Farmland plan undermines Peterborough County landowners
Province wants to introduce new agricultural land base mapping
Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal is the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. (OMAFRA) In this capacity, he has been a champion for the growth of Ontario’s agricultural sector, dealing with a wide range of issues including the preservation of prime agricultural land and especially those lands located close to major urban communities.
As part of its Places To Grow planning initiative, Minister Leal’s government recently released new “agricultural land base” mapping for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, an area that includes the County of Peterborough.
These maps set out in precise detail the areas that are considered to be “prime agricultural areas” – that is, lands that have the highest value for agricultural use and are protected by a 2014 Provincial Policy Statement that permits only “agricultural uses, agriculture-related uses and on-farm diversified uses” in such areas. This mapping is important work, in that prime agricultural land is a nonrenewable resource comprising less than five per cent of Ontario’s land mass. As the basis for the local food economy and agribusiness, it must be preserved over the long term.
The local implementation of this mapping, however, is another matter. Consider, for example, that Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett’s house and property in the Township of Cavan Monaghan – in a rural residential area bounded by a college, an industrial park and a golf course where new farming is highly unlikely – is now designated by Minister
Leal’s OMAFRA as a “prime agricultural area.”
Even though the township official plan permits a new house or a small commercial or industrial use on the property, the overriding provincial designation of “prime agricultural area” will now allow only new agriculture uses. It will also prohibit the creation of new residential lots, impacting directly on the value of the property.
There are other landowners in Cavan Monaghan who will be similarly affected:
The 114-acre Heron Landing Golf Club adjacent to the mayor’s property is also designated by OMAFRA as a “prime agricultural area,” even though the township has designated it for recreational purposes.
The North Monaghan Employment Area centred on Whittington Drive – an area intended by the township to house uses such as light manufacturing and warehousing – is inexplicably designated as a “prime agricultural area.” Current and future commercial businesses and employers there will be prohibited from future commercial development.
Two City of Peterborough properties immediately adjacent to its Airport, one of which has been cleared for future development, are also designated as “prime agricultural areas” even though it is difficult to imagine how a viable agriculture operation could be established on either property.
Some provincially significant wetlands have also been designated, even though such lands are not appropriate for agricultural use.
In Peterborough County, there is no doubt that rural townships will be relied upon as the primary source for agricultural land. At the same time, the townships must be provided with sufficient development land to generate assessment, justify infrastructure investments, support local schools and community facilities, and create new housing and employment opportunities.
Whether by error or intent, the OMAFRA agricultural maps appear to miss that careful balance, undermining landowner rights and running roughshod over future developments otherwise permitted by local government.
Worse, municipalities seeking corrections are prohibited from appealing to the OMB and must rely instead on a petition to the Minister or a “municipal comprehensive review,” both of which are likely to be costly and time consuming.
Townships in the county will want to have a careful look at the impact of the new maps on their opportunities for economic health and well-being.
In Peterborough County, there is no doubt that rural townships will be relied upon as the primary source for agricultural land. DAVID GOYETTE