Greenbelt Protection
Ontario’s Greenbelt
The Greenbelt was established in 2005 to protect green space, farmland, communities, forests, wetlands, and watersheds in Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe.
It also preserves the region’s cultural heritage and supports a range of recreation and tourism opportunities.
The Greenbelt currently includes over 2 million acres of land protected by the Niagara Escarpment Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and the Greenbelt Plan.
The Greenbelt area extends 325 km from the eastern end of the Oak Ridges Moraine, near Rice Lake, in the east, to the Niagara River in the west.
The Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan, and the Niagara Escarpment Plan, together with the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, are four provincial land use plans that protect the natural environment and determine where and how growth should be accommodated in the region. The updated plans came into effect in 2017.
The Greenbelt Plan and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (2017)
- The Greenbelt - Background
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More information on the Greenbelt, including the Greenbelt Council, Growing the Greenbelt Criteria (2008), Greenbelt Performance Indicators, Greenbelt Plan Technical Paper, the Greenbelt Plan and Maps (2005)
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- The Oak Ridges Moraine - Background
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More information on the Oak Ridges Moraine, including the Oak Ridges Moraine Technical Paper Series and Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and Maps (2002)
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