Agriculture Area Review

Stage 1 - Background and Information Gathering

Tasks:  

Host meetings for members of the public, the technical advisory committee, stakeholders and Planning Advisory Committee to review the project, its scope, proposed evaluation factors, timelines, how to stay involved and receive early input.

Actions: 

The Counties shared information starting in November 2022 with a meeting of an advisory group, followed by a public meeting on December 12, 2022 and a meeting of the Counties Planning Advisory Committee on January 4, 2023.  Information was circulated to a wide group of stakeholders, from agency representatives to known agriculture operators and published in all local newspapers.  Various bodies were requested to help promote the initiative.  

Documents available during this consultation period included the presentation detailing the studies' process and approach and the draft land evaluation (soils) mapping for the Counties. Please note: The land evaluation mapping was only part of the evaluation criteria.  An area review (completed as part of stage 2) would also inform which lands are viable for agricultural activities and protection.

Questions, comments, suggestions or to be put on a mailing list for updates and notices of meetings, were directed to Elaine Mallory, Planner II.   

Stage 2 - Technical Analysis & Draft Mapping 

Tasks:  

The evaluation factors will be finalized based on the information gathering process. 

The consulting team will conduct a technical analysis of all lands in the currently designated rural lands and Agricultural Area, excluding wetlands and settlement areas.

The consulting team will map results from the Land Evaluation and Area Review (LEAR) criteria: soil capability, agricultural land production and land fragmentation.  

Consultation will take place with advisory bodies, agencies, members of the public, stakeholders and the Planning Advisory Committee on the draft mapping scenarios which will be used to identify agriculture areas.

Actions:  

The Counties shared the draft report with mapping with the advisory group on May 11, 2023.  On May 15th the report and mapping was issued for public review.  A survey was released concurrently.   The draft will report and mapping was presented to the Counties Planning Advisory Committee on May 25th, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. in the Counties Council Chambers for feedback.  A public consultation meeting was hosted on Wednesday, June 21st at the Counties Offices at 4:00 p.m.. A power point presentation was reviewed during the meeting. 

Notice of the report and commenting period was provided via updates to the municipal website and broad circulation to the identified stake holders list.  Newspaper notices were broadly placed throughout the Counties in early June.  

Comments were requested on or before Friday, June 30, 2023, but welcomed at anytime in the process.

Reference documents:

• Draft Land Evaluation and Area Review (LEAR) Report 
• PDF of Agriculture Evaluated Lands
• Interactive Map of Agriculture Evaluated Lands
• Power Point Presentation from a Public Meeting

Stage 3 - Revise Mapping and Report

Tasks:   

1. Map Refinement (Completed): 

This stage involved the consultant team refining the draft/technical mapping including the consideration of feedback received, consultation with the technical advisory group, site visits, air photo interpretation, input from a local branch of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and rounding of edges to natural/logical boundaries. A consistent decision-making approach was taken, as follows. 

Refinements generally included lands that:

• Are within the current Agricultural Area designations as it was generally found these lands are comprised of Class 1-3 soils, are actively used for agriculture, are connected to evaluated lands, meet the size thresholds, and/or went to identifiable boundaries;
• Were at the request of a landowner, where appropriate. This allows the protection of pasture lands on an as-requested basis and reflects local knowledge and desire to be included in the agricultural system; and/or
• Are required to form system connections or allow logical refinements to a boundary of the system on lands that scored less than 60.

Refinements generally excluded lands that:

• Scored less than 60 in the LEAR assessment;
• Scored 60 or above, but are isolated from other agricultural lands. This follows the Provincial methodology that agricultural areas be composed of a minimum 250 hectares (617 acres);
• Have identifiable natural heritage features along the edges of system areas. Where small natural heritage features (like a woodlot or small wetland) are in the middle of a block, they are left in the system so no “holes” or voids in the system were created due to their removal; and/or
• Areas of fragmented land along road frontages where it is appropriate to use the road as the agricultural system boundary.

An interactive map was available on-line and pdf documents of the refined system are available for review below:

COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AREA SYSTEM  (Now outdated)

Athens (Now outdated)
Augusta (Now outdated)
Edwardsburgh-Cardinal (Now outdated)
Elizabethtown-Kitley (Now outdated)
Front of Yonge (Now outdated)
Leeds and the Thousand Islands (Now outdated)
North Grenville (Now outdated)
Merrickville-Wolford (Now outdated)
Rideau Lakes (Now outdated)
NOTE: While it is recognized there are farms within the Village of Westport boundary, the Village is a Settlement Area, which is a designation where development is directed. As such it was excluded from the study.

2. Consultation & Revision (Completed): 

A power point presentation for this stage of the Agricultural Area Review, which was presented to the Counties Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) on September 6, 2023, is available here. A video of the PAC meeting is available here. The refinement process and mapping was also reviewed by a technical advisory group, composed of municipal planners and provincial representatives, and some volunteers from the agricultural community. 

The PAC received a presentation of this power point and recommended Council, in addition to hosting of a public meeting(s), consult with property owners impacted by any proposed changes to their land designation. This recommendation was endorsed by Council on September 21, 2023 and direct notification was provided to over 2,000 property owners whose lands are / are in part impacted by a proposed designation change.  Notice of this consultation period was also posted on the website, shared through local municipalities and circulated to municipalities and agencies, agriculture associations and stakeholders including members of the public who requested to be notified. In response, a large number of land owners provided further information, asked questions and made comments. Comments and questions were appreciated by October 30th, but it was indicated they will be accepted up until a decision is made. 

Some information provided by landowners has resulted in further refinements to the mapping where those changes remained consistent with the evaluation and decision making framework.  

Local area meetings for the public input were held February 6 & 7, 2024 (CLICK HERE FOR PDF/PRINTABLE VERSION OF NOTICE). Notice was circulated to all municipalities, registered stakeholders and via public notice on the website and twitter and requested to be shared by local municipalities. 

A summary of individual consultation results, presentation of the revised recommended mapping and presentation of the first draft of the Counties Official Plan Amendment was provided to the Planning Advisory Committee on February 7, 2024.  The consultant's presentation can be viewed here, and the related staff report can be viewed here. A searchable interactive map was made available here of the most recent revised recommended agricultural area mapping.  The Committee instructed staff to bring forward a report on the implications of delaying the agricultural mapping until it is nearer the time of the Official Plan Review in 2026. Council extended the consultation period. Input following the extended consultation period is expected to supplement to the consultant’s work.

On June 5, 2024 the requested report, including recommended next steps, was deferred by the Planning Advisory Committee (as supported by Council) and a request was made for staff to provide other options for mapping evaluation.  At the same meeting it was further directed that consultations close on June 30, 2024 and that the consultants report be finalized. As per Council direction, staff have closed the agricultural area review citizen consultation process for now and the draft report was finished by the consultant but not yet received by Council. 

CONSULTANT'S DESIGNATION RECOMMENDATIONS

An interactive map of the consultant's final recommended mapping can be viewed at:  

INTERACTIVE MAP - Recommended Agricultural Area

PDF maps of the consultant's final recommended mapping can be viewed at:  

• COUNTY 
• Athens
• Augusta 
• Edwardsburgh Cardinal (To be revised by Council - see Report PAC-003-2025)
• Elizabethtown-Kitley 
• Front of Yonge
• Leeds and the Thousand Islands
• Merrickville-Wolford
• North Grenville (To be revised by Council - see Report PAC-003-2025)
• Rideau Lakes (To be revised by Council - 276 Sunnyside Rd to removed)
• Westport – While there may be some farm use in the Village, it is a Settlement Area, which is a designation where development is directed. As such it was excluded from the study.

On November 6, 2024 the requested mapping options report was taken to the Planning Advisory Committee.  This report was deferred with the request that staff undertake further consultation with municipal Mayors and/or Council. 

Recording/minutes of the meetings can be found here.

3. Extended Consultation  (Completed)

A report to the Counties Planning Advisory Committee on the additional municipal consultations and options for proceeding was prepared for the Planning Advisory Committee on March 5, 2025. At that meeting a 90 day deferral was recommended to Council, which Council supported at their meeting of March 20, 2025. The matter was brought back for consideration by the Planning Advisory Committee on  July 9, 2025 to consider final input from each member municipality on the draft proposed mapping of Counties Agricultural Areas. 

A copy of the staff report is available here. On July 24, 2025, Council accepted a recommendation of the Planning Advisory Committee to remove all the properties requested by the local municipalities of Edwardsburgh Cardinal, Leeds and the Thousand Islands, North Grenville and Rideau Lakes from the consultant's recommended mapping. A video and minutes of the Planning Advisory Committee meeting are available here. A recommendation was also accepted that the updated mapping and the Draft Official Plan Amendment be presented to the Committee, as part of a future statutory public meeting.

Staff updated the mapping to reflect Council’s direction and circulated the mapping and proposed policy amendments to staff at the province and member municipalities under a technical circulation. 

4. Statutory Public Meeting  (Completed)

The statutory public meeting on proposed changes to the County Official Plan pertaining to agricultural area designations and policy was held at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The comments were predominately from people concerned with their properties proposed designation change to agricultural area. One person spoke in favour of increasing protections for farmers against rural development. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) submitted mapping and policy recommended changes. The notice of meeting can be viewed here and the proposed amendment as considered at the meeting is available here. The agenda, comments received prior to the meeting, video of the meeting and minutes of the meeting can be found here. 

No recommendation was provided at the public meeting and the Planning Advisory Committee met again on January 7, 2026 to consider the verbal and written comments, including comments directed to staff in response to the public meeting notice and two delegations by members of the public. The staff report, agenda, video, and minutes (when available) of the January 7, 2026 Planning Advisory Committee can be viewed by clicking here. At the meeting, PAC supported all (13) requested removals of properties from the proposed agricultural designation received at the public meeting and did not support any further inclusions or policy amendments recommended the public, OMAFA and/or staff. 

Stage 4 - Approval (We are Here)

A by-law to adopt the proposed County Official Plan Amendment, as recommended by the PAC, was presented to and approved by Council on January 22, 2026. The meeting agenda, video, and minutes (when adopted) can be found at the following link: Agendas, Minutes and Video - Leeds & Grenville. 

View the Notice of Adoption - Approval and Appeal Rights Information

Click here for an interactive map showing the approved Agricultural Area limits

View the signed by-law and Official Plan Amendment No. 5

If there is/are no appeal/appeals filed on or before February 17, 2026, the amendment will become final.