Shrinking Farmland In Vaughan: The Causes, Consequences And Potential Solutions

In this paper, I analyze provincial environmental laws and the city of Vaughan's policies, aspirations and actions as it relates to the topics of development and conservation, to determine if they aid or hinder the preservation of valuable farmland. I begin by explaining the importance of farmland in terms of the province's economy as well as its fight against climate change. Then, I detail the extent of agricultural land loss in Vaughan while examining the causes, specifically the compromises found in conservation legislation. I argue that Ontario and Vaughan's attempt to pacify developer concerns regarding conservation regulation such as the Greenbelt Act, 2005, has led to holes in protection that were exploited by developers to continue the construction of unsustainable low-density housing and aggressive aggregate extraction. The key issues discussed in the paper are the province's density targets, infrastructure and aggregate mining loopholes and the re-designation of lands that were previously protected under Greenbelt legislation. I, then, continue by exploring potential solutions to these issues, including the expansion of the Greenbelt to incorporate farmlands found in towns such as Vaughan and Barrie, the creation of a fixed urban boundary zone, and refined density targets that promote more compact development. The paper concludes by examining the topic of urban agriculture and how it can be implemented in conjunction with other proposed solutions to grow agriculture in the city despite heavy (sub)urbanization.