History
From the beginning of the 20th century to the 1960s, the coastal portion of the Ontario tobacco belt was threatened with desertification. Only by planting coniferous seedlings did the desertification finally stopped. United Empire Loyalists introduced this crop after fleeing from their tobacco farms following the American Revolution. However, the first official tobacco plot wasn't planted in Norfolk County until 1920. The Ontario tobacco belt would experience its economic zenith during the 1950s and 1960s. During those decades, most communities in the Ontario belt (as well as their residents) were reasonably affluent from the economic gains that the tobacco farms made. The song Tillsonburg by classic country music performer Stompin' Tom Connors would capture the hard working spirit of the Ontario tobacco belt during the middle of the 20th century. Present-day Tillsonburg, however, is under a strict bylaw aimed at reducing levels of outdoor second-hand smoke. This by-law was passed on May 14, 2012 by Tillsonburg Town council; prohibiting the usage of tobacco and tobacco-related products within 9 metres or 30 feet of certain buildings intended for families and/or children.
85% of child and teen films shown in the tobacco belt have demonstrated to young people that smoking tobacco is acceptable; giving the tobacco farmers a "valid" reason to continue growing tobacco in the region. An event held by the local intelligentsia in order to eradicate the use of tobacco products in youth-oriented film through a petition to Hollywood was held on October 26, 2012 at Lynndale Heights Public School in nearby Simcoe.
While Canadian tobacco farmers (especially those in the Ontario tobacco belt) see themselves as "innocent victims" of government tobacco regulations, most of them started farming after provincial governments throughout Canada began introducing policies aimed at limiting tobacco consumption. As the older farmers retire, their children will most likely seek different career paths. Tobacco farms would eventually be sold to their neighbors; this has a domino effect. This domino effect ultimately results in fewer farmers having more acreage creating a further sense of economic inequality in the area. The irony comes from the fact that farmers protest against the regulations that keep them in business.
Most of the Ontario tobacco belt also belongs to the Green Energy Hub; an environmental region in Southern Ontario that is dedicated to creating "green" jobs through solar panels, wind turbines, and recycled rain water.
Read more about this topic: Ontario Tobacco Belt
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