Bradford Bypass (MTO, Hwy 400 - Hwy 404)

[Bojaxs]

The left wing is now opposing carbon taxes, so I assume they aren't going to be running on "fighting climate change". The protecting farm land from development platform is why some farm territory - particularly more marginal farmland - gets a lot of bleeding from the right, to the Greens.

Disappearance of Ontario-grown peaches? Is that a thing? I didn't see much in the stores this year - I just thought it was my bad timing. Peaches are the one fruit that it really needs to be fresh and local, or it tastes like crap. I only eat them when they are in-season locally - I didn't even get any this year!

I was simply using peaches as an example. I don't know what's the current state of Ontario peaches. I saw a fair amount at my local grocery this year.

I'm pretty sure the land around Beamsville is protected fruit land.

I'm the same. I pretty much only buy peaches when they're in season in Ontario. Definitely prefer them over the larger, yellow, more solid, U.S. peaches.

 

[just east of the creek]

I was simply using peaches as an example. I don't know what's the current state of Ontario peaches. I saw a fair amount at my local grocery this year.

I'm pretty sure the land around Beamsville is protected fruit land.

I'm the same. I pretty much only buy peaches when they're in season in Ontario. Definitely prefer them over the larger, yellow, more solid, U.S. peaches.

Perhaps peaches was not the best analogy, the point being the steady nibbling away of production lands

In terms of harvest, the number of farms and averages has steadily decreased in the two main areas of production in Canada - Ontario (the larger %) and B.C.

Production (yield) is dependent on so many other inputs ( as with all ag). Peach
Reduction in 2022 was about 20,000 tons. The record was in the 90’s when a level of almost 45,000 tons was reached.

Stats Can and Ag Canada keep myriad stats for those interested. 2024 stats do not seem to be on hand as yet. Anecdotally, local weather conditions ( heavy rain and high heat in June/July) most likely resulted in more peaches going to ‘industrial’ uses, as opposed to your local supermarket. (If the peach does not look just so, it will not sell).

Ok. Enough on peaches, back to the topic of this thread.

 

[rbt]

Disappearance of Ontario-grown peaches? Is that a thing? I didn't see much in the stores this year - I just thought it was my bad timing. Peaches are the one fruit that it really needs to be fresh and local, or it tastes like crap. I only eat them when they are in-season locally - I didn't even get any this year!

I might have eaten your share. Bought roughly 2 bushels over June and July, mostly from my local No Frills.

 

[innsertnamehere]

"food security" resonates until you look at statistics and realize agricultural yields in Canada continue to hit record highs despite a shrinking landbase.

The reality is that technology is increasing yields faster than subdivisions are eating up farmland. It's actually a complete non-issue rooted in NIMBYISM against change and growth.

To be clear some forms of agricultural protections are important, particularly for highly valuable agricultural areas like the Niagara Peninsula below the escarpment - but most farmland in Ontario, especially outside of southwestern Ontario, have middling soil qualities and yields and aren't really necessary to support food security. And even then, a lot of the crops traditionally reserved for Specialty Crop Areas have increasingly shifted to greenhouse operations in Essex County which produce insanely higher annual yields, and critically, produce 12 months a year.

The economic output of urban land far exceeds that of a farm as well. Replacing farmland in Alliston with a Honda Plant is an excellent trade off economically. To suggest a cultivated field generates more economic activity than a plant pumping out equipment is silly.

 

[lenaitch]

"food security" resonates until you look at statistics and realize agricultural yields in Canada continue to hit record highs despite a shrinking landbase.

The reality is that technology is increasing yields faster than subdivisions are eating up farmland. It's actually a complete non-issue rooted in NIMBYISM against change and growth.

To be clear some forms of agricultural protections are important, particularly for highly valuable agricultural areas like the Niagara Peninsula below the escarpment - but most farmland in Ontario, especially outside of southwestern Ontario, have middling soil qualities and yields and aren't really necessary to support food security. And even then, a lot of the crops traditionally reserved for Specialty Crop Areas have increasingly shifted to greenhouse operations in Essex County which produce insanely higher annual yields, and critically, produce 12 months a year.

The economic output of urban land far exceeds that of a farm as well. Replacing farmland in Alliston with a Honda Plant is an excellent trade off economically. To suggest a cultivated field generates more economic activity than a plant pumping out equipment is silly.

Hmmm. Human density vs nutritional density. I'm not an agronomist, so am unable to advance a strong technical argument but, not to deny rampant NIMBYism, food security - however it is defined - is something every sovereign nation needs to consider. If you don't grow it, you buy it, and when you buy it from afar, you are at the mercy of both a foreign seller and higher shipping costs.

The map on page 4 is best I could come up with, but it seems the rural areas around the GTA are fairly well endowed with Class 1 and 2 soil, which are the best. Not necessarily specialized; just good growing media in a favourable environment. To compare the economic output of, say, the Honda plant, against the agricultural production value of the soil that used to be there I think is a tad unfair. Besides, how do we measure the economic output of residential housing. I don't know how to compare the two, but the during its heyday of tobacco production, the economic output of the land around Alliston was significant.

Land also has intrinsic values of things like watershed management, carbon capture and biodiversity. True, that greenhouses and the like do have high yields, but are limited in the crops they can produce. I'm not aware of any that can produce grains, oil seeds or pulse at all let alone any kind of volume and they certainly can't produce dairy or meat.

The concept of 'food security' also has to consider climate change. The Palliser's Triangle in the southern Prairies is so arid it was once considered to be inarable. We've managed to make it work but it remains highly vulnerable. Part of that success was the development of 'designer' grains, and maybe we can pull another rabbit out of the hat - maybe. Some people think that as climate changes, crops can simple move north and, to a degree, that is true. They are growing crops in the northern Ontario claybelt that were not possibly several years ago, but suitable soil north of the Severn River is in short supply.

 

[northyorker1]

Ontario Reaches Major Milestone on Bradford Bypass Construction​

Province issues Request for Proposals for detail design of central and east sections
January 28, 2025
Transportation

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Table of Contents​

1. Content
2. Quick Facts
3. Related Topics

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BRADFORD — The Ontario government has marked an important milestone as the province continues building the Bradford Bypass to reduce congestion across York Region and Simcoe County. Today, the province issued two requests for proposals to complete detail design work for both the central and east sections of the bypass.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is delivering on our promise to build the Bradford Bypass so drivers spend less time in gridlock and more time with their families each day,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “The Bradford Bypass will be a game changer for commuters, saving drivers 35 minutes each way.”
The province is accepting proposals for detail design work for two sections running from Simcoe County Road 4 in the west to Highway 404 in the east. This work will include field and archeology investigations, property acquisitions, fulfilling our duty to consult and finalizing the preferred design option for these sections. The government expects to award a contract for the work by fall 2025.
“Today’s announcement is another indication of progress on a project that our government is committed to getting done,” said Caroline Mulroney, MPP for York-Simcoe. “By issuing a request for proposals on these sections of the development, the Bradford Bypass is one step closer to completion which will get people where they need to go, faster.”
Crews have completed tree clearing along the proposed route of the west section of the Bradford Bypass to streamline utility relocations and clear a path for the bypass. Last year, the province also awarded contracts for detail design work and a construction manager for the west section of the bypass. In addition, a southbound lane on Highway 400 connecting to the Bradford Bypass is currently under construction.
Once complete, the 16.3-kilometre bypass will connect Highway 404 in the east to Highway 400 in the west. During construction, the project is expected to support up to 2,200 jobs annually and contribute up to $286 million to Ontario’s GDP.

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Quick Facts​

• The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 received Royal Assent in November 2024, allowing the province to accelerate construction of priority highway projects such as the Bradford Bypass, Highway 413 and the Garden City Skyway bridge twinning project.
• Building the Bradford Bypass is among more than 100 actions identified in Connecting the GGH: A Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
• A report from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis found gridlock is costing Ontario’s economy $56 billion a year.
• Ontario is investing $28 billion over the next 10 years to repair, build and expand roads and highways across the province.
• The Greater Golden Horseshoe is one of the fastest-growing regions in North America, welcoming more than 200,000 newcomers each year.

 

[nfitz]

50 years of discussion, 40 years since the first EA started, and 7 years since the Ford government started, and they JUST issued contract for design (of just part of it!).

It will be amusing if the Tories lose this, and it gets cancelled. (though I think this one is far less controversial than 413).

 

[innsertnamehere]

50 years of discussion, 40 years since the first EA started, and 7 years since the Ford government started, and they JUST issued contract for design (of just part of it!).

It will be amusing if the Tories lose this, and it gets cancelled. (though I think this one is far less controversial than 413).

They issued the design contract for the west half last year, to be fair. This announcement is for the east half.

I do agree that Ford has not moved quickly on highway files, despite his rhetoric. The 413 was held up for years so tardiness there makes sense.. the others, not so much.

Bradford Bypass IIRC has the "support" of the liberals, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Liberals "slow walked" it like Ford is doing with the litany of other "funded" highway projects like Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph, etc.

 

[nfitz]

... I wouldn't be surprised if the Liberals "slow walked" it like Ford is doing with the litany of other "funded" highway projects like Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph, etc.

To be fair everyone since Frost has been slow walking that one. Even for the decade of Transport Minister James Snow from Milton!