2010-02-04 Decision Document - Parks and Environment Committee

The Decision Document is for preliminary reference purposes only. Please refer to the Committee’s Report to City Council or to the Minutes for the official record.

The Parks and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council support, in principle, the addition of public lands in the Don and Humber River Valleys to Ontario's Greenbelt to ensure these valuable lands are preserved and protected and accordingly direct staff, in consultation with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), to carry out the following actions required to make an application to the Province of Ontario.

2. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning Division and the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with any affected City Divisions and the TRCA to prepare a report to the Planning and Growth Management Committee that:

a. identifies City and TRCA owned lands that are located within river valley connections in the City of Toronto identified in the Greenbelt Plan that may be suitable for Greenbelt designation; and

b. examines the implications of Greenbelt designation for City and TRCA recreational uses, facilities and infrastructure.

The decision of the Parks and Environment Committee was recorded as unanimous.

This report responds to a request from the Parks and Environment Committee to review the Don and Humber River valleys for possible Greenbelt designation.

The Greenbelt is an area of 1.8 million acres of agricultural, rural and environmentally sensitive lands around the Greater Golden Horseshoe which are permanently protected from urban development. Within the City of Toronto the Rouge Valley south of Steeles Avenue is designated as Greenbelt. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has developed criteria to be used to consider municipal requests to expand the Greenbelt. This report provides background information, examines how the lands within the Don and Humber River valleys might meet the Greenbelt expansion criteria and provides a cursory review of implications related to Greenbelt designation of lands in river valleys that run through urban areas.

The Don and Humber Rivers originate in the Greenbelt, flow southward through the urban area and connect the Greenbelt to Lake Ontario. Lands within these river corridors could meet the Greenbelt expansion criteria and qualify as part of the Greenbelt Natural System. Greenbelt designation would provide permanent protection to natural heritage and hydrologic features and would formally recognize important ecological, economic and social connections between the Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario, and between rural Greenbelt communities and the City of Toronto.

Greenbelt designation is permanent. Only the Lieutenant Governor, on the recommendation of Cabinet can approve amendments. Decisions on planning applications within the Greenbelt area must conform to the Greenbelt Plan. Greenbelt policies concerning protection of natural features are consistent with but go beyond Official Plan policies and may have implications for other existing and future uses. Existing uses would be allowed to continue, however expansions and new uses would be subject to the applicable Greenbelt Plan policies. For these reasons it is important to understand how existing and planned uses, facilities and infrastructure may be affected by Greenbelt designation.

The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA), in its October 6, 2009 letter to the Parks and Environment Committee, recommended that Greenbelt designation be considered for City and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) owned lands located in the Don and Humber River valleys. The Don and Humber Rivers along with Etobicoke and Morningside Creeks are identified as river valley connections in the Greenbelt Plan. River valley connections provide important links between the Greenbelt Natural System and other broader scale natural systems such as Lake Ontario but are not part of the Greenbelt Plan area. City and TRCA owned lands within these river valley connections contain high concentrations of natural and hydrologic features, as well as areas that are being and will be restored, and may be suitable for Greenbelt designation. However, these lands also contain public parks, active recreation uses and facilities, some of which may not be suitable for Greenbelt designation.

In order to better understand the implications of Greenbelt designation, it is recommended that potentially suitable lands owned by the City and the TRCA within river valley connections identified in the Greenbelt Plan, be identified and that the implications of Greenbelt Plan policies for City and TRCA uses, facilities and infrastructure on these lands be examined.

The TRCA was consulted in the preparation of this report.

Forwarding an additional motion to a possible greenbelt designation.

The Parks and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council receive the decision of the signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Toronto Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development to suspend, effective May 20, 2009, all further activities, and advise the United Nations University’s program for Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development of this decision.

2. City Council extend its sincere appreciation to Dr. Ingrid Stefanovic, Professor and Director, Centre for the Environment, University of Toronto, for chairing on a voluntary basis the Toronto Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development; and

3. City Council direct the Director of the Toronto Environment Office to continue to engage the member bodies of the Toronto Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in the ongoing development and implementation of the City’s climate change mitigation programs and related environmental initiatives.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 2005-2014 as the International Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. As part of this initiative the United Nations University (UNU) established an international network of Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development. Toronto was selected as a Regional Centre of Expertise in 2005.

To facilitate Toronto’s participation various organizations, including the City of Toronto, came together and formed the Toronto RCE. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was developed and, in July 2007, City Council endorsed the City’s involvement for a two-year period.

Over the last two years, the Toronto RCE initiated work to identify gaps in areas of action on education for sustainable development and identify best practices for sharing within Toronto and the larger international RCE network. One of the outcomes of this work was a conclusion that there is a lot of valuable and innovative work already occurring in Toronto. Much of that work being done collaboratively by the organizations engaged in the Toronto RCE.

In May 2009, the signatories to the MOU identified that the value of maintaining the Toronto RCE as a stand alone formal organization is limited and voted to suspend all further activities and formally withdraw from the UNU’s RCE program. It was felt that the goal of the Toronto RCE had been achieved and existing relationships and partnerships had been strengthened and would continue to evolve and develop without the need of a formal organization.

The International Decade of Education for Sustainable Development was created by the United Nations (“U.N.”) General Assembly for the years 2005-2014. An international network of Regional Centres of Expertise (“RCE”) on Education for Sustainable Development was established by the United Nations University, as part of the U.N. initiative. Toronto applied to be recognized as an RCE, which was granted by the United Nations University in 2005.

Subsequently, City staff invited various local organizations with an interest in education and sustainable development to consider becoming members of the Toronto RCE. A memorandum of understanding was developed by staff and interested local organizations, which City Council endorsed in July 2007, including the City’s involvement for a two-year period.

The Toronto RCE pursued its agenda from mid-2007 through to May 2009, when the members identified that the value of maintaining the Toronto RCE as a stand alone formal organization was limited and voted to suspend all further activities. The members concluded that the Toronto RCE had met its goals and objectives and that existing relationships had been strengthened and would continue to evolve and develop without the need of a formal organization.

At its meeting of October 15, 2009, the Parks and Environment Committee was presented with a staff report advising that the members of the Toronto RCE had decided to suspend the activities of this group. The Committee deferred the report and requested that staff provide more information about the activities of other designated Regional Centres of Expertise. This report responds to that request.

The Parks and Environment Committee recommends that City Council approve the development of a City-wide, multi-year Parks Plan guided by the following principles:

1. Parks and Trails as City Infrastructure

2. Equitable Access for All Residents

3. Nature in the City

4. Place Making

5. Supporting a Diversity of Uses

6. Community Engagement and Partnerships

7. Environmental Goals and Practices

(Please refer to Attachment A: Parks Plan: Guiding Principles for details of specific principles and their related objectives.)

This report seeks City Council approval for the development of a City-wide, multi-year Parks Plan, based on a set of Guiding Principles identified in this report. The Plan will guide decision-making in the acquisition, development, management and operation of the system of public parkland across the City.

This report outlines the principles, the planning approach, a proposed work plan and timeline, including community and stakeholder engagement to support the development of the Parks Plan. The report also outlines a draft Parks Classification system that will be developed further as part of the Parks Plan.

The Parks and Environment Committee re-opened its decision of October 15, 2009 to request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to report separately on this matter, was advised that the City Manager and Deputy City Manager - Cluster A will be reporting to the Executive Committee on a strategy to acquire surplus school board properties to address local community and neighbourhood needs and as such, withdrew its previous decision of October 15, 2009.

Communication from Councillor Ron Moeser requesting the Parks and Environment Committee to re-open and rescind its decision of October 15, 2009 to request the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to report separately on this matter.

Meeting No.	28	Contact	Dela Ting, Acting Administrator
Meeting Date	Thursday, February 4, 2010	Phone	416-397-7769
Start Time	9:30 AM	E-mail	pec@toronto.ca
Location	Committee Room 1, City Hall	Chair	Councillor Paula Fletcher

Session Date	Session Type	Start Time	End Time	Public or Closed Session
2010-02-04	Morning	9:40 AM	11:00 AM	Public

Date and Time	Quorum	Members
2010-02-04 9:40 AM - 11:00 AM (Public Session)	Present	Present: Cho, Fletcher (Chair), Moeser, Nunziata, Stintz, Walker

1a	Possible Greenbelt Designation for Humber and Don River Valleys

2a	Toronto Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education and Sustainable Development - Scan of RCE Activities in North America and Worldwide - Supplementary Information


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