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 that they would be undergoing 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 prime agricultural lands.

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.

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.

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

Send a letter today to Transport Canada and your MP!