Prime agricultural land on Collins Bay and Joyceville is off-limits for housing.

 "Contiguous blocks of land are considered as prime agricultural sites because they provide prospects for agriculture both now and in the future...Farmland protection is crucial for Ontario, especially for the southern part of the province since that is where it is anticipated that the majority of future urban growth will take place." ("Land use change detection and quantification of prime agricultural lands in southern Ontario---Geoderma Regional, Volume 37, June 2024.")

Permitted uses of land on specialty crop areas Under certain conditions, infrastructure (for example roads, pipelines) and mineral aggregate extraction may be permitted. Other non-agricultural uses, including settlement areas, are not permitted." (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, March 21, 2024.)

 The majority of high agricultural capability is found in southern Ontario. The map is from Study Area 2, Geoderma Regional, Volume 37, June of 2024.

Bill 27, Protecting Agricultural Land Act, 2022, Legislative Assembly of Ontario (John Vanthof, Timiskaming-Cochrane); Status: Carried on October 27, 2022.

Guidelines on Permitted Uses in Ontario's Prime Agricultural Areas---Publication 851. "Ontario's prime agricultural land is a finite, non-renewable resource comprising less than 5% of Ontario's land base. It is the foundation for food, the food economy, agri-food exports, economic prosperity, and the growing bio-based economy. (page 5/64.)