Environment: Protection of farm land

As of February 2026, four PEC farmers have secured permanent land protection of 675 acres through Ontario Farmland Trust, with two more applications to be completed.

Every day in Ontario, we lose 319 acres of farmland to non-agricultural land uses like urban development and aggregate extraction; this rate of farmland loss is unsustainable and cannot be allowed to continue. Everyone in Ontario relies on agriculture, from the food we eat, to the jobs in our communities. Without strong protections in place for our farmland, we may not be able to provide enough food to feed our growing population. (Ontario Farmland Trust)

Between 2006 and 2021, farmland in PEC decreased by 34,706 acres (24%), and cropland declined by 13,239 acres (14%). Cropland includes field crops, fruit and vegetable plantations, and nursery products, but excludes hay, pasture, and woodlots. About 20.5% (22,779 acres) of farmland is natural land used for pasture, woodlands, and wetlands. Beyond food production, farmland also supports carbon sequestration, water filtration, and nutrient cycling.

Other threats to farmland and agriculture

In PEC, the average age of farmers is 58.4 … but 63% of PEC farms do NOT have succession plans. (Statistics Canada, Census of Agriculture, 2021) Will this farmland remain in use for agriculture?

Between 2006 and 2021, farmland prices in PEC surged by 257%, rising from an average of $2,450 to $8,747 per acre of farmland and buildings. (Ontario data catalogue) This dramatic increase poses significant challenges for new generations seeking to enter the agricultural sector.

Farmland Trust

The County Foundation hosted a farmland trust information session in March 2023. Ontario Farmland Trust can also work with private landowners to protect properties if they are purely environmental, or use their networks with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to engage in the protection of these properties. (see the recorded presentation to the right)

The popularity of PEC is generating more interest and pressure from developers. The updated Official Plan, beginning July 8, 2021, includes a number of key policies aimed at building strong communities, protecting natural heritage systems, protecting agricultural resources, and protecting human health and safety when considering development in the County.

Environmental Health and Resilience

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 15:04:18 -0400

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Updated July 29, 2025

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage trees, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

The Official Plan, beginning July 8, 2021, includes a number of key policies aimed at protecting natural heritage systems and protecting agricultural resources.

Indicators

Climate Change

Clean Energy

Water Quality

Green Spaces & Nature

Environmental Organizations

Indicators

Definitions
Biocapacity: Biocapacity refers to the capacity of a given biologically productive area to generate an on-going supply of renewable resources and to absorb its spillover wastes. Unsustainability occurs if the area's ecological footprint exceeds its biocapacity.

Household consumption includes personal transport, services, food, housing, goods.

Ecological Footprint: The amount of land needed to support consumption of ecosystem goods and services, shown as global hectares per capita. Components of ecological footprint include wetlands, built up land, grazing land, fishing grounds, cropland and forests.

Biocapacity balance: The difference between biocapacity (ecosystem supply) and Ecological Footprint (ecosystem demand), shown as global hectares per capita.

Gha: Global hectares. This is a spatial unit that enables comparisons at different scales, locations.

Protected Area: The proportion of area that is under federal, provincial, greenbelt or municipal protection, along with areas protected by non-profit organizations, land trusts and agencies.

Climate Change

PEC is experiencing the early effects of climate change – increasing weather volatility, wind storms, increasingly frequent polar vortices and ice storms; hotter, longer droughts, unpredictable thaws and extraordinary flooding events and predictable long-term effects of hotter climate and intermittent, sustained droughts and flooding like desertification, soil erosion and greater risk of grass and forest fires. (Prince Edward County, Climate change resolution, May 16, 2019, Item 6.11)

The average temperature in the Quinte Region is expected to rise by approximately 2 to 3 degrees Celsius by 2050 if climate change is left unabated, resulting in more frequent extreme weather events and risk to humans, wildlife and agriculture. (Research Gate. Recent climate change in the Prince Edward County winegrowing region)

Inequities in Access to Climate Change Adaptation Measures

The United Nations reports that 2023 was the warmest year on record, with the global average near-surface temperature at 1.45°C above the pre-industrial baseline. It crowned the warmest ten-year period on record. Rising average temperatures caused by climate change are compounded by an increase in the number of days of extreme heat and heat waves. According to the report, weather and climate extremes are either the root cause or serious aggravating factors that in 2023 triggered displacement, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, health issues and more. (United Nations News)

Extreme heat poses a risk to everyone, but it is particularly dangerous for those who are more vulnerable or less able to protect themselves. This includes people with greater exposure (such as individuals experiencing homelessness or those working outdoors), those more sensitive to heat (like the elderly or chronically ill), and those with fewer resources to adapt (such as low-income households unable to afford home retrofits). Extreme heat often exacerbates existing inequalities, with marginalized and racialized communities frequently facing multiple overlapping risk factors that increase their vulnerability. (University of Waterloo, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation)

Western North America experienced an unprecedented extreme heat event (EHE) in early summer 2021. In the province of British Columbia (BC), this event was associated with an estimated 740 excess deaths, making it one of the deadliest weather events in Canadian history. A 2024 study published in the journal Environmental Research: Health found that those living on income assistance were 2.4 times more likely to die during a heat wave during the B.C. heat dome of 2021. "Ninety-eight per cent of the people who died during that event died indoors," said Jacqueline Wilson, counsel at the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA).

Municipal action on climate change

Municipalities are tasked with land-use planning and management and are responsible for more than half of Canada’s infrastructure. They’re also the ones dealing most directly with the effects of extreme weather on their populations. Prince Edward County is forming a new Climate Action Plan Working Group under the Environmental Advisory Committee, which will focus on the community-based action plan (2023).

Municipal governments currently have direct or indirect control over approximately 44 per cent of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. (Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Partners for Climate Protection) Prince Edward County Council has committed to a 20 percent reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated as a result of the municipality’s operations and services by 2033, using 2019 as the baseline year. Council also endorsed the vision of the municipality becoming carbon neutral by 2050. (Quinte News)

Check the County’s Environment and Sustainability Resource Hub for information about the response to the climate emergency and how you can be part of the solution.
thecounty.ca/sustainability

Will the Great Lakes region become a climate haven?

With plenty of fresh water and a moderate climate, the Great Lakes region could be seen as a climate haven. Already, two American cities, Buffalo NY and Duluth MN have been declared as climate havens, and Toronto ON is looked at as a model for development that is preparing for the mass migration of popuations from areas most affected by climate change — coastal flooding, heat extremes, wildfires.

What will it take to build communities that can withstand emergencies to come? What economic opportunities and challenges are presented by this prospect?

Examining the environmental reasons why the Great Lakes region could provide security in a climate-destabilized future is Steve Paikin of TVO’s The Agenda, along with a panel of three environmental experts.

Clean Energy

Clean Energy Profile

Clean energy labour force is measured by identifying:

Economic activities (industries) focused on clean energy
Occupations contributing directly to clean energy solutions
Labour force metrics: jobs, wages, hours worked
Using tools like Statistics Canada's North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes.

In the example of agriculture:

In the clean energy (or environmental and clean technology) sector, 6.6% of jobs in PEC—representing approximately 750 positions—are in agriculture. This is much higher concentration of jobs than Ontario at 1.3%. Agriculture is not the dominant clean energy sector (compared to, say, residential buildings or manufacturing), but it plays a vital supporting role in clean technology and environmental sustainability. Agriculture contributes to clean energy efforts through activities like:

Bioenergy production (e.g., biogas, biodiesel)
Energy efficiency improvements on farms (e.g., solar-powered irrigation, geothermal heating in greenhouses)
Sustainable land management practices tied to carbon reduction or sequestration

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by economic sector (in Ontario) are measured by identifying the sources of emissions within each sector and quantifying them using activity data (e.g., fuel use, industrial output) and standardized emission factors.

In the example of agriculture in Ontario:

The agriculture sector is responsible for 8.0% of Ontario's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which equals 12.11 megatonnes (Mt) of CO₂ equivalent emissions.

8.0%– Agriculture’s share of total national GHG emissions
12.11 Mt – The absolute amount of emissions produced by agriculture, measured in megatonnes of CO₂ equivalent (1 Mt = 1 million metric tonnes)

The stat “Agriculture 8.0% (12.11 Mt)” highlights the important role agriculture plays in Ontario's GHG profile. While not the largest emitter, it contributes meaningfully, especially through methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Addressing this requires sector-specific strategies that balance food security, environmental protection, and emissions reduction.

Water Quality

Lake Ontario

About 90% of water samples taken over the last 10 years from the Great Lakes contain microplastic levels that are unsafe for wildlife, a new peer-reviewed paper from the University of Toronto finds. (The Guardian, 2023) More than 10,000 tonnes of plastic are dumped into the Great Lakes every year—they now have a higher concentration of plastic pollution than the ocean garbage patches. The Great Lakes contain 84 per cent of North America’s surface water. The federal government has banned six single use plastics in 2022 and has a goal of eliminating plastic pollution by 2030. (Environmental Defence)

Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, exacerbating water scarcity and contaminating water supplies – leading to increased competition for water, even conflict.

Nature Canada is proposing a National Marine Conservation Area in Lake Ontario that could protect up to 5,000 square kilometres of freshwater and shoreline habitat. (Nature Canada)

Bay of Quinte

The Bay of Quinte Remediation Action Plan (BQRAP) announced in February 2022 that 8 of 11 serious environmental challenges have now been addressed and are “now deemed unimpaired” raising hopes that restrictions on fish & wildlife consumption will be fully alleviated. www.bqrap.ca

Picton Bay

Save Picton Bay was formed to raise awareness of the impact of Picton Terminals on the Prince Edward County brand, local environment, drinking water and infrastructure. facebook.com/groups/SavePictonBay

Watershed

Quinte Conservation Watershed Report Card 2023 findings: (Quinte Conservation, Watershed Report Card 2023)

PE Groundwater (2023)

All of the groundwater monitoring wells met the Ontario Drinking Water Standard for nitrate and nitrite concentrations.
• All except one of the groundwater monitoring wells met the Ontario Drinking Standard for chloride.
• Private wells may vary significantly from that of proximate monitoring wells in their drinking water quality, and should be inspected and tested regularly.

PEC Surface Water Quality (2023)

PEC rating is C Fair. Surface water quality grades are calculated using concentrations of phosphorus and the health of the benthic invertebrate communities at Provincial Water Quality Monitoring and Quinte Conservation monitoring stations.

Forest Conditions (2023)
Environment Canada recommends a minimum of 30% forest cover, 10% interior, and 50% riparian forest cover.

PEC rating is B Good.

Approximately 32% of the Prince Edward Region Watershed is forested and 7% is forest interior. Forest covers approximately 44% of the riparian areas in this watershed.

Wetland Cover (2023)

PEC rating is A Excellent. Approximately 19% of the Prince Edward Region Watershed is covered by wetlands. Watersheds with higher water quality grades tend to have a greater abundance of forests and wetlands, which can aid in the filtering of surface water.

Green Spaces & Nature

3 Provincial Parks
5 Conservation areas
Municipal parks and beaches: 23 parks - 180 acres of parkland including a 46 km linear trail and a community beach, plus outdoor recreation amenities.
PEC protected and conserved areas, areas of scientific and national interest (ANSI), and Ontario Trail Network (OTN) access points.
Ostrander Crown Land Block and Point Petre Provincial Wildlife Area are two ecologically significant areas along the southern shore of Prince Edward County. They are currently designated as provincial Crown land, managed by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. The South Shore is recognized as a unique and globally significant Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and an International Monarch Butterfly Reserve. In 2023, Monarch Point Conservation Reserve now permanently protects almost 4,000 acres of PEC’s rare and fragile South Shore.

Environmental Organizations

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading land conservation organization and to date has worked with partners to protect over 2,200 acres in Prince Edward County. The NCC has made the South Shore a conservation priority as pressure to develop continues to increase. The NCC is currently working with a local landowner who donated the McMahon Bluff (241 acres) to the NCC to make the property an Ecological Gift. natureconservancy.ca

Quinte Conservation is one of 36 conservation authorities and covers a region of over 6,000 square kilometres, including Prince Edward County. Quinte Conservation conducts foundational watershed management activities that include monitoring, data collection, green infrastructure, and education outreach. quinteconservation.ca

The Hastings Prince Edward Land Trust (HPELT) owns ten properties in its catchment area and protects nearly 850 acres of land in the County. hpelt.org

The Ontario Farmland Trust (OFT) helps to protect Ontario’s quickly disappearing farmland. The OFT recently entered into its first conservation easement agreement in PEC with the protection of the Hudson’s 210 acre property near Black Creek. The farm will now be protected in perpetuity for sustainable agriculture. The Hudson’s farm also holds a great deal of biodiversity that provides habitats for animals, including the at-risk Blanding Turtle. ontariofarmlandtrust.ca

Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory (PEPtBO) is a bird observatory located in the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, located on Prince Edward Point in the south-east corner of PEC. The National Wildlife Area was established in 1978 covering 560 hectares. The South Shore is an internationally recognized Important Bird and Biodiversity area (IBA).and 750,000 migrating birds rest on the island in Spring and Fall. PEPtBO’s mandate is to monitor, report on and promote analysis of bird migration and to act as official caretaker of this area. peptbo.ca

The South Shore Joint Initiative works to permanently protect and improve biodiversity along Prince Edward County’s internationally recognized South Shore, Canada’s largest and last undeveloped Lake Ontario natural landscape and shoreline. www.ssji.ca

Friends of South Shore are citizens keeping Prince Edward County’s South Shore rural, natural, wild! friendsofsouthshore.ca

Friends of Sandbanks Park is a charitable, non-profit organization that supports Park staff in the maintenance, enhancement and protection of this unique natural wonder. friendsofsandbanks.org

Friends of Wellers Bay is a board of volunteers dedicated to enhancing the enjoyment of the waters and beaches of the bay. friendsofwellersbay.org

Prince Edward County Field Naturalists provide an educational forum for the study, promotion, appreciation, and conservation of the flora and fauna of the County.

The County Sustainability Group is involved in examining the specific challenges we will inevitably face because of global warming, climate change, peak oil, and resource constraints.
https://countysustainabilitygroupcom.wordpress.com/about-us-2/

Transition PEC was formed for the purpose of building community resilience in Prince Edward County.They have presented workshops, films and speaker events which are directed towards raising public awareness about the inevitable economic and social changes we are facing due to natural resource depletion, climate change, and their economic consequences.
facebook.com/groups/209072755788344/

Vital Signs community data, Prince Edward County - Data , Environment

Environment: Protection of farm land

Vital Signs Data

Protection of farmland

Protection of farmland

Environmental Health and Resilience

Vital Signs Data

Environmental Health and Resilience

​Climate Change

​Climate Change

Inequities in Access to Climate Change Adaptation Measures

Inequities in Access to Climate Change Adaptation Measures

Municipal action on climate change

Municipal action on climate change

Check the County’s Environment and Sustainability Resource Hub for information about the response to the climate emergency and how you can be part of the solution.thecounty.ca/sustainability

Will the Great Lakes region become a climate haven?

Will the Great Lakes region become a climate haven?

Clean Energy Profile

​Water Quality

Lake Ontario

Bay of Quinte

Picton Bay

Watershed

​Green Spaces & Nature

​Environmental Organizations

Climate Change

Climate Change

Check the County’s Environment and Sustainability Resource Hub for information about the response to the climate emergency and how you can be part of the solution.
thecounty.ca/sustainability

Water Quality

Green Spaces & Nature

Environmental Organizations