AWARE Simcoe, Ontario Farmland Preservation first to raise agricultural concerns to PDF
Grassroots groups urge province to protect farmland, stay the course on controlled growth
News release from AWARE Simce July 5 2011
BARRIE – Representatives of two grassroots organizations stressed the need to preserve farmland in a meeting with Provincial Development Facilitator (PDF) Paula Dill last week.
“We had a very successful meeting,” said Sandy Agnew of Oro Medonte, who attended on behalf of AWARE Simcoe along with Bill French of Springwater. Bernard Pope of Ontario Farmland Preservation made a separate presentation.
“Bernard sparked her interest in the agricultural issues raised by him,” Agnew said. “We were surprised when she said she had not heard those concerns raised before.”
Dill is preparing a report on Amendment 1 to the Simcoe County Growth plan, which has sparked widespread criticism from municipal politicians for imposing limits on growth. She has met with politicians and staff from Simcoe County and local municipalities.
“She told us she hadn’t heard anything about agriculture from anybody else,” said Pope, who told Dill that not only is agriculture a leading economic driver in Simcoe County, it is actually the second largest sector in the province, after automotive.
“If that is to continue, the farmer has to be confident that the land that he is using will be protected from intrusive development,” he told her.
But the productive landbase – 3 per cent of Canada as a whole – that’s available to farmers is shrinking at an alarming rate. “Already, we are seeing foreign interests encroaching on our farms and farm businesses,” Pope said.
The AWARE Simcoe report made several key points:
-Provincial control of development in Simcoe County is necessary. “The province needs to provide leadership and not be swayed by the powerful land speculators when creating sustainable future development plans,” French told the PDF.
-The province should ensure that citizens who appeal local municipal approvals of development are not subject to lawsuits, and also protect municipalities that deny development of lands from legal action. “Many smaller municipalities are requesting increased growth numbers to be appease land speculators that hope to develop,” he said.
-A study is needed to determine what population the Simcoe County geographic area can sustainably support.
-Greenfield developments (employment lands) alongside Highway 400 in Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury will promote sprawl.
Other issues raised included transportation and the need for mixed-density development.
“Our meeting went very smoothly and the tag team of Sandy, Bernard and myself provided an hour of good comments to Paula,” French said.
Dill indicated that some municipalities felt that denying them growth would create hardship for them economically. “The fallacy that growth always brings prosperity was one thing we tried to dispel,” Agnew said.
Dill’s report is due in November.
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