1. Land Use and Population Growth:
Patrick Forster
CDNS
Sustainable Heritage Case Study
Class Presentation
Nov.21, 2017
Land Use and Population Growth:
Environmental and Social Sustainability Policies within the Niagara Escarpment

2. Niagara Escarpment Biosphere, Niagara Escarpment Commission 2006

3. Description
The Niagara Escarpment is a large landmass made during the receding of the glaciers
Is designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO
Represents nationally and internationally significant landforms that includes representative and scientifically valuable examples of sustainable relationships between human activities and ecosystems
The NE biosphere reserve includes the greatest topographic variability in southern Ontario and its habitats collectively boast the highest level of species diversity among Canadian biosphere reserves
Faces Pressures for land consumption from population growth in Southern Ontario

4. View from atop the Escarpment, Niagara Canada

5. Bruce Peninsula, thebrucepeninsula.com

6. Timeline
The creation of the Bruce Trail along the length of the Niagara Escarpment 1967 The Niagara Escarpment Conservation and Recreation Report 1971 The formation of the Niagara Escarpment Inter-Ministerial Task Force 1973 The Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act 1985 The Niagara Escarpment Plan was approved 1990 The Niagara Escarpment is designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO 2003 The Ontario Planning Act 2005 The Greenbelt Act

7. Stakeholders
UNESCO Niagara Escarpment Commission Municipalities inside the Niagara Escarpment Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) Parks Canada

8. Natural/Cultural Heritage
Natural Heritage: Rock Features, Forests, Ancient Cedar Forest, Tallgrass Prairie, Alvars Cultural Heritage (Historical): Traditional Algonquin and Iroquois land use Cultural Heritage (Modern): Used for agriculture (Traditional Farming, growing grapes)

9. Escarpment and Vineyard, Don Alexander

10. Sustainability
Environmental Sustainability: Natural features of the Escarpment clean air, provide drinking water and mitigate effects of climate change
Social Sustainability: Provincial Plans establish a land use planning framework that supports a thriving economy, a clean and healthy environment and social equity
Cultural Sustainability: Niagara Escarpment Plan helps to protect agricultural land and the natural environment
Economic Sustainability: Niagara Escarpment Plan protects a continuous productive agricultural land base and a complementary agri-food network that together enable the agri-food sector to thrive

11. Lessons
Policies and Acts don’t stop land consumption, but they do slow it down
Most municipalities think short term in terms of satisfying growing population
Population growth in southern Ontario still an issue
Conservation efforts are important for maintaining biodiversity in an area for future generations

12. References Books/Book chapters/Journal articles
Heidenreich, C. (1987). Se lements and Missionaries, In From the Beginnings to Historical Atlas of Canada, 1.
Moss, M. R., Milne, R. J. (1998). Biophysical processes and bioregional planning: The niagara escarpment of southern ontario, canada. Landscape and Urban Planning, 40(4), doi: /S (97)
Whitelaw, Graham & Eagles, Paul & B. Gibson, Robert & Seasons, Mark. (2008). Roles of environmental movement organisations in land-use planning: Case studies of the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine, Ontario, Canada. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. 51. pg 806.
Page, R. E. (2003). Effects of land-use patterns and land ownership on biodiversity in the natural areas of the niagara escarpment world biosphere reserve (Order No. MQ82892). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. ( ). Retrieved from
Policies and reports
Archaeological Services Inc. (2014) Cultural Heritage Assessment Report: Built Heritage Resources and Cultural Heritage Landscapes. Retrieved from
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. (2015) Performance Indicators for the Greenbelt Plan. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Part 1.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. (2017) Niagara Escarpment Plan. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. pg 1-3
UNESCO (1972) The General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meeting in Paris from 17 October to 21 November 1972, at its seventeenth session,
Websites
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. (2017). Ontario Municipal Board. Retrieved November 11, 2017, from
Niagara Escarpment Commission. (2017). Ecology. Retrieved November 10, 2017, from
Reusser, M. (2015). Land use plans must put farmland first. Retrieved November 10, 2017, from
UNESCO. (2015) Niagara Escarpment. Retrieved November 11, 2017, from
Images
Niagara Escarpment Biosphere, Niagara Escarpment Commission 2006
View from atop the Escarpment, Niagara Canada
Bruce Peninsula, thebrucepeninsula.com
Escarpment and Vineyard, Don Alexander, donalexander.ca