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As part of a comprehensive 5-Year review of the City of Toronto's Official Plan, the City's Planning Department has released a series of recommendations outlining the new and revised environmental regulations that should be added to the Official Plan by City Council.
The new recommendations propose the creation of 68 additional Environmentally Significant Areas (ESA), as well as the expansion of 14 existing ESAs. According to the City, ESAs designated within the Official Plan are "critical areas within the city's natural heritage," which receive protection in order to preserve the rare, species habitats, and landforms contained within.
An ESA designation restricts potentially harmful activities from occurring in the the protected zones, which currently make up roughly 4% (66,750 hectares) of Toronto's total land area. The new and expanded areas included in the Recommendation Report were guided by a series of consultations with environmental scientists and members of the community. Both groups felt that the ongoing measures taken to ensure environmental protection of the city's diverse habitats—including ravines, wetlands, and plains—were insufficient.
The 68 proposed new ESAs are scattered throughout Toronto, with new zones of protection included for most parts of the city, ranging from Downtown ravines to North York green spaces. The main criterion for designating ESA status is the existence of "unique environmental qualities," which can include rare and endangered habitats and species, uncommonly high diversity, rare or unusual landforms, and important ecological functions (such as stopovers for migratory animals). Working within these parameters, City planners found that a significant number of natural spaces qualify for ESA designation, which can ensure that the valuable biodiversity of Toronto's wildlife habitats.
As Toronto continues its breackneck urbanization, it is important not to overlook the rich natural heritage that exists alongside the skyscrapers and construction cranes. Though it may come as a surprise, the rare and diverse habitats already protected by ESA designation—without taking into account the proposed expansion—equal 17 High Parks in size, evidencing a mere portion of the incredible wealth of natural landscapes that we owe our collective stewardship.
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Interested in the development of ESA zones? The staff report will be discussed during a public meeting held at City Hall on October 8th at 10 a.m. (Committee Room 1). We will keep you updated as the future of the program continues to take shape.
