NIAGARA SOUTH FEDERATION OF…

NIAGARA SOUTH FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE

October 1, 2017.

Helma Gerts, Policy Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs

Policy Division, Food Safety and Environmental Policy Branch

1 Stone Road West, Floor 2, Guelph Ontario N1G 4Y2

Phone: 519-826-6377

Re: EBR Registry Number 013-0968

Dear Ms Gerts,

The Niagara South Federation of Agriculture is a local general farm service organization that advocates for the economic and social well being of our Members. We have our roots in the Welland County Board of Agriculture which began more than a hundred years ago. We are affiliated with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture which began more than a hundred years ago.

Agriculture is a leading economic engine in Niagara and throughout the Golden Horseshoe.

We would offer the following comments and questions, in no particular order, for your consideration:

Only holding three Public Open Houses was inadequate. We would suggest that there would have been considerable value in holding Open Houses scattered throughout the Golden Horseshoe.

We did very much appreciate the Webinar which many of our Members participated in and found it interesting and helpful. Unfortunately some of us registered but OMAFRA did not send acknowledgment and thus were unable to take part.

The Agricultural portal could be a useful tool if we figure out how best to use it.

How will OMAFRA ensure that the data sets stay up to date and will there be ongoing assistance to municipalities, and other organization while using these tools to ensure they can be used effectively?

Will there be opportunity to upload data sets and, if do, what would the process be?

Are data sets downloadable? Would there be conditions?

Provincial mapping of the Agricultural land base is a great idea. Land Evaluation Area Review [LEAR} is a useful tool. Canada Land Inventory [CLI] can be used for mapping land capability. We see value in all classifications of farmland including classes 4 to 6.

Our understanding is that Niagara Region has identified some errors and differences in mapping. We trust that OMAFRA will work with the Region and other affected municipalities to get this worked out?

Please verify that the surplus dwelling provision is not affected by the Agricultural System.

We are concerned by the concurrent MNRF consultation to map a Natural Heritage System. We are concerned that policies under the NHS will affect agricultural uses within such linkages and corridors as they may identify. Can OMAFRA work with MNRF to ensure that the full range of agricultural uses including value added policies can be carried out in the NHS?

Can OMAFRA work with MNRF to produce a single publicly available with both the Agricultural System and NHS on it?

Can OMAFRA encourage MNRF to include groundbreaking of any natural features?

Thank you. We hope that you are found our ideas interesting and helpful as that was our intention.

Yours truly,

Joe Schonberger, President, Niagara South Federation of Agriculture

Cc: Keith Currie, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Robert Bator, Niagara North federation of Agriculture

Henry Swierenga, OFA Member Services

Peter Jeffery, OFA Senior Researcher

Carmen D’Angelo, Niagara Region CAO

Erik Acs, Niagara Region Senior Planner

Austin Kirkby.

[Original Comment ID: 211070]