The Greenbelt is a protected area of green space, farmland, forests, wetlands, and watersheds, located in Southern Ontario, Canada.

Created by legislation passed by the Government of Ontario in 2005, the Greenbelt is considered a prevention of urban development and sprawl on environmentally sensitive land in the province.

The new legislation, in conjunction with a zoning order issued by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, created a study area and placed a moratorium on some land uses until a specific plan was established.

[9] Facing pressure from realtors and home builders to decrease the size of the Greenbelt to allow for expansion of housing developments, Premier Kathleen Wynne said that the 27 April 2017 Provincial Budget will not diminish the protected lands.

[11] Research conducted by the CBC confirms that a great deal of land is available in both Halton Region and Toronto; for example 6,000 and 118,610 housing units, respectively, have been approved but not built.

Oakville Mayor Rob Burton commented to the CBC about developers in late March 2017 that "we've given them serviced land they're sitting on."

Tim Gray, executive director of the environmentalist group Environmental Defence, reminded the news media that "municipal data shows that there is enough land available to provide for housing development within existing Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area urban boundaries until 2031.

[16] After re-election in 2022, and amidst a worsening housing and affordability crisis, Premier Doug Ford became embroiled in controversy over properties released from Greenbelt protection.

[18] On August 9, 2023, the Auditor General released a report on the Greenbelt swap-out which found the government's flawed process had favoured certain developers who stood to earn over $8 billion.

[23] He did not answer a reporter's question about reinstating Rent Control, nor did he comment on calls from First Nation Chiefs across Ontario to return traditional territories to the Greenbelt.

[24] On September 20, another minister from Ford's cabinet, Kaleed Rasheed, resigned over his relationship with a developer involved in the Greenbelt land swap.

[28] The PC includes areas like the Holland Marsh, which produces over $50 million of carrots, onions and other popular vegetables in very fertile soil.

The foundation, was provided $25 million from the provincial government, and funded many organizations and charities in the Greenbelt, which support agricultural and viticultural activities and restoring the natural environment.

A report titled Ontario’s Greenbelt in an International Context was released in 2010 by the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy.