City Council on February 22 and 23, 2010, adopted the following:

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 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.

City Council on February 22 and 23, 2010, adopted the following:

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 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.

City Council on February 22 and 23, 2010, adopted the following:

1.         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.

2.         City Council refer the following motions to the Parks and Environment Committee for consideration at its March 10, 2010 meeting:

             Moved by Councillor Moscoe:

             That the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation be requested to:

             1.         develop a qualitative measure of existing parks and green spaces;

             2.        evaluate the physical condition of parks space, including equipment and amenities and establish minimum standards for each classification with a view to upgrading those below standards and ensuring that all citizens have access to quality park space irrespective of their location within the City of Toronto; and

             3.        evaluate the degree to which local park design and amenities relate to the diverse and evolving character of its neighbourhood and changing demographics, and develop policies and procedures that will allow the park space to reflect changing demographics and neighbourhood ethnicity so that local parks can best serve local needs.

            Moved by Councillor Vaughan:

            That the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation be requested to report to the Parks and Environment Committee, during this process, on the possibility of using the local levy provisions of the City of Toronto Act to create Parks Improvement Associations (PIAs), and to bring forward other ideas that might facilitate community partnerships aimed at assisting neighbourhoods as they participate in the design, maintenance and programming of local parks.

(Please refer to Attachment A: Parks Plan: Guiding Principles for details of specific principles and their related objectives, in the report (January 20, 2010) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation.)

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, in the report (January 20, 2010) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation.)