Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Power Plant in the Holland Marsh.... Article "Ontario Government deals a blow to local food"... What are your thoughts? Find out the agruements and what is happening...

OntAg Member Tweeted out this article from the examiner.com website: Avia Eek Ontario Government deals a blow to local food http://tinyurl.com/2f4qzgj Let Mr. Clay and Prov. Gov't know this is unacceptable.

Can all sectors of agriculture show support... This article oulines the issue....

 

 

Ontario Government deals a blow to local food

 
 
Rows of vegetables in the dark soil of Holland Marsh, 40 km north of Toronto
Rows of vegetables in the dark soil of Holland Marsh, 40 km north of Toronto
C. Cooper

 

The Ontario Government is planning to put a 393 megawatt natural gas powered power plant in the Greenbelt. Not only is this plant slated for the Greenbelt, an area specifically protected from development such as this, it is to be located 500 metres from the Holland Marsh. The Holland Marsh is known as the "salad bowl of Ontario" and is located just 40 km/35 miles north of Toronto.

 

 

 

 

If you have a cottage north of Toronto, then you've seen the incredibly black soil of the Holland Marsh that sits on both sides of Hwy 400 just north of Hwy 9 (Schomberg/Newmarket). The Holland Marsh has been farmed since the 1930s and:

  • Has some of the richest soil in the country
  • Was designated in 2004 as a specialty crop area in the Greenbelt
  • Grows nearly half of Canada's onions and carrots (enough carrots to provide 4 lbs. of carrots for every Canadian) and exports as well
  • Grows more than 50% of Canada's Asian vegetables
  • Produces over 40 different types of vegetables (carrots, onions, romaine lettuce, red and green leaf lettuce, endive, celery root, parsley, radishes, leeks, green onions, artichokes, spinach, bok choy, swiss chard, kolrobi, chinese broccoli, flowering cabbage, asian radish, cauliflower, broccoli, water spinach, garlic, beets, collards, dandelion, heirloom tomatoes, organic tomatoes, and the list goes on)
  • Received a grant in 2008 from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation to support the growth of more vegetables for local eating

The Ontario Government wants the York Region peaker plant  to handle the times of peak electrical usage, like during very hot summer days. The government is so determined to locate the power plant in the Marsh, that on June 3 they announced that they are exempting the approval of the power plant from the Planning Act. This is a precedence setting decision and over-rides King Township's efforts to fight the plant through the legally accepted channels and pre-empts the decision which is before the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

There have been some issues with the electrical supply in recent years and the government is trying to close down the coal powered plants, but it makes no sense to put a huge facility like this in the best farmland in Ontario. Its presence can negatively impact the quality and availability of the prime source of local vegetables in Ontario, and in fact across Canada.

The Ontario Government has circumvented the normal planning process by exempting the power plant from the Planning Act. If you would like to express your concern about the potential impact on local food, this decision or process write to:

Larry Clay
Regional Director, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Municipal Services Division, Municipal Services Office - Central Ontario
777 Bay St., Floor 2
Toronto, ON
M5G 2E5

For more information:

Views: 467

▶ Reply to This

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Voting Quorum Changed to Ensure APG Meetings Continue to Move Forward with Commission Business

The Alberta Pulse Growers Commission (APG) changed its bylaws to reduce the number of members necessary to conduct an annual or special Commission meeting from 40 to 30 eligible producers. The Alberta Agricultural Products Marketing Council approved the change on February 24 following a vote by eligible APG members attending the 2025 annual general meeting in January and conversations at all five fall zone meetings. “We had great turnout at the provincial AGM in January, but sometimes it isn’t easy to get growers out to these meetings,” said APG Chair Shane Strydhorst, who farms at Neerlandia. “If we didn’t have quorum at the AGM, we wouldn’t have been able to hold a vote and would have had to reschedule. We strive for more than our quorum number when we are making decisions because we want everyone to participate.” Strydhorst added that the board agreed that the move was necessary for several reasons, including the increasing consolidation of farms. The new quorum number brings APG

Canada’s Pulse Industry Calls For Swift Resolution To The Imposition Of Chinese Tariffs

Yesterday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced the results of its anti-discrimination investigation into Canada for imposing a 100% tariff on EVs and an additional 25% tariff on steel and aluminum products imported from China. As a result of this investigation the State Council Tariff Commission will impose an additional 100% tariff on Canadian peas, canola oil and canola meal as well as an additional 25% tariff on Canadian pork and seafood. “China is one of Canada’s largest markets for yellow peas; a market that Canadian farmers and exporters have been serving since the mid 1990’s,” said Terry Youzwa, Chair of Pulse Canada. “The Canadian industry values this long-standing and mutually beneficial partnership. We know Chinese customers prefer Canadian peas and want to continue to deal with Canadian suppliers.” In 2024, Canada exported roughly 500,000 metric tonnes of yellow peas valued at over $306M. The 5-year average for yellow pea exports is over 1,500,000 metric tonnes valu

Grain Farmers Caught in Crossfire as U.S.-China Trade War Escalates

Tariffs threaten billions in exports, family farms at risk, Grain Growers of Canada says. Canadian grain farmers are facing a trade crisis on two fronts, with escalating tariffs from both the United States and China threatening billions in exports and putting the future of family farms at exceptional risk, Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) says. The Chinese government’s decision to impose 100 percent tariffs on Canadian canola oil, canola meal, and peas comes as trade tensions with the U.S. continue to pressure Canada’s grain sector. “With uncertainty mounting with the United States, our largest export market, the last thing grain farmers needed was a trade war with China, our second largest export market,” said Kyle Larkin, Executive Director of GGC. “Together, the U.S. and China account for over half of all Canadian grain exports — losing access or facing exorbitant tariffs in both markets at once is a threat farmers cannot afford to absorb.” GGC echo the concerns raised by the Canadi

Ag Industry Not Sheltered From US Tariffs

Just about everything that Canada exports to the US, including agricultural commodities, now have a 25 percent tariff tacked on. The exception is our energy exports,which have a 10 percent tariff attached as of early this morning. US president Donald Trump followed through a promise a month ago to punish Canada and Mexico for not taking steps at their border to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the US. In the case of Canada, many analysts say that argument was just a smoke screen for Trump to secure what he really wants from us, our resources. Trump is also hitting China with 20 percent tariffs across the board today, and many analysts say his speech tonight to congress will outline even more plans to economically attack his neighbors. China says it may put additional tariffs on many agricultural products coming from the US in retaliation. Also yesterday, the US president sent a note on X to American farmers. Trump wrote…”to the great farmers of the US….get ready to start making a

Spring planter maintenance tips

Growers need to decide what parts need replacing

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service