History of UA in Toronto
10,000 years ago
First Indigenous settlements are formed.
1600-600 BCE
Corn, beans, squash and sunflowers introduced from the south.
1991
Toronto Food Policy Council is created by Toronto City Council
1993
Interdepartmental collaboration in the City leads to the creation of the report: “Supports for Urban Food Production: Creating a Garden City.”
1997
Community Gardens Program Coordinator position created in the Parks, Forestry, and Recreation division of the City.
1999
City Council endorses the Community Garden Action Plan, which sets the goal of establishing a community garden in every ward of the city.
Founding of Toronto Community Garden Network.
2001
Through the adoption of the Toronto Food Charter, City Council promises to support community gardening and urban agriculture in the interest of increased food security in the city.
2002
City of Toronto partners with TRCA to create the Toronto Urban Farm at Black Creek.
Toronto’s Official Plan expresses support for community and rooftop gardens as important elements for creating beautiful, healthy and active cities and for engaging diverse communities.
2004
City of Toronto hosts the American Community Gardening Association annual conference.
2005
The City’s Community Partnership and Investment Program funds FoodShare Toronto, and its partners The Stop Community Food Centre, the Afri-Can Food Basket and Second Harvest to start the Toronto Community Food Animators Program.
2006
City supports TDSB research on market gardens.
Toronto’s Official Plan expresses support for community and rooftop gardens as important elements for creating beautiful, healthy and active cities and for engaging diverse communities.
Local Food Plus launches local sustainable food policy at University of Toronto
2007
Toronto Community Housing publishes a Community Gardening Manual.
2009
Toronto Urban Growers founding meeting happens!
TRCA introduces a progressive Sustainable Near-Urban Agriculture Policy.
Through adopting the report “Identifying Urban Agriculture Opportunities in the City of Toronto,” City Council affirms its support for strategies and initiatives that achieve the overall goal of expanding opportunities for local food production in Toronto.
2010
The Toronto Food Strategy is established as a unit in Toronto Public Health. Goals of the Strategy include the development of policy and program options to support an increase in urban agriculture activities across the City.
Could Toronto provide 10% of its fresh vegetable requirements from within its own boundaries? Paper published by Rod MacRae et al.
Metcalf Foundation Food Solutions paper Scaling up Urban Agriculture in Toronto: Building the Infrastructure is published.
2012
City Council endorses the Greater Golden Horseshoe Action Plan, which promotes the preservation of farmland in Ontario as well as the expansion of urban opportunities to produce food.
Urban Agriculture Summit led by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities occurs in August.
GrowTO: An urban agriculture action plan passed by Parks and Environment Committee.
2013
City Council approves the creation of the Toronto Agriculture Program.
2015
The City releases A Guide to Growing and Selling Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in Toronto.
City Council endorses the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, joining 100 other cities around the world in committing to support sustainable, equitable food systems.
2016
Toronto becomes Canada's first Bee City
2018
Urban HensTO pilot project allows residents to keep hens in designated areas of the city. The pilot project was put on hiatus in 2023.
2019
Last meeting of Toronto Agriculture Program. TAP has been dormant since then.
2020
Provincial and municipal governments recognize community gardens as an essential food service, not a recreational facility. This allowed community gardens to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.