Toronto, here we come!

As for many large North American cities, Toronto faces a number of important issues affecting the well-being of its citizens, including heat islands and food deserts. Heat islands are areas where the air or surface temperature is 5 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than the city's average temperature, exacerbating the effects of summer heat waves by increasing the mortality rate associated with them. Caused by a high concentration of built-up areas, heat islands in urban areas are a significant environmental problem, contributing to smog formation and increasing the energy bill for cooling in cities. Subsequently, according to a 2015 Toronto Food Strategy report, the number of households situated more than 1 km away from a healthy food source was of 31,000 in Toronto (1). Many neighborhoods in the city have become food deserts, forcing several communities to travel excessive distances to access fresh fruits and vegetables. MicroHabitat's urban farms represent a solution to both of these issues. The deployment of projects helps to increase the green cover of city rooftops and create local and resilient food systems by providing access to fresh fruits and vegetables to communities in need.

Urban farms have not yet taken roots, but have already won the hearts of many organizations in Toronto, especially through our Urban Solidarity Farms Program. This program encourages corporate companies to donate the contents of their crops to the community, a choice that is proving to be very popular with our Ontario partners! We are proud to continue our valuable partnership with Tablée des Chefs beyond the borders of Quebec! The organization, which also operates in Ontario, will link up with food banks in the Greater Toronto Area, giving local communities access to fresh, healthy vegetables grown on corporate rooftops. Our team of expert farmers will ensure the full deployment and production of these urban farms throughout the 2021 season! We can't wait to get started on the great projects that await us in Toronto!