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The Greenbelt is a 20,350 hectare band of open lands and forests surrounding the nation's Capital on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River. It was first proposed in 1950 by French planner Jacques Gréber as part of an overall plan to create a beautiful and distinctive setting for the national Capital. The Greenbelt was intended to protect the rural land bordering the Capital from the haphazard urban sprawl typical of so many other cities.
Acting on Gréber's plan, the federal government began acquiring land in 1956. Today, the Greenbelt encircles the Capital from Shirleys Bay on the west to Green's Creek on the east. Most of the total area, or 14,950 hectares, is owned and managed by the National Capital Commission. The rest is held by other federal departments and private interests.
In the Greenbelt, the nation's Capital has on its doorstep a rural environment rich in natural and historic resources. It offers a mix of sights and sounds from rolling farmlands to peaceful forests and wetlands that shelter a wide variety of plant and animal life. We hope you'll be inspired to head out and explore the Greenbelt for yourself!