New Rules to Protect Trees on Private Property

Toronto city council has made several changes to the rules protecting trees growing on private property.

A new ‘distinctive tree’ category has been created to protect large trees more than 24 inches in diameter. Application for a permit by private property owners to remove or destroy their distinctive tree will face greater scrutiny from the city.

A publicly funded pilot program, with a cost of $50,000, is under development to provide grants to owners of distinctive trees. While the details are still under review, the program is expected to support 20-25 sites with grants of up to $1,500 to help offset tree maintenance costs. Certain areas of the city are anticipated to receive priority, including neighbourhood improvement areas and those with low equity scores.

A new permit application fee has been introduced for ravine bylaw protected trees, found within certain defined areas of the city near ravines and natural areas.

The city has also made a number of changes to support tree bylaw enforcement. For example, the stump diameter in the ground may be used to determine a protected tree where the trunk has been cut down and already removed.

Further, city council has directed staff to explore lowering the threshold for bylaw-protected private trees. Currently, the protection bylaws apply to private trees with a trunk diameter of 12 inches or greater, measured at breast height. The proposed new threshold is eight inches. If adopted, the change would mean that trees between eight and 12 inches in diameter could become subject to enforceable bylaws restricting injury or removal. A final report is expected to come before council in 2027.