All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

Jeff Donkersgoed

City/Township Council · Cambridge Ward 1

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All topics Housing Getting Around Climate Food Growth & Planning Budget & Taxes

Food Systems & Security

In the context of growing pressure for economic development and the connected loss of farmland, what role do municipalities and the Region hold in promoting local food livelihoods, production, and processing?ranked from highest to lowest importance
  1. Develop a local food strategy, including research on how land-use change affects the food system
  2. Promote and support low-barrier spaces for local producers to distribute and sell food
  3. Encourage and support local landowners to rent to newcomer farmers
  4. Partner with other levels of government to develop local food hubs that reduce costs and barriers for small businesses
  5. Leave local food livelihoods to the private market
How should municipalities and the Region approach food insecurity and affordability?select up to 3 per part
A. Access to food
  • Partner with local charities, non-profits, and other organizations to strengthen access to food and redistribution of surplus food and produce for low-income residents
  • Support local food procurement for school food programs, including processing/preparation infrastructure, food literacy, and youth learning opportunities
  • Support programs to prepare food for those who are unhoused or unable to cook
B. Access to land for growing food
  • Make public lands (Regional and municipal) available for sustenance food provisioning, including in urban and peri-urban spaces as cities expand
  • Enable access to land and resources for local people who want to grow their own food (e.g. the community-garden model)
  • Encourage and support private landowners to make lots available for food provisioning

Please describe one concrete policy, program, or decision you would support to strengthen the local food system.candidate's own words

Ward 1 is unique to Cambridge as it is one of the few jurisdictions in the City to contain farmland. However, much has already disappeared and what is left is at risk to development. A recent development proposal in Northwest Hespeler could transform nearly 500 acres of agricultural land into a new community of as many as 3800 homes. The Official Planning Amendment was rejected by City Council based on staff recommendations, but its fate now rests at the Ontario Land Tribunal. The staff report noted that the City of Cambridge has a sufficient supply of designated and available residential land for development in excess of 15 years as required by the Provincial Planning Statement. However, our fertile farmland is finite. While we need to build more housing, we must also protect our farmland to ensure food security. We must prioritize infills, brownfields, grayfields, already designated lands, and the repurposing unused commercial spaces or converting single-family lots into higher-density housing for development and protect our farmland at all costs.