Search |  Login

Take action on market gardens!

Toronto City Council is working on bylaw amendments that will allow market gardens and farm stands in residential areas


We need to show our support!


Thursday, October 30 the Community Within Reach: Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) Neighbourhood Retail and Services Study will go to Committee. This report explicitly includes market gardens as a permitted use on property zoned as residential (in some cases).


These bylaw changes will make market gardens legal in more places in the city.


There are people opposed to the bylaw changes because they are afraid that their neighbourhoods will be overrun with bars and cannabis shops.


We need to speak up in favour of allowing market gardens and farm stands.

 Write to Councillors on the Planning and Housing Committee to tell them that you want to see market gardens and farm stands in your neighbourhood.

 

Brad Bradford, Beaches East York councillor_bradford@toronto.ca

Vincent Crisanti, Etobicoke North Councillor_Crisanti@toronto.ca

Josh Matlow, Toronto St. Paul’s councillor_matlow@toronto.ca

Jamaal Myers, Scarborough North Councillor_Myers@toronto.ca

Frances Nunziata (Vice Chair), York South-Weston councillor_nunziata@toronto.ca

Gord Perks (Chair), Parkdale-High Park councillor_perks@toronto.ca

 

To reach the whole committee, you can send an email to Nancy Martins at phc@toronto.ca with your letter as a PDF attachment.


See the TUG City Council toolkit for more information on tips for writing to City Council.

 

See the meeting page for the reports and other information about the bylaw https://secure.toronto.ca/council/#/committees/2565/25814

 

Don’t know who your councillor is? Look it up at https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/


Here is the letter from TUG if you want a sample!


Talking points

  • Tell the Committee why market gardens are important to you! Do you want to grow and sell food yourself? You don't want to grow food yourself, but you'd love to be able to walk/bike to a neighbourhood farm stand?

  • Thank city staff for including market gardens as a permitted use in a residential-zoned neighbourhood. This will allow more people to grow and sell fresh, local and culturally valuable produce.

  • Mention that food insecurity was declared an emergency by Toronto City Council in December 2024. Local market gardens are one strategy to increase access to good food.

  • The proposed changes are good but don't go far enough. Market gardens and farm gate sales should be allowed in all residential zones without complicated restrictions.



Posted on