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Category: POLICY

Policies & Threats Related to Greenspaces

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Consultation on tree species and planting guidelines

New updated content: 2025-07-14 10:32:13 As part of the second 4-year planning period of the Urban Forest Management Plan, the City is undertaking public consultation on the planting guidelines and species list to be used for replenishing the urban area so as to reach and maintain the canopy target set in the Official Plan. The first meeting of community stakeholders, to which the GA was invited, was held on June

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Paul Johanis July 13, 2025 July 14, 2025

GA Statement on 2025 Provincial Election

New updated content: 2025-03-27 11:10:29 Members discussed what, if any, action the GA should be taking regarding the February 27 Provincial election. It was agreed that it was too late for any campaign or candidate survey and evaluation. Nevertheless, it was agreed to publish a statement on key provincial policy issues of environmental concern. A statement containing the following list of policy proposals will be sent to all candidates in

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Paul Johanis March 27, 2025 May 31, 2025

Heritage Tree Protection

New updated content: 2025-02-28 11:27:47 Paul reported on a correspondence exchange with Martha Copestake of the Natural Systems unit at City Hall concerning a Heritage Tree bylaw. She confirms that considering such a bylaw is still in their work program but was not included in the current four-year planning period. Rather, it will be included with other outstanding items from the Urban Forest Management Plan in the next planning period

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Paul Johanis February 28, 2025 February 28, 2025

Conditions and fees for urban expansion applications approved

New updated content: 2024-12-19 12:45:52 Conditions and fees for urban expansion applications under the new policy were approved at a Joint Meeting of Agricultural and Rural Affairs and Planning and Housing Committees on October 16, and approved by Council on October 20, when they took effect.

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Paul Johanis December 19, 2024 December 20, 2024

Zoning bylaw review submission

New updated content: 2024-12-19 12:45:50 The Greenspace Alliance signed on to the Peoples Official Plan Coalition’s submission on Draft 1 of the new Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw. Much of the work on the submission was done by CAFE’s Tree Caucus, supplemented by contributions from POP members, including the GA. It is excellent work, which covered all the points that the Alliance wished to make, and more. Draft 2 of the new

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Paul Johanis December 19, 2024 December 20, 2024

Normal Farm Practices memo

New updated content: 2024-12-19 12:45:51 Staff has sent a memo to Council regarding their communications with the Normal Farm Practices Board of Ontario, which was in response to a staff direction provided as a result of the Tewin deforestation. It was the invocation of the agricultural exemption that was used as justification for not applying the Tree Protection Bylaw or the Site Alteration Bylaw to this clear cut by the

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Paul Johanis December 19, 2024 December 20, 2024

Site alteration by-law review

New updated content: 2024-11-25 12:23:33 The revised Site Alteration By-law was passed on October 16. Despite staff’s initial recommendations and our representations in support, the By-law has in fact been weakened by reducing the limit of peri-urban area, the only rural area where the By-law applies, to 1 km from urban boundary from 2 km in the original version of the By-law. The proposal to extend its natural environment protection

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Paul Johanis November 25, 2024 November 25, 2024

Conditions and fees for one off urban expansion applications

New updated content: 2024-11-25 12:23:33 The City has published its response to the change in the PPS that allows for individual applications for expansions of the urban boundary outside of the 5-year Comprehensive review cycle. To their credit they have set fairly onerous conditions and stiff fees for proponents to avail themselves of this new provision. This is in line with the GA’s stated position on this policy change when

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Paul Johanis November 25, 2024 November 25, 2024

Official Plan Monitoring Report

New updated content: 2024-11-25 12:23:30 The City is developing indicators and metrics to track the progress of implementing the new Official Plan. The GA put forward the request for the OP targets for canopy cover, access to greenspace and no net loss of rural wetlands and forest cover be included in the regular monitoring.

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Paul Johanis November 25, 2024 November 25, 2024

Omnibus amendment to the new Official Plan

New updated content: 2024-10-21 11:07:37 An omnibus Official Plan Amendment (OPA) was to be considered at Planning and Housing Committee on August 28. The GA made a submission regarding the specific issue of Country Lot Subdivisions, which led to a meeting with the lead planner to further elaborate on the issue. We later learned that the Omnibus OPA will be brought to Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on October 3

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Paul Johanis November 21, 2024 July 16, 2025