Provincial review of the Ontario Food Terminal

[interchange42]

Good news, but short on investment specifics, the way that Doug Ford's brain is short on working synapses:

Press release:

Supporting Ontario Food Terminal's Long-Term Success​

Initial Review Findings Highlight Importance of Current Location​

July 8, 2019 9:30 A.M.​

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs​

TORONTO - Today, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Ernie Hardeman and Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP Christine Hogarth were at the Ontario Food Terminal to announce the initial findings of the government's review on modernizing and enhancing the terminal. Early findings show the advantages of its location in South Etobicoke and Minister Hardeman confirmed the Food Terminal will stay at its current location.​

​

These preliminary findings mirror information from MPP Hogarth on the importance of the Food Terminal in Etobicoke as a key economic hub for Ontario food and local jobs.​

​

"We spoke with everyone who uses the facility: farmers, buyers, distributors, consumers, and restaurant owners and they all agreed our agri-food sector is best served by working to improve the Ontario Food Terminal at its current location," said Minister Hardeman. "This terminal is a key pillar of success for Ontario agriculture and I look forward to working with the industry to help grow our province's agri-food sector and ensure its long-term prosperity for the next five, ten and fifty years."​

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"I am pleased Minister Hardeman reaffirmed my position that the Ontario Food Terminal continue to operate at its location in Etobicoke-Lakeshore," said MPP Hogarth. "I know its continued success and growth right here in Etobicoke will create even more local job opportunities."​

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Today, the Toronto Wholesale Produce Association also announced, that working with the government, it will make a significant investment to modernize the Ontario Food Terminal with a focus on the Farmer's Market.​

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"We are excited about the future of the Ontario Food Terminal and building on the success we have had at this location," said Steve Bamford, Toronto Wholesale Produce Association. "We are proud to be making a significant investment in the modernization and future of the terminal and the farmers market."​

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As the review of the Ontario Food Terminal continues, the government will look to capitalize on modern food distribution systems, infrastructure enhancements for Ontario farmers, and promotion of local food that keeps pace with consumer demand.​

​

Quick Facts​

• Established in 1954, the Ontario Food Terminal has played a critical role in providing Ontario farmers with a market to get their produce to Ontario families.
  • The terminal has grown to become the largest wholesale produce market in Canada while serving Eastern Canada and some of the Northern States. Over two billion pounds of produce are sold through the terminal annually.
  • The Ontario Food Terminal is the largest wholesale produce market in Canada and the third largest in North America.
  • For more information on the Ontario Food Terminal, please visit Ontario Food Terminal Board.

 

[Amare]

Glad to see Bozo the Clown's advisors used their collective heads and thought better. Good thing he couldn't make the decision unilaterally without consultation from others because if he had his way and if it were solely up to him, this thing would've been long sold off by now.

Either way, this is great news for not only South Etobicoke, but the GTAH and Golden Horseshoe as a whole as well.

 

[interchange42]

From MotherCorp:

Farmers, grocers 'relieved' that Ontario Food Terminal will stay in Etobicoke​

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Many feared province's push to 'modernize' the facility would involve relocation​

Julia Knope · Posted: Jul 08, 2019 12:40 PM ET | Last Updated: 6 hours ago​

​

The province will work with the Toronto Wholesale Produce Association to modernize the facility, with a focus on the farmers' market, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture Ernie Hardeman announced Monday. (Keith Burgess/CBC)

​

Farmers and grocers who rely on the Ontario Food Terminal in Etobicoke for their businesses can breathe a sigh of relief — the facility isn't going anywhere anytime soon.​

Many had been fearing the worst pending a provincial review of the terminal, which was launched in April with the aim of modernizing the facility, as well as the wider agri-food sector in Ontario. There was speculation that it could be shut down or moved to another location farther from Toronto.​

• Farmers, grocers fear the worst as province launches review of Ontario Food Terminal

The province eased their anxieties at a news conference Monday morning with the announcement that it would keep the decades-old facility near the corner of The Queensway and Park Lawn Road. Instead the province will work to improve the existing location.​

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"We're definitely relieved," Steve Bamford, vice president of the Toronto Wholesale Produce Association, told CBC Toronto Monday.​

"There was a lot of sleepless nights wondering 'what if?'"​

When you actually put it to people, everyone realized this is a great place for the food terminal.- Ernie Hardeman, Ontario minister of food and agriculture​

Between farmers, buyers, wholesalers, independent grocers and restaurant owners, the terminal directly employs 5,000 people and indirectly employs about 165,000 others.​

Spanning across 40 acres of land, it has grown to become the largest wholesale produce market in Canada, and the third largest in North America.​

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Focus on farmers' market

That's in part why Garab Serdok, manager of a restaurant called Tibetan Kitchen, was worried when he heard about a plan to review the facility.​

"Not only the people who work there but there are thousands of restaurants here, especially small business ... Everything we have we got from the food terminal."​

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The food terminal is like a 'stock exchange' for produce where buyers and sellers can negotiate prices based on market value. (Talia Ricci/CBC)

Moving forward, the province will work with the Toronto Wholesale Produce Association and the Ontario Food Terminal Board to modernize the farmers' market, which is a 1.6-hectare area with 550 stalls for sellers.​

"We want to make sure that going forward, the food terminal stays up to date — just like the producers, just like the whole industry," said Ernie Hardeman, Ontario minister of food and agriculture.​

"We can't stand still with the system at any time."​

​

The Ontario Food Terminal, near the corner of The Queensway and Park Lawn Road, was established in 1954. Over two billion pounds of produce are sold through the terminal annually. (Colin Cote-Paulette/CBC)

As the review continues, the government says it will also look to capitalize on modern food distribution systems, infrastructure enhancements for farmers, and the promotion of local food.​

"I'm glad that we're able to relieve any rumours out there," MPP Christine Hogarth, who represents the area, told CBC Toronto Monday.​

"The minister was very clear that it's going to be in place for 50 years."​

Now, Hogarth says it's important to enhance the facility so it can provide more jobs for the community. She also says she hopes to give the building's exterior a face-lift.​

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Independent grocer Steve Bamford said as a wholesaler he would lose customers if the terminal were to be shut down or relocated. (Talia Ricci/CBC News)

"It's part of our community — it's part of our past, it's going be part of our future, and we're just really fortunate to have it right here," Hogarth said.​

'It would just create too much unrest'

The review, consisting of an advisory group with members of the agri-food industry as well as the writing of an independent third-party report, was launched amid cuts to education and health care announced in the April budget.​

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"When we started the review, it was to make sure the food terminal would keep up with the growth and changes in our agriculture sector," Hardeman said.​

He said one of the biggest issues was concern from nearby residents that the food trucks caused too much noise at night, but added that, "when you actually put it to people, everyone realized this is a great place for the food terminal."​

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Had the government decided to relocate or close down the facility, Bamford says many families would have been forced into a difficult position.​

"The hours are early morning hours here," he said.​

"If you do move it, it's not just single households, there's families that have to look at how they would get to work ... it would just create too much unrest."​

With files from Talia Ricci​

​

Source​

42

 

[interchange42]

Back on July 2, the current season of The Amazing Race Canada debuted. Guilty pleasure of mine. It can be quite silly, but you get to see all sorts of places you'll never see otherwise. Catching up tonight on my PVR, I see that one of those places in the season opener was… you guessed it, the Ontario Food Terminal.

So, it's not all that exciting inside, but I'm glad to know now what's in there. If you're curious about, check it out on CTV On Demand.

42

 

[waterloowarrior]

press conference tomorrow

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

 

[jje1000]

Rough guess- part of the site is redeveloped. Maybe the whole thing over time, with terminal functions remaining on the ground levels.

 

[waterloowarrior]

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

The Ontario government is protecting jobs by naming the Ontario Food Terminal lands as a Provincially Significant Employment Zone — an identification that protects lands that are critically important both locally and to the province for jobs and economic growth.

 

[Northern Light]

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

The Ontario government is protecting jobs by naming the Ontario Food Terminal lands as a Provincially Significant Employment Zone — an identification that protects lands that are critically important both locally and to the province for jobs and economic growth.

This reminds me of the Peterson-era announcement that 'protected' Rouge Park from either becoming a landfill or a having a new expressway through it..........

The government announcing they are protecting something; from themselves.

Swell. Maybe if the government didn't threaten it in the first place.........

 

[WislaHD]

I'm not theoretically unopposed to some re-arrangement of land use on the greater site however.

If there is opportunity to develop part of the site (I am thinking specifically the edges of the site, along The Queensway and Park Lawn Dr) in a manner that works for the Food Terminal, then it is worth investigating.

 

[sixrings]

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

The Ontario government is protecting jobs by naming the Ontario Food Terminal lands as a Provincially Significant Employment Zone — an identification that protects lands that are critically important both locally and to the province for jobs and economic growth.

This reminds me of the Peterson-era announcement that 'protected' Rouge Park from either becoming a landfill or a having a new expressway through it..........

The government announcing they are protecting something; from themselves.

Swell. Maybe if the government didn't threaten it in the first place.........

Hows that all working out for the old Christy cookie plant? This land is too valuable to be a farmers market forever and I use this place weekly for work.

 

[Automation Gallery]

I'm not theoretically unopposed to some re-arrangement of land use on the greater site however.

If there is opportunity to develop part of the site (I am thinking specifically the edges of the site, along The Queensway and Park Lawn Dr) in a manner that works for the Food Terminal, then it is worth investigating.

Yeah it would be nice to see retail line The Queensway from Parklawn south, but then again the same people that would lease those would probably be the first to complain about tractor trailer noise and fumes

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Hows that all working out for the old Christy cookie plant? This land is too valuable to be a farmers market forever and I use this place weekly for work.

Meh, this is just the government looking to spin the climb down from sell it to status quo into some feel good, jobs jobs jobs kind of announcement anyways.

AoD

 

[jje1000]

Mildly disappointed that they aren't pushing for a better urban interface, but then again, sort of a meh- nothing changes at all, which returns us to the status quo.

 

[PinkLucy]

Hows that all working out for the old Christy cookie plant? This land is too valuable to be a farmers market forever and I use this place weekly for work.

 

[WislaHD]

Yeah it would be nice to see retail line The Queensway from Parklawn south, but then again the same people that would lease those would probably be the first to complain about tractor trailer noise and fumes

That is my fear. Though, it would be nice if it could somehow accommodate or even modernize the farmers market and commercial functions of this terminal. Something like the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market comes to mind.