• Pickering College is seeking to rezone its Blue & Silver Farm property to allow for an “Agri-Education Space” supporting hands-on student learning.
  • Located at 17019 Woodbine Avenue, the 77.6-acre farm was gifted to the school by the late Charles Boyd.
  • Approximately 23 percent of the land is currently farmed by a local grower.
  • The existing farmhouse will be renovated to include educational space on the ground floor while maintaining an upper-floor residence for the farm manager.
  • Additional facilities include gardens, greenhouses, chicken coops, an apiary, a sugar bush, tenting areas, an outdoor kitchen, campfire circles, and more than 2,200 metres of trails.
  • A 26-space parking lot and designated bus area are proposed to accommodate visiting students and staff.
  • Neighbours raised concerns that the zoning change could restrict hunting on adjacent properties, prompting Town Staff to review the Discharge of Firearms and Hunting By-Law.

 

Pickering College is planning upgrades to a gifted Whitchurch-Stouffville farm used as an educational hub for students to explore the intersection of agriculture, sustainability, and technology.

The school has applied for a Zoning By-Law Amendment to expand programming on its 77.6-acre Blue & Silver Farm, located at 17019 Woodbine Avenue. The property was donated to the Newmarket-based institution by the late Charles Boyd, a beloved teacher, mentor, and alumni ambassador who spent more than five decades shaping life at Pickering College.

Founded in 1842 and operating in Newmarket since 1909, Pickering College is Canada’s only Quaker-founded independent school. It offers both day and boarding programs for students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, and is a member of UNESCO’s Associated Schools Network.

The farm is located within the protected Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine conservation areas and is currently zoned for agricultural uses. Approximately 23 percent of the land, around 16.8 acres, is under active cultivation by a local farmer.

The requested amendment would rezone the land to Agricultural Exception to permit an “Agri-Education Space” accessory to the agricultural use. If approved, it would allow the school to expand its environmental and agricultural education programming.

“Blue & Silver Farm provides a space for the Pickering College community to gather, learn from the land, and give back to the community,” the school explained. The farm’s stated vision is to “inspire every member of our community in a shared journey to nurture and regenerate the land using sustainable and technology-based solutions.”

The proposal includes renovations to the existing farmhouse, which would house educational space on the ground floor. The second floor would remain a private residential dwelling for the farm manager. A 26-space parking lot and designated bus area are also planned for the site, which will include more than 2,200 metres of trails.

Other outdoor facilities include gardens, greenhouses, chicken coops, an apiary, a sugar bush, tenting areas, an outdoor kitchen, and campfire circles. The school intends to maintain active crop production on the farmland.

“Current students will be able to go to Blue & Silver Farm for lessons with teachers or specialists,” said Naomi Côté, a Senior Communications Manager at Pickering College. “We are also launching the Sphere Program for a class of Grades 4 and 5 students that will operate daily at the farm. Students will solve agricultural and environmental challenges through a technology lens.”

According to a related Staff report, the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville’s in-effect Official Plan allows for small-scale, farm-related institutional uses, provided they are directly linked to existing agricultural operations.

“The Agricultural Area designation is intended to protect the Town’s Prime Agricultural Lands and to provide support to the agricultural industry in its use of this resource,” the report states. “Farm-related commercial and institutional uses may be permitted…provided that they are small-scale and directly related to an existing farm operation.”

The property also contains portions designated as Significant Environmental Areas, which limit activity to uses that conserve, enhance, or preserve the natural landscape. The application does not seek any zoning changes for those areas.

The proposal was introduced during an April 16 Public Planning Meeting, where both Town Staff and a representative from Pickering College presented details and its intended benefits for the school’s education programming. Following the presentations, deputations were heard from adjacent landowners.

Concerns were raised about how the zoning change might affect their ability to hunt on their own properties. Under Stouffville’s current Discharge of Firearms and Hunting By-Law, the use of firearms and bows is prohibited within 200 metres of an educational property.

“My family and I enjoy turkey hunting and bow practice,” said Richard Needham during his deputation. “It would have a rather sizable impact on the use of our own property, and perhaps property values.”

Dwayne Tapp, Stouffville’s Commissioner of Development Services, responded by noting that Staff are reviewing the by-law in light of the concerns raised.

“Since it has been brought to our attention, we are in the process of reviewing that and seeing if there is applicability that affects the neighbours,” Tapp said. He added that amendments to the by-law may be considered if warranted.

“There is a bit of a conflict here,” said local Councillor Hugo Kroon. “Our Discharge of Firearms By-Law is somewhat dated. This is a perfect opportunity for us to look at it and see what adjustments can be made so you can continue to enjoy your property, and Pickering College can enjoy their property.”

“Hopefully, as Staff has indicated, we will have this sorted out as soon as possible,” Kroon concluded.

 

This article was updated on April 18, 2025, to include comments made during the April 16 Public Planning Meeting.