It’s time to Stop Paving and Start Protecting
A partnership of local grassroots organizations has formed to endorse a bold and achievable ‘Made in Hamilton’ plan to add over 4000 acres of farmland and significant natural habitat in the Hamilton Area to the Greenbelt. This is well over 10 times larger than what was proposed by the Ford government for the Hamilton area.
Growing the Greenbelt is not just necessary for stemming the loss of biodiversity, limiting carbon release, and protecting food security, but is also overwhelmingly popular. Despite this reality, past governments have repeatedly ignored public calls to add vital natural heritage systems and vulnerable farmland to the Greenbelt. Hamiltonians and people across the GTHA deserve a meaningful Greenbelt expansion.
Our ‘Made in Hamilton’ Plan includes:
Whitebelt Farmland - The 3300 acres of farmland and other key natural areas not included in the original Greenbelt. This area includes some of Ontario’s prime farmland and best soils for food production. With the City of Hamilton voting to support a firm Urban Boundary, the time is now to protect all of our farmland, not just some of it.
Urban River Valleys - We are recommending that the Province protect all river valleys that connect the Greenbelt’s protected countryside to the Great Lakes as Urban River Valleys and that entire river valley corridors be protected including both public and private lands, to better sustain the benefits provided by these important water bodies. This would include Spencer Creek, Red Hill Creek, Stoney Creek, Battlefield Creek, Chedoke Creek, Welland River and Twenty Mile Creek watersheds.
All wetlands, coldwater streams and headwaters areas - including locally significant and unassessed wetlands and those like the Garner Marsh that may have been unidentified in previous mapping.
Based on Science Built from Public Engagement
Scientists are stating clearly we must halt and reverse nature loss now, we’ve already lost too much. Today, Ontario loses 175 acres of farmland a day and well over 60% of Hamilton’s wetlands have already been destroyed.
Hamiltonians have been hard at work speaking out on the need to protect farmland and key natural areas from being permanently lost. The Stop Sprawl Hamilton campaign and related City survey show over 90% of 18,000 residents surveyed want to see Hamilton’s unprotected farmland be protected into the future. Save Our Streams Hamilton volunteers have engaged thousands of residents in the Ancaster Creek Subwatershed and are fighting right now to protect the Garner Marsh, the headwaters of the Ancaster Creek from being paved over. While residents and experts have recommended Ancaster Creek and other Hamilton Urban River Valleys be included in past Greenbelt expansions, they have been repeatedly left out.
Our communities deserve a meaningful plan to expand the Greenbelt that is based on science and built from public input. Our made-in-Hamilton plan focuses on protecting what matters most, ensuring we pass on a vibrant living city for future generations. With the provincial election on the horizon we want to make it clear what a meaningful Greenbelt expansion for Hamiltonian looks like.
