East Gwillimbury, ON, July 20, 2026 — Brian Johns, candidate for Mayor of East Gwillimbury, today announced a commitment to protect and strengthen farming in East Gwillimbury by adopting, in full, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture's Guidelines and Municipal Checklist for Supporting Local Farmers.
"Farming is foundational to who we are: our identity, our economy, and our landscape," said Johns. "Protecting agriculture isn't about preserving the past. It's about making sure our farms can stay viable, competitive, and resilient for the next generation. Municipal decisions matter, and strong leadership means choosing the path that supports our farmers."
By adopting the OFA guidelines in full, Johns committed to giving farmers clarity, reducing red tape, protecting prime agricultural land, and supporting innovation, value-added agriculture, and local food systems.
Johns committed to providing land-use certainty by clearly defining and permitting on-farm diversified uses, value-added agriculture, and agritourism, aligning municipal policy with the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement, and establishing as-of-right zoning for compatible on-farm uses to cut red tape. To lower costs for farmers, he also committed to eliminating municipal development charges on new farm structures, in line with the OFA checklist.
To give farmers a real voice, Johns committed to establishing an Agricultural Advisory Committee to advise Council and staff on food policy, agritourism, zoning, and infrastructure planning, and to consulting farmers early when the Town plans new or upgraded infrastructure.
Johns also committed to strengthening the local food system by supporting farmers' markets, Buy Local campaigns, and local food procurement, and to supporting East Gwillimbury's producers directly by expanding local participation at the Artisan and Farmers' Market with no-cost booths and dedicated space for local growers.
"Protecting agriculture means giving farmers certainty, fairness, and a seat at the table," said Johns. "By adopting proven OFA guidelines in full, we can support farming as a business, a way of life, and a cornerstone of our community."
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