Toronto: A Food & Water First City?
There’s tremendous news out of Toronto City Hall where a motion about Food & Water First is about to be tabled! Earlier in the summer, the Toronto Food Policy Council organized a meeting with Councillor Josh Matlow to discuss the campaign to protect Class 1 farmland and source water regions. It was stressed that Ontario’s agricultural sector is vital to Toronto as it feeds its residents and contributes to the area’s massive food processing sector, the second-largest in North America. Councillor Matlow immediately agreed to bring a motion before city councillors that would, in effect, make Toronto a Food & Water First city. Wow. Once we know more details about the timing of the motion next week and how we can participate in the process, we’ll let you know!
Pickering Lands Tour
Speaking of Class 1 farmland on the boundaries of Toronto that’s under threat, our friends at Land Over Landings are leading politicians and like-minded groups on a tour of the Pickering Lands next Wednesday. MP Matthew Kellway and other federal and provincial politicians will visit the swath of rare agricultural soil that’s slated for a new airport. As you know, the federal government expropriated 18,600-acres of Class 1 farmland 40 years ago for a Pickering Airport, but the proposal was defeated. It was revived again this summer and Land Over Landings is leading the charge to have the largest parcel of Class 1 soil between the GTA and the Maritimes protected for food production. This visit is very similar to the tour MP Kellway led in the summer of 2012 to the proposed mega quarry site. We greatly appreciate his terrific support in the campaign to protect the land that feeds us. More details on the tour next week!
Enjoy the weekend! It’s been another great week in the Food & Water First campaign.
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