Toronto is giving some of its biggest trees more protection — and making it harder for unauthorized removals to go unnoticed.
Several updates to the city’s tree bylaws take effect Sept. 1, and will mostly affect property owners who want to take out or build near trees.
“To ensure that we reach our target of increasing our tree canopy to 40 per cent by 2050 … the bylaws are a critical piece,” said Kim Statham, Toronto’s director of urban forestry.
Right now, a permit is required to cut down or build near a private tree measuring 30 centimetres or more in diameter.
One of the biggest updates, Statham said, is a new “distinctive tree” category for trees measuring 61 centimetres in diameter and above.
She said those larger trees will get extra consideration, and city staff will have more power to refuse removal applications.
“The bigger the tree, the more environmental benefits,” Statham said.
Janet McKay, executive director of the Toronto forest protection group, LEAF, said the added protection for larger trees is one of the changes she welcomes most.
“Even though a [mature] tree is rooted in private property, the benefits accrue to the community as a whole,” McKay said, explaining that large trees provide shade, cleaner air, stormwater control and wildlife habitats.
Stronger protections, tougher enforcement
Right now, if you cut down a protected tree without a permit, consequences can include fines, ranging between $500 and $100,000, and having to pay for the cost of replanting five trees for every one that’s gone — nearly $600 per tree.
Starting Sept. 1, the number of replacement trees required will depend on the size of the tree removed.
Even after the tree is gone, the stump could now tell a story for city staff who are investigating. According to the updated bylaw, staff will now be able to measure the size of stumps and use it as evidence a protected tree was removed without permission.
The city will also introduce permit fees for the first time for the 30,000 households in Toronto’s ravine-protected areas, which will range between $87 and $632, depending on the application.
Outside of the enforcement arena, there’s also a new pilot program to incentivize tree care.
McKay said the city is also looking at a pilot program to help private property owners care for very large trees, including those in the new “distinctive tree” category.
Under the new rules, city staff will be able to measure a remaining stump and use it as evidence that a protected tree was removed without permission. (CBC)
More protection could take root
Statham said the Sept. 1 changes are only one branch of a broader bylaw overhaul, with permit improvements and the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge among changes being considered for 2027.
Staff are also considering lowering the protected-tree threshold from 30 centimetres in diameter to 20 centimetres — meaning smaller, younger trees would also require permits to remove.
McKay said the lower threshold could help protect the next generation of Toronto’s canopy.
“Protecting that younger population that’s growing up and will hopefully replace those mature trees when they do die is so important,” McKay said.
Can the city keep up?
Urban planner Blair Scorgie said he supports stronger tree protections, but worries about whether the city has the staff and processes in place to handle them efficiently.
“My concern is primarily around implementation,” said Scorgie, managing principal of Scorgie Planning.
He said a lower 20-centimeter threshold for protection could bring thousands more applications into an already complicated system, increasing the risk of delays and uncertainty for builders.
Scorgie’s hope is for a more coordinated, navigable permitting system that gives developers the answers they need and “allow[s] buildings to be relocated or redesigned to preserve important trees.”
Statham said more flexibility for builders is also something staff are looking into for possible inclusion in its next round of tree bylaw updates.
“Tree protection and development are not competing interests,” she said.