notes that farmers located in near-urban areas of the Golden Horseshoe face unique challenges, including multiple, disjointed regulations and policies from various government levels, and urban-based infrastructure that affects their farming ability.

Cash crop farmer Peter Lambrick, who farms near Campbellville, just west of Toronto, says Halton Region's planners and planners for municipalities within the region have different interpretations of "the same plan and the same wording. It's that interpretation that some people find leads to a great deal of problems."

For example, Milton's zoning bylaws to "interpret the natural heritage designation within the Greenbelt Plan" made it clear that "they don't want agriculture here," says Lambrick, noting the wording made it impossible to rebuild a structure or do other normal farming activities.

But it's not all bad news. The study says farmers' Greenbelt challenges are offset by benefits, including being close to a large and growing urban market and having the ability to make business investments knowing surrounding land won't be sold for development. BF