NFU-O Calls on Transport Canada to Permanently protect the Pickering Lands

The National Farmers Union – Ontario (NFU-O) represents thousands of farmers across the province, including producers in Durham Region and the City of Pickering. We support new homes and jobs, while safeguarding Ontario’s best farmland and the agricultural system that sustains food security and rural economies.

The Pickering Lands have been under development threat since 1972, when the Government of Canada acquired 18,600 acres of land to develop a new airport. It was later determined that a smaller footprint was required, and portions of the lands were transferred to Parks Canada to form part of Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP) in 2015 and 2017. In January 2025, the government announced that the Pickering Lands would not be used for a future airport site, and on March 2nd, 2026, announced the opening of public consultation to decide the ultimate fate of these lands, which could see residential or commercial development, a corridor for the Alto High Speed Rail line, or, they could be added to RNUP and protected as agricultural lands. Approximately 9,300 acres remain with Transport Canada – the majority of which are Class 1 agricultural lands.

Class 1 farmland is a rare natural resource in Canada, representing only 0.5% of the country’s total land mass. Municipalities in Southern Ontario collectively house 50% of this finite land – the Pickering Lands up for debate hold 6,700 acres of Class 1 land. The lands represent a rare opportunity to safeguard this gift for future generations, and protect against global market uncertainties by investing in food security and sovereignty. 

The NFU-O demands that all 9,300 acres of these lands be permanently protected as public farmland and integrated into an expanded Rouge National Urban Park. We call on the government to utilize these lands for a Regional Food Hub to support the next generation of Canadian farmers, strengthen food security near the country’s largest urban population, advance climate and conservation targets, and strengthen the capacity to feed ourselves as a fundamental component to national sovereignty and security. Studies show that diversified agriculture on these lands could significantly strengthen the regional food economy serving the GTA, create thousands of food and farm jobs, and generate substantial economic activity and public revenue. 

As part of this strategy, it is vital that the government include Indigenous knowledge in decision-making processes around land protection and management, ensuring rights, culture, and traditions are respected. All planning for these lands must centralize intentional consultation with First Nation communities in the region – the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation, the Huron Wendat, Anishinaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. We amplify the calls for co-management, a First Nation Guardians program, and harvesting agreements with the Mississaugas of Scugog Island. The Pickering lands hold historical and cultural significance for several Indigenous communities, and their involvement in the conservation and stewardship of these lands would be both meaningful and impactful.

A Regional Food Hub approach should enable up to 30-year renewable agricultural leases, support new and equity-deserving farmers through dedicated land access programs, and invest in the infrastructure needed for diversified production, regional processing, and agri-tourism. Long-term land access is essential to allow farmers to invest in soil health, regenerative practices, and resilient production systems. It is also essential to bolster current RNUP staff capacity and resources to ensure efficiency and sustainability with smaller-scale farmland leases.

The NFU-O urges the federal government to act decisively to ensure these lands are not lost to speculative development. Permanently protecting the Pickering Lands within Rouge National Urban Park and establishing a Regional Food Hub would safeguard irreplaceable farmland, strengthen the capacity to feed ourselves as a fundamental component to national sovereignty and security, and revitalize rural communities while advancing climate and conservation goals. The Pickering Lands should become a national example of how public land can support farmers, localized food protection and security, and the environment for generations to come.

~~~

Farmland is finite. Do your part to protect it!

Send a letter to direct Transport Canada to permanently protect all 9,300 acres of these lands by transferring them into an expanded Rouge National Urban Park.

Take action today to demand that the Federal Government permanently protect these lands!

Send a letter today to Transport Canada and your MP with this link:

93 Letters for 9,300 Acres – Protect the Pickering Lands!