On Feb. 9, Halton regional council was to decide whether to support or oppose the Proposed Growth Plan (PGP) that would let the municipalities of Milton and Halton Hills sprawl onto 5,200 acres of prime farmland. Instead, Regional staff and councillors spent the day participating in an educational workshop.
The Stop Sprawl Halton coalition undertook a campaign to make the community aware of the high stakes issue, garnering tremendous support from concerned residents and groups from across Halton’s four municipalities. Their efforts paid off.
Many councillors had done their homework and were asking important questions, which in and of itself is a good thing particularly given the far-reaching significance of the issue.
After watching the four-and-a-half hour workshop, Amy Schnurr, executive director of BurlingtonGreen Environmental Association, said, “I can’t imagine what would have happened had there not been a workshop. To think that thousands of acres of irreplaceable farmland and greenspace could have been unnecessarily forever lost to development due to a premature vote by Council, is very concerning to say the least.”
Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, made clear his intent to put forth a motion for a no urban boundary growth option. The details in the motion are critical because the plan must be compliant with provincial policy. The motion, if passed, will guide how the local municipalities will grow until the year 2051. It must satisfy the province and address priorities of the region.
According to Schnurr, climate science shows that curbing sprawl is essential to address the escalating climate crisis. She stated, “Where and how we support growth in our communities must reflect this science while factoring human behaviour. People find change difficult, so it’s important that planners and politicians lead with a solutions-focus promoting the many benefits including cost-savings that come with gentle density housing mix options.”
The municipalities of Burlington and Oakville are undergoing major demographic changes as baby boomers age. Many of these older residents are finding it difficult to downsize within their communities. Allowing a broader range of housing options would encourage more seniors to vacate their single-family homes in favour of smaller accommodation.
Densification that includes semi-detached homes, townhomes, and co-housing, would give seniors more options. These same housing choices are also increasingly attractive to single people and families with smaller housing budgets.
Schnurr says, “It’s unfortunate, in these times, that this urban sprawl option made it out the door. But it is an indicator of where we are at, and signals that a greater understanding of the realities of climate change is required.”
Schnurr points out that leaders of all four municipalities in Halton declared climate emergencies. Those same elected officials now need to prioritize a healthy environment and protect prime farmland to ensure the health and wellbeing of current and future residents. She says, “I see this issue as an important defining decision and watershed moment for Halton leadership and the communities they are elected to represent.”
Chris Krucker, National Farmer’s Union local 351 president, says that over the decades trust between farmers and government has been eroded because, “Suburban sprawl is increasing the pressures on farmers and they are literally losing ground. If you pave it, it’s gone and you cannot grow anything.”
Krucker points out that we are paving the best farmland along the Great Lakes. Farmland that’s situated close to the communities that these farmers feed. He adds, “Rising food prices are a reality for Canadians and importing most of our fresh vegetables and fruits is a long-term problem. Fresh food should be grown close to market to maintain nutrients.”
Krucker would like to see municipal and provincial governments put an end to paving over farmland and instead, create opportunities for young people in order to revitalize farming.
Margaret Walton is a top agricultural planner in Ontario. Walton also authored the Halton Rural Agricultural Strategy and was a member of the team that created the 2021 Golden Horseshoe Agricultural and Agri-Food Strategy. She was a speaker at a recent Stop Sprawl Halton fundraiser.
According to Walton, “The agricultural resource in the Golden Horseshoe is unique, world-class and a major economic driver. It is a huge producer of local food and a huge range of commodities. All of this is due to the quality of land.”
A mere five per cent of all land in Canada is prime agricultural land. Of that, less than one per cent is Class 1 land—the very best. The Golden Horseshoe is home to much of that prime land.
The area is also one-of-a-kind because it is where these rich soils meet up with the moderating influence of Lake Ontario. The micro-climates created by the Niagara Escarpment and the Oakridges Moraine and the availability of water all combine to make this one of the most productive growing areas in the entire country.
Walton pointed out that, world class farmers utilizing sound, sustainable production methods are able to grow over 200 different commodities that cannot be grown anywhere else in Canada.
This means that the agri-food system is the biggest economic cluster in the Ontario economy–not the automotive sector, but the agri-food sector.
Walton says Halton plays a large role in the agri-food sector so the region cannot afford to sacrifice prime farmland to accommodate sprawl. It’s important to point out that the Greenbelt is an environmental preserve and not an agricultural preserve. That’s why farmland in Halton must be protected from sprawling growth.
Regional council has the opportunity to say no to suburban sprawl and an obligation to do it since there is ample room to accommodate the projected growth within Halton’s current urban boundary.
Oakville’s Mayor Burton drafted a motion for a no boundary growth option, called the Modified Preferred Growth Concept (MPGC), that was circulated to councillors, mayors and the regional chair on Friday. A vote to accept or decline or amend the motion is scheduled for Wednesday.
It is significant that the motion, as written, holds the boundary firm to 2041 but leaves the decision for opening it up to a future review. It is unclear if this phased approach will be acceptable to councillors, or the province.
Schnurr is hopeful regional council will realize that, “Before them lies the opportunity to chart a direction forward that rejects urban sprawl and champions a future with beautiful, resilient, equitable, healthy and sustainable communities. Other regions in Ontario and beyond are planning for a liveable future, and I’m optimistic Halton will too.”
If the no boundary growth option is approved in its current or amended form on Wednesday, then regional council will vote on Mar. 23 whether to support the no boundary growth option or the sprawling PGP option.
To register for the Tuesday information session where Chris Krucker and Phil Pothen, Environmental Defence lawyer, will discuss the proposed two phase no urban boundary growth motion, click here.
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