There are three types of geographic-specific policies that apply to specific lands within the Protected Countryside: Agricultural System, Natural System and settlement areas. In addition, there are general policies and parkland, open space and trails policies that apply to the Protected Countryside; however, the parkland, open space and trails policies apply across the Greenbelt.

3.1 Agricultural System

3.1.1 Description

The Protected Countryside contains an Agricultural System that provides a continuous, productive and permanent agricultural land base and a complementary agri-food network that together enable the agri-food sector to thrive. Many of the farms within this system also contain important natural heritage features, including areas that support pollinators, and hydrologic features. The stewardship of these farms facilitates both environmental benefits and agricultural protection. The agricultural lan d base is therefore integral to the long-term sustainability of the Natural Heritage System within the Protected Countryside. It is through evolving agricultural and environmental approaches and practices that this relationship can continue and improve.

The agricultural land base is comprised of prime agricultural areas, including specialty crop areas, and rural lands. The agri-food network includes infrastructure, services and assets important to the viability of the agri-food sector.

The delineation of the Agricultural System is guided by a variety of factors, including a land evaluation area review (LEAR), which assesses such matters as soils, climate, productivity and land fragmentation; the existing pattern of agriculturally protected lands set out in official plans; the availability of infrastructure, services and assets important to the viability of the agri-food sector and a consideration of projected future growth patterns.

The Niagara Peninsula Tender Fruit and Grape Area and the Holland Marsh are specialty crop areas. The delineation of the Niagara Peninsula Tender Fruit and Grape Area (see Schedule 2) is based on provincial soil and climate analysis of current and potential tender fruit and grape production areas. The Holland Marsh boundary is based on provincial muck soil analysis and current agricultural production in both the Region of York and the County of Simcoe (see Schedule 3).

Prime agricultural areas are those lands designated as such within official plans to permanently protect these areas for agriculture.

Rural lands are those lands outside of settlement areas which are not prime agricultural areas and which are generally designated as rural or open space within official plans.

When official plans are brought into conformity with this plan, the mapping of the Agricultural System may only be refined and augmented in a manner that is consistent with the policies of section 5.3.

3.1.2 Specialty crop area policies

For lands falling within specialty crop areas of the Protected Countryside, the following policies shall apply:

  1. All types, sizes and intensities of agricultural uses and normal farm practices shall be promoted and protected and a full range of agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses are permitted based on the provincial Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario’s Prime Agricultural Areas. Proposed agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses shall be compatible with and shall not hinder surrounding agricultural operations.
  2. Lands shall not be redesignated in official plans for non-agricultural uses. Non-agricultural uses may be permitted subject to the policies of sections 4.2 to 4.6. These non-agricultural uses are generally discouraged in specialty crop areas and may only be permitted after the completion of an agricultural impact assessment.
  3. Towns/Villages are not permitted to expand into specialty crop areas.
  4. New land uses, including the creation of lots (as permitted by the policies of this Plan), and new or expanding livestock facilities, shall comply with the minimum distance separation formulae.
  5. Where agricultural uses and non-agricultural uses interface, land use compatibility shall be achieved by avoiding or, where avoidance is not possible, minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts on the Agricultural System, based on provincial guidance. Where mitigation is required, measures should be incorporated as part of the non-agricultural uses, as appropriate, within the area being developed.
  6. The geographic continuity of the agricultural land base and the functional and economic connections to the agri-food network shall be maintained and enhanced.

3.1.3 Prime agricultural area policies

For lands falling within prime agricultural areas of the Protected Countryside, the following policies shall apply:

  1. All types, sizes and intensities of agricultural uses and normal farm practices shall be promoted and protected and a full range of agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses are permitted based on provincial Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario’s Prime Agricultural Areas. Proposed agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses shall be compatible with and shall not hinder surrounding agricultural operations.
  2. Lands shall not be redesignated in official plans for non-agricultural uses except for:
    1. Refinements to the prime agricultural area and rural lands designations, subject to the policies of section 5.3; or
    2. Settlement area boundary expansions, subject to the policies of section 3.4.
  3. Non-agricultural uses may be permitted subject to the policies of sections 4.2 to 4.6. These uses are generally discouraged in prime agricultural areas and may only be permitted after the completion of an agricultural impact assessment.
  4. New land uses, including the creation of lots (as permitted by the policies of this Plan), and new or expanding livestock facilities, shall comply with the minimum distance separation formulae.
  5. Where agricultural uses and non-agricultural uses interface, land use compatibility shall be achieved by avoiding or, where avoidance is not possible, minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts on the Agricultural System, based on provincial guidance. Where mitigation is required, measures should be incorporated as part of the non-agricultural uses, as appropriate, within the area being developed.
  6. The geographic continuity of the agricultural land base and the functional and economic connections to the agri-food network shall be maintained and enhanced.

3.1.4 Rural lands policies

For lands falling within rural lands of the Protected Countryside, the following policies shall apply:

  1. Rural lands support and provide the primary locations for a range of recreational, tourism, institutional (including cemetery) and resource-based commercial/ industrial uses. They also contain many historic highway commercial, non-farm residential and other uses which, in more recent times, would be generally directed to settlement areas but which are recognized as existing uses by this Plan and allowed to continue and expand subject to the policies of section 4.5. Notwithstanding this policy, official plans may be more restrictive than this Plan with respect to the types of uses permitted on rural lands, subject to the policies of section 5.3.
  2. Rural lands may contain existing agricultural operations and provide important linkages between prime agricultural areas as part of the overall Agricultural System. Normal farm practices and a full range of agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses are supported and permitted. Proposed agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses should be compatible with and should not hinder surrounding agricultural operations. Criteria for all these uses shall be based on provincial Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario’s Prime Agricultural Areas.
  3. Settlement area expansions may be permitted into rural lands, subject to the policies of section 3.4.
  4. Other uses may be permitted subject to the policies of sections 4.1 to 4.6. Where non-agricultural uses are proposed, with the exception of a mineral aggregate operation, the completion of an agricultural impact assessment should be considered.
  5. New multiple lots or units for residential development (e.g. estate residential subdivisions and adult lifestyle or retirement communities), whether by plan of subdivision, condominium or severance, shall not be permitted on rural lands. Official plans may be more restrictive than this Plan with respect to residential severances. Official plans shall provide guidance for the creation of lots on rural lands. Regardless, new lots for any use shall not be created if the creation would extend or promote strip development.
  6. New land uses, including the creation of lots (as permitted by the policies of this Plan), and new or expanding livestock facilities, shall comply with the minimum distance separation formulae.
  7. Where agricultural uses and non-agricultural uses interface, land use compatibility shall be promoted by avoiding or, if avoidance is not possible, minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts on the Agricultural System, based on provincial guidance. Where mitigation is required, measures should be incorporated as part of the non-agricultural uses, as appropriate, within the area being developed.
  8. The geographic continuity of the agricultural land base and the functional and economic connections to the agri-food network shall be maintained and enhanced.
  9. Where public service facilities exist on rural lands, consideration should be given to maintaining and adapting these as community hubs, where feasible, to meet the needs of the community.

3.1.5 Agri-food network

  1. Integrated planning for growth management, including goods movement and transportation planning, shall consider opportunities to support and enhance the Agricultural System.
  2. Municipalities are encouraged to implement regional agri-food strategies and other approaches to sustain and enhance the Agricultural System and the long-term economic prosperity and viability of the agri-food sector, including the maintenance and improvement of the agri-food network, by:
    1. Providing opportunities to support access to healthy, local, and affordable food, urban and near-urban agriculture, food system planning and promoting the sustainability of agricultural, agri-food and agri-product businesses while protecting agricultural resources and minimizing land use conflicts;
    2. Protecting, enhancing or supporting opportunities for infrastructure, services and assets. Where negative impacts on the agri-food network are unavoidable, they shall be assessed, minimized and mitigated to the extent feasible; and
    3. Establishing or consulting with agricultural advisory committees or liaison officers.

3.1.6 Agricultural System connections

The Agricultural System is connected both functionally and economically to the agricultural land base and agri-food sector across municipal boundaries and beyond the boundaries of the Greenbelt. Agriculture is the predominant land use in the Greenbelt and is an important economic factor in the quality of life for communities in and beyond the Greenbelt.

To strengthen the connections between the Agricultural Systems of the Greenbelt and the rest of the GGH, municipalities, farming organizations and other agencies and levels of government are encouraged to collaborate with each other to support the Agricultural System. As well, consideration should be given to activities and changes in land use, both within and in proximity to the Greenbelt, and how they relate to the broader agricultural system and economy of southern Ontario. Municipalities should plan appropriately to ensure both functional and economic connections are maintained and strengthened in conjunction with natural heritage systems, water resources, growth management and infrastructure to maximize synergies and support a viable agri-food sector.

3.2 Natural System

3.2.1 Description

The Protected Countryside contains a Natural System that provides a continuous and permanent land base necessary to support human and ecological health in the Greenbelt and beyond. The Natural System policies protect areas of natural heritage, hydrologic and/or landform features, which are often functionally inter-related and which collectively provide essential ecosystem services, including water storage and filtration, cleaner air, habitat, support for pollinators, carbon storage and resilience to climate change. The Natural System policies contribute to conserving Ontario’s biodiversity and maintaining the ecological integrity of the Greenbelt.

The Natural System within the Protected Countryside functions at three scales:

  1. The system is connected to and/or supports broader natural systems in southern Ontario such as the Great Lakes Coast, the Carolinian Zone, the Kawartha Highlands and the Algonquin to Adirondacks Corridor;
  2. The system builds upon and is connected to other GGH-scale natural systems as identified through the Growth Plan, the NEP and the ORMCP (see Appendix 1); and
  3. The system is supported by a multitude of natural and hydrologic features and functions found within the GGH but outside of the NEP and the ORMCP. In particular, the numerous watersheds, subwatersheds and groundwater resources, including the network of tributaries that support the major river systems identified in this Plan, are critical to the long-term health and sustainability of water resources, biodiversity and overall ecological integrity. Official plans and related resource management efforts by conservation authorities and others shall continue to assess and plan for these natural and hydrologic features and functions in a comprehensive and integrated manner through the identification and protection of natural systems, building upon and supporting the natural systems identified within the Greenbelt.

The Natural System is made up of a Natural Heritage System and a Water Resource System that often coincide given ecological linkages between terrestrial and water-based functions.

The Natural Heritage System includes core areas and linkage areas of the Protected Countryside with the highest concentration of the most sensitive and/or significant natural features and functions. These areas need to be managed as a connected and integrated natural heritage system, given the functional inter-relationships between them and the fact that this system builds upon the natural systems contained in the NEP and the ORMCP (see Schedule 4) and will connect with the Natural Heritage System that will be issued pursuant to the Growth Plan. Together, these systems will comprise and function as a connected natural heritage system.

The Water Resource System is made up of both ground and surface water features and areas and their associated functions, which provide the water resources necessary to sustain healthy aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and human water consumption. The ORMCP and NEP include very significant elements of and are fundamental to the Water Resource System. The areas to which these plans apply contain primary recharge, headwater and discharge areas, together with major drinking water aquifers, within the Greenbelt.

The Protected Countryside includes several areas of hydrological significance, including:

  • the upper reaches of watersheds draining to Lake Ontario to the west of the Niagara Escarpment
  • lands around the primary discharge zones along the toe of the Niagara Escarpment and base of the Oak Ridges Moraine
  • the major river valleys that flow from the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Ontario
  • the portions of the Lake Simcoe watershed and the former Lake Algonquin Shoreline within York and Durham Regions
  • the former Lake Iroquois shoreline in Durham and Niagara Regions

These areas of hydrological significance incorporated into the Greenbelt function together with other hydrological features and areas both within the Greenbelt and within the remainder of watersheds that extend outside of the Greenbelt to form water resource systems.

3.2.2 Natural Heritage System policies

For lands within the Natural Heritage System of the Protected Countryside, the following policies shall apply:

  1. The full range of existing and new agricultural, agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses and normal farm practices are permitted subject to the policies of section 3.2.2.2.
  2. New buildings or structures for agriculture, agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses are not subject to the policies of section 3.2.2.3, but are subject to the policies of section 3.2.5.
  3. New development or site alteration in the Natural Heritage System (as permitted by the policies of this Plan) shall demonstrate that:
    1. There will be no negative impacts on key natural heritage features or key hydrologic features or their functions;
    2. Connectivity along the system and between key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features located within 240 metres of each other will be maintained or, where possible, enhanced for the movement of native plants and animals across the landscape;
    3. The removal of other natural features not identified as key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features should be avoided. Such features should be incorporated into the planning and design of the proposed use wherever possible;
    4. Except for uses described in and governed by the policies of sections 4.1.2 and 4.3.2,
      1. The disturbed area, including any buildings and structures, of the total developable area will not exceed 25 per cent (40 per cent for golf courses); and
      2. The impervious surface of the total developable area will not exceed 10 per cent; and
  4. The Natural Heritage System, including the policies of section 3.2.5, does not apply within the existing boundaries of settlement areas, but does apply when considering expansions to settlement areas as permitted by the policies of this Plan. Municipalities should consider the Natural Heritage Systems connections within settlement areas when implementing municipal policies, plans and strategies.
  5. When official plans are brought into conformity with this Plan, the boundaries of the Natural Heritage System may be refined, with greater precision, in a manner that is consistent with this Plan and the system shown on Schedule 4.
  6. Towns/Villages are not permitted to expand into the Natural Heritage System.

3.2.3 Water Resource System policies

The following Water Resource System policies apply throughout the Protected Countryside:

  1. All planning authorities shall provide for a comprehensive, integrated and long-term approach for the protection, improvement or restoration of the quality and quantity of water. Such an approach shall consider all hydrologic features, areas and functions and include a systems approach to the inter-relationships between and/or among key hydrologic features and key hydrologic areas.
  2. Watersheds are the most meaningful scale for hydrological planning. Municipalities, partnering with conservation authorities as appropriate, shall ensure that watershed planning is undertaken to support a comprehensive, integrated and long-term approach to the protection, enhancement or restoration of the quality and quantity of water within a watershed.
  3. Water Resource Systems shall be identified, informed by watershed planning and other available information, and the appropriate designations and policies shall be applied in official plans to provide for the long-term protection of key hydrologic features, key hydrologic areas and their functions.
  4. Decisions on allocation of growth and planning for water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure shall be informed by applicable watershed planning in accordance with the Growth Plan.
  5. Cross-jurisdictional and cross-watershed impacts need to be considered in the development of watershed plans. The development of watershed plans and watershed management approaches in the Protected Countryside shall be integrated with watershed planning and management in the NEP, the ORMCP and the Growth Plan.
  6. Municipalities shall consider the Great Lakes Strategy, the targets and goals of the Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015 and any applicable Great Lakes agreements as part of watershed planning and coastal or waterfront planning initiatives.

3.2.4 Key hydrologic areas

Key hydrologic areas are areas which contribute to the hydrologic functions of the Water Resource System. These areas maintain ground and surface water quality and quantity by collecting, storing and filtering rainwater and overland flow, recharge aquifers and feed downstream tributaries, lakes, wetlands and discharge areas. These areas are also sensitive to contamination and feed key hydrologic features and drinking water sources.

Key hydrologic areas include:

  • significant groundwater recharge areas
  • highly vulnerable aquifers
  • significant surface water contribution areas

For lands within a key hydrologic area in the Protected Countryside, the following policies apply:

  1. Major development may be permitted where it has been demonstrated that the hydrologic functions, including groundwater and surface water quality and quantity, of these areas shall be protected and, where possible, improved or restored through:
    1. The identification of planning, design and construction practices and techniques;
    2. Meeting other criteria and direction set out in the applicable watershed planning or subwatershed plan; and
    3. Meeting any applicable provincial standards, guidelines and procedures.
  2. Section 3.2.4.1 does not apply to major development that is a new or expanding building or structure for agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses or on-farm diversified uses where the total impervious surface does not exceed 10 per cent of the lot.

3.2.5 Key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features policies

Key natural heritage features include:

  • habitat of endangered species and threatened species
  • fish habitat
  • wetlands
  • life science areas of natural and scientific interest (ANSIs)
  • significant valleylands
  • significant woodlands
  • significant wildlife habitat (including habitat of special concern species)
  • sand barrens, savannahs and tallgrass prairies
  • alvars

Key hydrologic features include:

  • permanent and intermittent streams
  • lakes (and their littoral zones)
  • seepage areas and springs
  • wetlands

For lands within a key natural heritage feature or a key hydrologic feature in the Protected Countryside, the following policies shall apply:

  1. Development or site alteration is not permitted in key hydrologic features and key natural heritage features within the Natural Heritage System, including any associated vegetation protection zone, with the exception of:
    1. Forest, fish and wildlife management;
    2. Conservation and flood or erosion control projects, but only if they have been demonstrated to be necessary in the public interest and after all alternatives have been considered; or
    3. Infrastructure, aggregate, recreational, shoreline and existing uses, as described by and subject to the policies of section 4.
  2. Beyond the Natural Heritage System within the Protected Countryside, key hydrologic features are defined by and subject to the policies of section 3.2.5.
  3. Beyond the Natural Heritage System within the Protected Countryside, key natural heritage features are not subject to the policies of section 3.2.5, but are to be defined pursuant to, and subject to the policies of, the PPS.
  4. In the case of wetlands, seepage areas and springs, fish habitat, permanent and intermittent streams, lakes and significant woodlands, the minimum vegetation protection zone shall be a minimum of 30 metres measured from the outside boundary of the key natural heritage feature or key hydrologic feature.
  5. A proposal for new development or site alteration within 120 metres of a key natural heritage feature within the Natural Heritage System or a key hydrologic feature anywhere within the Protected Countryside requires a natural heritage evaluation or a hydrological evaluation which identifies a vegetation protection zone which:
    1. Is of sufficient width to protect the key natural heritage feature or key hydrologic feature and its functions from the impacts of the proposed change and associated activities that may occur before, during and after construction and, where possible, restore or enhance the feature and/or its function; and
    2. Is established to achieve and be maintained as natural self-sustaining vegetation.
  6. A proposal for new development or site alteration within the Natural Heritage System is not subject to section 3.2.5.5 where the only key natural heritage feature is the habitat of endangered species and threatened species.
  7. Notwithstanding section 3.2.5.5, new buildings and structures for agricultural, agriculture-related or on-farm diversified uses are not required to undertake a natural heritage or hydrologic evaluation if a minimum 30 metre vegetation protection zone is provided from a key natural heritage feature or key hydrologic feature. In addition, these uses are exempt from the requirement of establishing a condition of natural self-sustaining vegetation if the land is and will continue to be used for agricultural purposes. However, agricultural, agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses shall pursue best management practices to protect and/or restore key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features and functions.
  8. Notwithstanding sections 3.2.5.4 and 3.2.5.5, within the Niagara Peninsula Tender Fruit and Grape Area, new buildings or structures for agricultural, agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses are permitted within 30 metres of permanent and intermittent streams, where:
    1. The permanent or intermittent stream also functions as an agricultural swale, roadside ditch or municipal drain as determined through provincially approved mapping;
    2. A minimum 15 metre vegetation protection zone is established between the building or structure and the permanent or intermittent stream; however, this vegetation protection zone is not required to be maintained as natural self-sustaining vegetation if the land is and will continue to be used for agricultural purposes;
    3. There is no alternative location for the building or structure on the property without impacting lands that are in specialty crop production;
    4. A new individual on-site sewage system will not be located within 30 metres of the stream; and
    5. Agricultural, agriculture-related and on-farm diversified uses shall pursue best management practices to protect or restore key hydrologic features and functions.

3.2.6 External connections

The Natural Heritage System is connected to local, regional and provincial scale natural heritage, water resource and agricultural systems beyond the boundaries of the Greenbelt, including the Natural Heritage System that will be issued pursuant to the Growth Plan. The Greenbelt’s Natural Heritage System also connects to those areas designated as Urban River Valley in this Plan.

The external connections are generally depicted by a dotted green line on Schedules 1, 3 and 4 and Appendices 1 and 2 but are not within the regulated boundary of the Greenbelt Plan. Many of the external connections shown on Schedules 1, 2 and 4 at the time of the Plan’s approval in 2005 have been added to the Greenbelt Plan as Urban River Valley areas and are subject to the policies of section 6 of this Plan.

  1. To support the connections between the Greenbelt’s Natural System and the local, regional and broader scale natural heritage systems of southern Ontario, such as the Lake Ontario shoreline, including its remaining coastal wetlands, the Great Lakes Coast, Lake Simcoe, the Kawartha Highlands, the Carolinian Zone and the Algonquin to Adirondack Corridor, the federal government, municipalities, conservation authorities, other agencies and stakeholders should:
    1. Consider how activities and land use change both within and abutting the Greenbelt relate to the areas of external connections and Urban River Valley areas identified in this Plan;
    2. Promote and undertake appropriate planning and design to ensure that external connections and Urban River Valley areas are maintained and/or enhanced; and
    3. Undertake watershed planning, which integrates supporting ecological systems with those systems contained in this Plan.
  2. The river valleys that run through existing or approved urban areas and connect the Greenbelt to inland lakes and the Great Lakes, including areas designated as Urban River Valley, are a key component of the long-term health of the Natural System. In recognition of the function of the urban river valleys, municipalities and conservation authorities should:
    1. Continue with stewardship, remediation and appropriate park and trail initiatives which maintain and, to the extent possible, enhance the ecological features and functions found within these valley systems;
    2. In considering land conversions or redevelopments in or abutting an urban river valley, strive for planning approaches that:
      1. Establish or increase the extent or width of vegetation protection zones in natural self-sustaining vegetation, especially in the most ecologically sensitive areas (i.e. near the stream and below the stable top of bank);
      2. Increase or improve fish habitat in streams and in the adjacent riparian lands;
      3. Include landscaping and habitat restoration that increase the ability of native plants and animals to use valley systems as both wildlife habitat and movement corridors; and
      4. Seek to avoid or, if avoidance is not possible, minimize and mitigate adverse impacts associated with the quality and quantity of urban runoff into the valley systems; and
    3. Integrate watershed planning and management approaches for lands both within and beyond the Greenbelt, taking into consideration the goals and objectives of protecting, improving and restoring the Great Lakes.
  3. In addition to the urban river valleys, portions of the former Lake Iroquois shoreline, particularly within Durham Region, traverse existing or approved urban areas. Municipalities should consider planning, design and construction practices that maintain or, where possible, enhance the size, diversity, connectivity and functions of key natural heritage features, key hydrologic features and key hydrologic areas of those portions of the Lake Iroquois shoreline within their approved urban boundaries.

3.2.7 The Rouge River Watershed and Rouge National Urban Park

The Rouge River watershed is of particular significance within the Protected Countryside because of the extensive public investment in establishing Rouge National Urban Park, the efforts of all levels of government in preparing past and current plans in the Rouge watershed and the Park, and the environmental restoration and sustainability efforts within both the watershed and the Park.

The Rouge watershed and the Little Rouge River serve as a vital ecological corridor linking the environmental systems of Lake Ontario to the Oak Ridges Moraine in this area of the Greater Toronto Area.

This Plan identifies a 600 metre wide corridor for the Little Rouge River as the main ecological corridor between Lake Ontario and the southerly boundary of the ORMCP. It also includes several other Rouge River tributaries.

Land use planning and resource management within those portions of the Rouge River watershed within the Protected Countryside shall comply with the provisions of both this Plan and the Rouge North Management Plan. In the case of a conflict between this Plan and the Rouge North Management Plan, the more restrictive policies apply. For those lands within the watershed north of Steeles Avenue outside of the Protected Countryside, the Rouge North Management Plan and the Rouge North Implementation Manual, together with any municipal or conservation authority plans or initiatives which build on and/or support the Rouge North Management Plan, should be considered as the guiding land use planning and resource management documents.

Rouge National Urban Park has been established for the purposes of protecting and presenting for current and future generations the agricultural, natural and cultural heritage of the Park and its diverse landscapes. The Park will play a role in linking Lake Ontario with the Oak Ridges Moraine. Upon lands being transferred to the Park they will become federally administered, the Rouge National Urban Park Act and Management Plan will be the guiding documents and the Greenbelt Plan or other provincial plans/policies will not apply. Until such transfers, provincial plans and policies continue to apply, and will continue to apply to lands not proposed for transfer, such as roads, hydro corridors and other public and private lands.

Ontario will work collaboratively with Parks Canada, municipalities and other relevant agencies and organizations to ensure ecological integrity is the first management priority for the Rouge National Urban Park while also supporting ongoing agricultural activities and sustainable farming practices. Planning of surrounding lands outside of the Rouge National Urban Park should be undertaken in a manner that considers the interface with and supports the vision and the ecological and other functions of the Park. This includes connections to surrounding natural heritage, agricultural and open space and trail systems, together with transportation infrastructure, visitor facilities and cultural heritage. In particular, infrastructure traversing the Park should be planned, designed and constructed to limit and mitigate impacts, support recreational uses and promote environmental restoration opportunities.

3.3 Parkland, open space and trails

3.3.1 Description

A system of parklands, open spaces, water bodies and trails across the Greenbelt is necessary to provide opportunities for recreation, tourism and appreciation of cultural heritage and natural heritage. They serve as an important component of complete communities and provide important benefits to support environmental protection, improved air quality and climate change mitigation. This system currently supports a variety of passive and active uses as well as health, economic and other quality of life benefits within the Greenbelt.

A system of parklands, open spaces, water bodies and trails helps address the causes and impacts of climate change by capturing and storing carbon, recharging aquifers and protecting biodiversity and sensitive areas.

It should be recognized that parkland, open space and trails exist within surroundings of predominantly privately held lands. While private landowners may, and do, adopt a collaborative approach with groups such as hiking and snowmobile associations to allow public access across portions of their property, this is only with the consent of the landowner.

Maintaining and expanding the supply of publicly accessible parkland, open space and trails is encouraged through strategic planning activities that identify, plan for and protect these resources for current and future generations. The planning and activity associated with parkland, open space and trail uses should maximize the opportunity to co-operate with all landowners. This includes measures to prevent trespassing on farm properties to avoid risks to farm biosecurity and crop damage.

Throughout the Greenbelt, there is existing public parkland and open space, such as the Rouge National Urban Park, as well as existing major trails such as the Bruce Trail, the Trans Canada Trail, the Niagara Greenway and the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail. This system of parks and trails provides significant economic benefits and opportunities for a multitude of uses and activities compatible with the Greenbelt’s vision and goals. This system should serve as a base for future decisions on parkland and open space use and trail development.

3.3.2 Parkland, open space and trail policies

The Province should, in partnership with municipalities, conservation authorities, non-government organizations and other interested parties:

  1. Encourage the development of a system of publicly accessible parkland, open space and trails where people can pursue the types of recreational activities envisaged by this Plan, and to support the connectivity of the Natural Heritage System and the achievement of complete communities in settlement areas across the Greenbelt.
  2. Encourage the development of a trail plan and a co-ordinated approach to trail planning and development in the Greenbelt to enhance key existing trail networks and to strategically direct more intensive activities away from sensitive landscapes.
  3. Promote good stewardship practices for public and private lands within the Greenbelt, including clear demarcation of where public access is permitted.

3.3.3 Municipal parkland, open space and trail strategies

For all lands falling within the Protected Countryside, municipalities should:

  1. Provide for a full range of publicly accessible, built and natural settings for recreation, including facilities, parklands, open space areas, trails and water-based activities.
  2. Develop and incorporate strategies (such as community-specific levels of provision) into official plans to guide the adequate provision of municipal recreation facilities, parklands, open space areas and trails.
  3. Include the following considerations in municipal parks plans and open space strategies:
    1. Providing for open space areas for current and future populations and promoting stewardship of open space areas;
    2. Providing facilities, parklands, open space areas and trails that particularly support an active, healthy community lifestyle;
    3. Identifying key areas or sites for the future development of major facilities that avoid sensitive landscapes;
    4. Identifying and targeting under-serviced areas for improved levels of protection;
    5. Protecting the recreation and tourism values of waterfront areas as a high priority; and
    6. Supporting urban agriculture and other local food initiatives.
  4. Include the following considerations in municipal trail strategies:
    1. Preserving the continuous integrity of corridors (e.g. abandoned railway rights-of-way and utility corridors);
    2. Planning trails on a cross-boundary basis to enhance interconnectivity where practical;
    3. Incorporating the existing system of parklands and trails where practical;
    4. Restricting trail uses that are inappropriate to the reasonable capacity of the site (notwithstanding the ability to continue existing trails/uses);
    5. Providing for multi-use trail systems which establish a safe system for both motorized and non-motorized uses;
    6. Protecting farmland and supporting and ensuring compatibility with agriculture; and
    7. Ensuring the protection of the key natural heritage features and key hydrologic features and functions of the landscape.

Federal parks, provincial parks and conservation authority lands are also important components in the development of parkland, open space and trail strategies. Ongoing management of these lands for publicly accessible recreation, in keeping with environmental management plans and strategies for such areas and the policies of this Plan, is important in providing access to this system. Where geographic-specific park or public land management plans exist, municipalities, agencies and other levels of government must consider such plans when making decisions on land use or infrastructure proposals.

3.4 Settlement areas

3.4.1 Description

Settlement areas within the Greenbelt support and provide significant economic, social and commercial functions to prime agricultural areas and rural lands. They are an integral part of the long-term economic and social sustainability of the Greenbelt and this Plan envisions that they continue to evolve and grow in keeping with their rural and/or existing character. Land use patterns within settlement areas shall support the achievement of complete communities that move towards low-carbon communities, with the long term goal of net-zero communities.

The achievement of complete communities shall in part be supported by facilitating the development of community hubs that involve the co-location of public services to address local community needs in convenient locations that are accessible by active transportation and, where available, transit.

The settlement areas have been placed into two categories: Towns/Villages and Hamlets. These settlement areas vary significantly in both spatial and population size, economic activity, diversity/intensity of uses, the type(s) of water and sewage services and the role they play within their municipalities. Settlement areas of all types are found throughout the Protected Countryside. Towns/Villages and Hamlets are identified on Schedule 1. To determine the precise settlement area boundaries, reference should be made to official plans.

Towns/Villages have the largest concentrations of population, employment and development within the Protected Countryside and tend to be the central settlement area(s) for their respective municipalities. Although most have full municipal water and sewer services, some only have a municipal water service and/or a combination of private and municipal water services. Towns/Villages are the focus of development and related economic and social activity.

Hamlets are substantially smaller than Towns/Villages and play a significantly lesser role in accommodating concentrations of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional development. Further, they are typically serviced with individual on-site sewage and water services and thus are not locations to which growth should be directed.

3.4.2 General settlement area policies

For lands within the Protected Countryside, the following policies shall apply:

  1. Settlement areas outside the Greenbelt are not permitted to expand into the Greenbelt.
  2. Municipalities shall incorporate policies in their official plans to facilitate the development of community hubs that:
    1. Enable the co-location of public services to promote cost-effectiveness and service integration;
    2. Facilitate access through locations served by a range of transportation options, including active transportation and, where available, transit;
    3. Give priority to existing public service facilities within settlement areas as the preferred location, where appropriate; and
    4. Enable the adaptive reuse of existing facilities and spaces in settlement areas, where appropriate.
  3. Municipalities shall collaborate and consult with service planning, funding and delivery sectors to facilitate the co-ordination and planning of community hubs and other public service facilities.
  4. Municipalities should collaborate, where possible, to support components of the Agricultural System (infrastructure, services and assets) and access to local, healthy food.
  5. Municipalities shall integrate climate change considerations into planning and managing growth in settlement areas in accordance with the policies in subsection 4.2.10 of the Growth Plan.
  6. Municipalities should develop excess soil reuse strategies as part of planning for growth and development.
  7. Municipal planning policies and relevant development proposals shall incorporate best practices for the management of excess soil generated and fill received during development or site alteration, including infrastructure development, to ensure that:
    1. Any excess soil is reused on-site or locally to the maximum extent possible and, where feasible, excess soil reuse planning is undertaken concurrently with development planning and design;
    2. Appropriate sites for excess soil storage and processing are permitted close to areas where proposed development is concentrated or areas of potential soil reuse; and
    3. Fill quality received and fill placement at a site will not cause an adverse effect with regard to the current or proposed use of the property or the natural environment, and is compatible with adjacent land uses.

3.4.3 Town/Village policies

For lands within Towns/Villages in the Protected Countryside, the following policies shall apply:

  1. Towns/Villages are subject to the policies of the Growth Plan and continue to be governed by official plans and related programs or initiatives and are not subject to the policies of this Plan, save for the policies of sections 3.1.5, 3.2.3, 3.2.6, 3.3 and 3.4.2.
  2. Extensions or expansions of services to settlement areas within the Protected Countryside shall be subject to the infrastructure policies of section 4.2 of this Plan, including the requirements regarding environmental assessments and agricultural impact assessments.
  3. As part of a municipal comprehensive review under the Growth Plan, an upper- or single-tier planning authority may allow expansions of settlement area boundaries in accordance with the policies 2.2.8.2 and 2.2.8.3 of the Growth Plan.

3.4.4 Hamlet policies

For lands within Hamlets in the Protected Countryside, the following policy shall apply:

  1. Hamlets are subject to the policies of the Growth Plan and continue to be governed by official plans and related programs or initiatives and are not subject to the policies of this Plan, save for the policies of sections 3.1.5, 3.2.3, 3.2.6, 3.3 and 3.4.2. Limited growth is permitted through infill and intensification of Hamlets subject to appropriate water and sewage services.

3.4.5 Additional policies for settlement area expansion

For settlement areas within the Protected Countryside, notwithstanding the policies of section 5.2.1, the following additional policies apply to municipally initiated settlement area expansion proposals:

  1. Where a municipality had initiated the consideration of a settlement area expansion prior to the date this Plan came into effect, such an expansion may be considered through the municipality’s exercise to bring its official plan into conformity with this Plan as described in the policies of section 5.3. The proposed expansion shall:
    1. Prior to December 16, 2003, be supported by:
      1. A council resolution authorizing the consideration of such an expansion; and
      2. The substantial completion of background studies or reports by municipal staff or planning consultants, or the expenditure of municipal funds on the consideration of such expansion;
    2. Not extend into the Natural Heritage System;
    3. Not extend into specialty crop areas; and
    4. Maintain the rural and/or existing character of the settlement area.
  2. Section 3.4.5.1 does not apply to:
    1. Those lands within the City of Pickering, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, bounded by the CPR Belleville Line in the south; the York-Durham Townline to the west; and West Duffins Creek to the east; and
    2. Those lands within the Town of Markham, in the Regional Municipality of York, bounded by the York-Durham Townline to the east; Steeles Avenue to the south; the Little Rouge River to the west; and 16th Avenue to the north.