Toronto Council meets today!
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On an item about the ravine strategy, Councillor Paula Fletcher moves for a report on the proposed "ravine loop." Not a loop-de-loop but still pretty cool. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.IE27.7
On the ravine strategy, Councillor Stephen Holyday moves to incorporate "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" principles into Toronto's ravine plans.
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On the ravine strategy, Councillor Stephen Holyday moves to incorporate "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design" principles into Toronto's ravine plans.
"Those people that live with their properties abutting ravines sometimes see the ravines as a place used by criminals to do break-ins," explains Holyday. He wants to address concerns that people use ravines as an escape route after committing crimes.
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"Those people that live with their properties abutting ravines sometimes see the ravines as a place used by criminals to do break-ins," explains Holyday. He wants to address concerns that people use ravines as an escape route after committing crimes.
Councillor Shelley Carroll gets Holyday to amend his motion, so that crime prevention design will be CONSIDERED as part of the ravine strategy, rather than immediately implemented.
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Councillor Shelley Carroll gets Holyday to amend his motion, so that crime prevention design will be CONSIDERED as part of the ravine strategy, rather than immediately implemented.
With that revision, all the ravine strategy motions CARRY via show of hands. The ravine strategy report is APPROVED 23-0.
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With that revision, all the ravine strategy motions CARRY via show of hands. The ravine strategy report is APPROVED 23-0.
Up now: trees! A report recommends looking at reducing the threshold at which private trees become protected and subject to removal permits. Currently, only trees with diameters of 30 cm or more are protected. This process would look at dropping it to 20 cm. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.IE27.8
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Up now: trees! A report recommends looking at reducing the threshold at which private trees become protected and subject to removal permits. Currently, only trees with diameters of 30 cm or more are protected. This process would look at dropping it to 20 cm. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.IE27.8
Staff say reducing the tree threshold to 20 cm would result in about 300,000 more private trees becoming protected by the bylaw. For context, the City of Toronto has 11.5 million trees in total, with about 55% of those on private property.
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Staff say reducing the tree threshold to 20 cm would result in about 300,000 more private trees becoming protected by the bylaw. For context, the City of Toronto has 11.5 million trees in total, with about 55% of those on private property.
Councillor Pasternak says he won't support going forward with the process to reduce the threshold for protecting trees. "If this goes through, we will completely be overwhelmed at community council" with tree appeals, he says.
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Councillor Pasternak says he won't support going forward with the process to reduce the threshold for protecting trees. "If this goes through, we will completely be overwhelmed at community council" with tree appeals, he says.
Councillor Dianne Saxe, on the other hand, says she'll support protecting more trees. "The most effective response to heat is trees," she says. "And trees don't grow overnight." Toronto won't achieve its tree canopy coverage goals if trees aren't allowed to grow, she says.
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Councillor Dianne Saxe, on the other hand, says she'll support protecting more trees. "The most effective response to heat is trees," she says. "And trees don't grow overnight." Toronto won't achieve its tree canopy coverage goals if trees aren't allowed to grow, she says.
Councillor Stephen Holyday is also opposed to the tree strategy. He says it's "heartbreaking to see the instances where somebody can't do what it is they dream of on their own land" because of the permit requirement for removing trees.
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Councillor Stephen Holyday is also opposed to the tree strategy. He says it's "heartbreaking to see the instances where somebody can't do what it is they dream of on their own land" because of the permit requirement for removing trees.
"This particular item is perhaps the largest and most profound thing we are dealing with today," says Holyday of the tree strategy. "This touches 300,000 trees." He worries residents might respond by proactively cutting down trees to get ahead of the rule changes.
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"This particular item is perhaps the largest and most profound thing we are dealing with today," says Holyday of the tree strategy. "This touches 300,000 trees." He worries residents might respond by proactively cutting down trees to get ahead of the rule changes.
Council votes to APPROVE, in principle, reducing the protection threshold for private trees to 20 cm. Staff will first report on impacts before the change goes into effect. The vote is 18-6.
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Council votes to APPROVE, in principle, reducing the protection threshold for private trees to 20 cm. Staff will first report on impacts before the change goes into effect. The vote is 18-6.
The rest of the tree strategy is APPROVED 21-3. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.IE27.8
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The rest of the tree strategy is APPROVED 21-3. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.IE27.8
Mayor Olivia Chow remains STEADFAST in her position against three-day council meetings. She moves to take a 30-minute break at 6 p.m., then come back and finish this agenda. There are 27 items left.
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Mayor Olivia Chow remains STEADFAST in her position against three-day council meetings. She moves to take a 30-minute break at 6 p.m., then come back and finish this agenda. There are 27 items left.
After a minor wording tweak, Councillor Pasternak's motion calling for a report on the design of multiplexes carries via a show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.MM39.13
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After a minor wording tweak, Councillor Pasternak's motion calling for a report on the design of multiplexes carries via a show of hands. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.MM39.13
Council is wading into the flag policy debate. Councillor Thompson has an amendment to continue to allow the flying of not-for-profit and charitable org flags, but would still ban foreign flags as of Dec 1, 2026.
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Council is wading into the flag policy debate. Councillor Thompson has an amendment to continue to allow the flying of not-for-profit and charitable org flags, but would still ban foreign flags as of Dec 1, 2026.
Councillor Pasternak, meanwhile, has a motion that would just eliminate the flying of any flags on the courtesy flagpoles after the current schedule of flagraisings is completed.
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Councillor Pasternak, meanwhile, has a motion that would just eliminate the flying of any flags on the courtesy flagpoles after the current schedule of flagraisings is completed.
Councillor Nick Mantas says he's against these flag policy changes. "We're basically penalizing 160 countries that we recognize in our city for a few groups."
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Councillor Nick Mantas says he's against these flag policy changes. "We're basically penalizing 160 countries that we recognize in our city for a few groups."
Councillor Thompson's motion to stop flying foreign country flags on the courtesy flagpoles at city hall and the civic centres CARRIES 20-6. Other kinds of flags will still be permitted.
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Councillor Thompson's motion to stop flying foreign country flags on the courtesy flagpoles at city hall and the civic centres CARRIES 20-6. Other kinds of flags will still be permitted.
Pasternak's motion to stop flying all flags is ruled redundant. With that, the amended flag policy is APPROVED 19-7.
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Pasternak's motion to stop flying all flags is ruled redundant. With that, the amended flag policy is APPROVED 19-7.
Council is on dinner break until 6:30. There are 21 items left, including Perruzza's city-run grocery store item, Bradford's subway safety item, and Chow's no-ICE-in-Toronto item. Could be a late one.
