A fixed boundary for agricultural lands is being proposed as a way to stop the heavy loss of productive foodlands in Ontario. The idea comes from the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO) who argue that permanent protection is required for all class one to three agricultural land including speciality crop areas.

"This designation needs provincial consistency and should not be left to local planning," says the 4300-member organization in a recommendation to the McGuinty government. "Ontario needs to abandon the language of protecting farming" and instead actively plan to develop the countryside "as a vibrant place to live, visit and do business".

The adoption of such an approach would have major impacts on Hamilton, which is losing farmland at a dramatic rate. A recent city Environmental Scan report said "1541 hectares of agricultural land were lost in 2002 and 2003 were lost in 2002 and 2003 as a result of planned expansions to the urban boundary for residential and commercial development."

Last year, city council voted to incorporate 400 hectares of fruitlands in Stoney Creek into the urban boundary, even though the provincial Ministry of Agriculture opposed the move. That conflict is still unresolved, but city officials argue that building on these specialty croplands is acceptable because expansion of the boundary anywhere else in Hamilton would also eat into prime farmland.

Other CFFO proposals would also affect Hamilton, especially one that suggests that "municipalites should not be allowed to expand housing if no new jobs are being created in their communities". Hamilton's population climbed 19% between 1981 and 2001 but there was only a 1% increase in jobs during the same period.

The city's Environmental Scan report can be viewed at http://www.brianmchattie.ca/PDFs/Environmental%20Scan%20-%20Final.pdf.
The CFFO proposals are at http://www.christianfarmers.org/sub_policies_and_issues/
policy_permanent_boundary_farmland_sept_2004.pdf.