Future-proofing the Greenbelt: strategic housing as a catalyst for environmental protection and agricultural resilience

Abstract

This thesis explores the history, present challenges, and future opportunities in Ontario’s Greenbelt. Established in 2005, the protected region is vital in assuring a sustainable and protected environment for agriculture in the province. However, in the wake of Ontario’s worsening housing crisis, the protected region has come under immense pressure, fuelled by the belief that its protections exacerbate land scarcity, driving up home prices beyond its boundaries. This project offers a nuanced approach to the Greenbelt, investigating the overlooked opportunities that strategic, work-integrated housing offers to address growing labour shortages in Canada’s agricultural industry. Central to this topic are the challenges of exploitation within Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker program, specifically, the inhumane living conditions of Ontario’s Migrant Farm Workers. This thesis proposes the development of a non-profit, co-operatively led housing community in Ontario’s Greenbelt that balances agricultural preservation with the vital housing needs of the region’s workforce.