Access to Local and Other Healthy Foods in Waterloo, Ontario

Jurisdiction Name: Waterloo
State/Province: ON
Country: Canada
Type of Government: Regional Agency
Population: 507,096
Population Range: 250,000 to 999,999
Policy Links: WebPDF
Policy type: plan
Year: 2009
GFC Topic: community food connections, community food production
Keywords: agriculture, community garden, development, economic development, economic viability, farmers market, farmland preservation, food access, food system, healthy food, land use, urban agriculture
Adopting Government Department(s):

Regional Municipality of Waterloo

Lead Implementing Entity(s): n/a
Support Entity(s):

City of Cambridge, City of Kitchener, City of Waterloo, Woolwich Township, Wellesley Township, Wilmot Township, North Dumfries Township

Funding Amount: n/a
Funding Sources: n/a
Policy Outcome(s):

A strong and diverse regional food system provides many benefits to the community. It facilitates peoples’ access to locally grown and other healthy foods, which contributes to healthier eating choices and the achievement of broader public health objectives. It also encourages a range of food destinations within easy walking distance of where people live and work. A strong regional food system supports local farmers and contributes to the vitality and economic strength of rural communities and Waterloo Region as a whole. The Waterloo, Ontario Regional Official Plan includes a chapter titled “Liveability in Waterloo Region” which has a goal of creating vibrant urban and rural places.  One of the objectives to obtain this goal is to support the development of an environmentally sustainable and economically viable regional food system.  Access to locally grown and other healthy foods will be supported through this plan.

 

Additional Resources and Information: Link 1