Media advisory - Former Premiers to honour Five Leading Farmers Friends of
the Greenbelt award ceremony tomorrow

TORONTO, March 2 /CNW/ - This week marks five years since the Greenbelt Act was passed into law. In that short time, Ontario's Greenbelt has risen to first place among Greenbelts worldwide for legal protection. It also happens to be the youngest and the largest Greenbelt in the world.

This year for our annual Friend of the Greenbelt Award we will be honouring five farmers that have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is over 50 per cent agricultural land and its growers play a big part in making the Greenbelt a success. The Foundation received some 50 nominations from the agricultural community and on Wednesday will be announcing the winners.

    
    WHO:   Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, Honourable William Davis,
           Honourable David Peterson, supporters and invited guests

    WHAT:  5th Anniversary Celebration and annual Friend of the Greenbelt
           Award Ceremony

    WHEN:  Wednesday, March 3, 11:30 to 1:30 pm

    WHERE: Bronfman Hall, The Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park, Toronto
    

The former Premiers will join past award winners (singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer, Metrolinx Chair Rob McIsaac and Neptis Foundation President Martha Shuttleworth) to present this year's award winners.

The event will also see the unveiling of the Quilt of Possibilities, a recent project of the Ontario Craft Council which has assembled a stunning quilt made from squares created by textile artists from across the Greenbelt and beyond.

In addition to the quilt, pieces from our ongoing Exhibit Artists Survey: The Greenbelt will be on display. The show features art pieces inspired by the same challenges that led to the creation of the Greenbelt: urban sprawl, degradation of our land, air and water resources, and the relationship between urban and rural communities. The show will be traveling to different Greenbelt communities following tomorrow's event.

Wrapping around the Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt is 1.8 million acres of potential to make Ontario, and the earth, a better place. The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation is a charitable organization established to support the vitality of the Greenbelt.

For further information: on the Greenbelt's anniversary celebrations please contact Jennifer Story, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation at [phone] or visit our website at www.greenbelt.ca