decision making that was driving the tension in certain geographic areas,” says Whalen. “We came into this thinking there’s really good policy work already established here. How can we amplify it, educate our neighbours about it, and make sure that our municipal leaders are adhering to it?” For Stop Sprawl Durham, urban sprawl means a lot of single-family homes in car-reliant subdivisions that aren’t affordable. Instead, they are advocating for development plans for complete communities with “missing middle housing” that is more affordable. Missing middle housing is smaller housing units ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments that can be built in basement apartments, old warehouses, low-rise apartment buildings etc., according to Missing Middle Housing. This type of housing is currently in the most demand amidst the affordable housing crisis but is largely missing from city development plans. “We go into inclusionary zoning where more neighbourhoods can have basement apartments, granny flats, and the 4-story walk-up apartments,” says Brenner. “The idea is that you create these 15-minute communities where you can walk or cycle to get your groceries and essentials.” The benefits of building complete communities are many. It encourages people to be more active, it encourages the use of public transit, it’s more accessible for people with disabilities, and they provide a reliable customer base for local businesses. “We also have the positive benefits of saving our rare agricultural land,” says Brenner. “It becomes a win-win for everybody, and it shows a way to manage the affordability issue.” So even though the motivators may differ, it seems that both rural and urban communities have a vested interest in preventing urban sprawl. And Brekveld hopes that by continuing to spread awareness, farmers can feel like they are not alone in the fight against urban sprawl. “It’s about showing that there is more interest; It’s bigger and broader than just the farming community that cares about farmland preservation.” l ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER 25 AUGUST 2022 According to the 2021 Census of Agriculture, Ontario loses 319 acres of farmland every day.
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