CONSERVATION CONNECTIONS:
TRCA 2023 Annual Report

Paul Ainslie
Chair, TRCA Board of Directors

Dave Barton
Vice-Chair, TRCA Board of Directors

John MacKenzie
Chief Executive Officer

Connecting To Safety and Security:

As the region’s first line of defence against natural hazards, addressing flood risk and vulnerability is TRCA’s number one concern. Following three years of consultation, engagement and design, TRCA and our partners at the City of Toronto completed the Rockcliffe-Smythe Class Environmental Assessment. This sets the stage for the implementation of measures within this segment of the Black Creek tributary of the Humber River that will minimize and reduce the risk of riverine flooding in the Rockcliffe-Smythe community.

Connecting People:

Building on the already robust amenities, attractions and offerings at Bruce’s Mill Conservation Park, TRCA opened The Nature Centre at Bruce’s Mill in March of 2023. As part of an expanding network of TRCA-operated learning centres distributed across TRCA’s nine watersheds, The Nature Centre at Bruce’s Mill will meet the needs of growing communities in Markham, Stouffville, and Richmond Hill by providing innovative, nature-based learning, wellness, and recreation programs. TRCA has launched three new nature centres in the last three years, the first new TRCA-operated learning centres opened in over 40 years.

Connecting Knowledge:

This year, significant progress was made on the development of two updated watershed plans. The Etobicoke Creek Watershed Plan was released for public input in the fall, while the current conditions characterization for the Humber River Watershed Plan was completed. In the case of the Humber River Watershed Plan, this is particularly significant as it provides the framework for future work by TRCA and our partners in advancing and improving the overall watershed health of the Greater Toronto Area’s only Canadian Heritage River. As science-based, stakeholder-informed, and partner-endorsed comprehensive blueprints for watershed planning, management, and action, watershed plans form the backbone of our work as a conservation authority.

Connecting Communities:

TRCA’s safe, off-road trail network links neighbourhoods, workplaces, transit, and nature. In 2023 we completed 3.7 km of the Claireville North Multi Use Trail in Brampton, the highly anticipated 2 km Highland Creek connection in the Meadoway in Scarborough, and a 0.6 km connection in Richmond Hill’s Oak Ridges Corridor Conservation Reserve. These projects are just three examples of how we are building on our 500 km of existing trails by leveraging investments from all levels of government, including $10M from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, to build safe, active transportation systems into our GTA communities.

Connecting the Past to the Future:

Finally, a new 12-year Strategic Plan was launched in January of this year to both mark a new era in conservation and build on an almost 70-year history of protecting, restoring, and enhancing our region’s natural resources. This new TRCA Strategic Plan guides the delivery of our entire suite of programs and services while establishing a future-forward vision of safe and sustainable development. This new Strategic Plan will better measure and share impact both within this annual report and in future reports.

Operate and maintain 12 dams, 6 dikes, and 9 channels. All dams have current operation, maintenance, and surveillance manuals, and 11 have current safety reviews. All 7 of the high or very high hazard dams have current emergency preparedness and response plans. Repairs to the Claireville Dam Wing Wall are 100% completed.

Reducing Flood Risk

Conducted vegetation and sediment removal operations on 1.5 km of the Scarlet Channel and slope maintenance on G. Ross Lord, Osler, and Palgrave Dams, and Bolton and Pickering Berms. This maintenance makes it easier for water to flow and reduces the risk of flooding.

Erosion Risk Management

2.1 linear km of valley and shoreline have been stabilized at 14 high priority sites.

Improved risk mapping through new remote sensing data acquisition in regulated areas. 88.7% of Erosion Control Structures are in acceptable condition throughout the jurisdiction.

Flood Risk Identification

29 rain gauges and 22 monthly inspected operational stream gauges form part of TRCA’s water management system. New monitoring cameras installed at Palgrave Dam and Stouffville Dam bring the total to 10 locations with video coverage.

100% of the jurisdiction covered by current hydrologic modelling, underpinned through the management and dissemination of 97 flood line maps.

Documented 77% of flood control channels that have maximized paths for the effective flow of water, with 2024 maintenance scheduled to return to 100% capacity.

Flood Risk Warning

The Deltares Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) state of the art decision-support tool implementation is on track to launch in 2024. As part of the Daily Planning Cycle process, the people and property of Toronto and Region will be under the most timely and accurate system to deliver flood forecasting messages to date.

Service Standards

Leading-edge management practices on all TRCA lands through modernized service level standards advanced significantly in 2023. This work ensures ongoing leadership using industry benchmarks that conserve ecological function while offering safe, accessible, and enjoyable visitor access where appropriate. Of all TRCA lands, 20% are used for active recreation (including TRCA Parks and Nature Centres), 52% are for passive recreation (lands with trails intended for public use), and 28% are management areas primarily for hazard or ecological considerations with limited access.

Supporting Connections

TRCA supports collective impacts in conservation initiatives. In 2023 this included planning for the new Uxbridge Provincial Park, land management agreements with the Federal government for the Rouge National Urban Park, collaboration across agencies including Waterfront Toronto and Hydro One, and many partner municipality-led projects across all TRCA watersheds.

Land Acquired

7.81 ha of land acquired throughout 9 parcels across the jurisdiction, fulfilling the goals of the Greenlands Acquisition Project 2021-2030. Land is secured through various mechanisms and municipal partnerships resulting in benefits for the environment and communities.

Works at the Waterfront

Expertise in shoreline management has positioned TRCA as a key partner in planning, design, and project implementation across the Toronto waterfront. Partnership initiatives like the Scarborough Waterfront Project and the Ashbridges Bay Landform Project are examples of TRCA-led, multi-faceted shoreline works providing protection of natural and cultural features, while supporting the enhancement of public access to greenspace.

Humber River Watershed Plan

The Humber River Watershed Plan is roughly halfway through the watershed planning process. Stage 1 involved project scoping and preparation (completed in 2022) and Stage 2 included characterizing current conditions of the watershed (completed in 2023).

A Watershed Characterization Report outlining the key findings on the current conditions and trends was published and key messages were shared broadly in Fall 2023.

20+ years of TRCA’s monitoring data, 35 reviews and technical reports, and 2 academic research partnerships were used to generate this knowledge base.

Etobicoke Creek Watershed Plan

Preparation of the draft Etobicoke Creek Watershed Plan was completed in collaboration with our partner municipalities, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and Greater Toronto Airports Authority. The draft plan’s summer release used a new online interactive webpage and map viewer for easy info access.

300+ members of the public engaged through 2 webinars, 2 open houses, various community events, and through an online comment form.

15+ decision makers participated in the Fall Watershed Tour, visiting 3 key locations. Each site highlighted critical issues related to flood and erosion risks, stormwater management, and ecosystem restoration.

Longevity Counts

TRCA’s commitment to protecting, enhancing, and restoring ecosystems across our jurisdiction would be impossible without scientific data collection and knowledge gathered through TRCA’s applied research initiatives, monitoring, and inventories.

This year we celebrate the following:

34 years of collecting fish and aquatic data along TRCA’s waterfront. Data collection methods have evolved to support the Toronto and Region Remedial Action Plan. This long dataset is highly sought-after by researchers and agency partners to help inform shoreline management and major waterfront projects.

23 consecutive years for Toronto Region’s Regional Watershed Monitoring Program (RWMP) using standard protocols (data on stream fish, benthic invertebrates, surface and groundwater quality, birds, frogs, toads, and vegetation).

15 years for terrestrial long-term monitoring, which was added to the RWMP in 2008 to enhance the biological inventory work by enabling the assessment of long-term conditions and trends.

Restoration Success

TRCA assessed 154 past restoration initiatives and determined 83% are meeting or exceeding industry-leading standardized quality targets – indicating a successful restoration trajectory.

Success Through Partnerships

Strong partnerships make for strong communities, and 2023 was an amazing year for building and achieving excellent ecological restoration in all of our watersheds. A variety of work was executed including: wetlands projects with Ducks Unlimited and Hydro One, stream restoration with the City of Brampton, natural cover restoration with Forests Ontario, Trees for Life, Peel, York, and Durham Region along with Richmond Hill, Markham, Mississauga, Toronto, King township, and more.

Planning and Permit Applications

Issued 1,382 permits, 90% which met or exceeded minimum mandated timelines. TRCA also reviewed and commented on 1,187 planning and concept applications.

Project Permits

Reviewed 44 new Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Planning Act applications, issued 475 permits and 19 Voluntary Project Review letters.

Ontario Lands Tribunal

Involved in 21 Ontario Land Tribunal cases and 6 appeals were settled or are close to settling, reducing the caseload from 21 to 15.

Adapting to Legislation

In responding to various legislative and process changes which came into effect in January 2023, TRCA teams were able to adapt quickly and continue to support our municipal partners. By weaving TRCA’s science, institutional knowledge, and expertise into meaningful responses on a variety of initiatives, municipalities and applicants experienced continuity in service delivery and quality work while implementing multiple changes on the ground on new and ongoing development projects.

Review Role

TRCA reviewed and commented on 48 municipal planning documents circulated by municipal staff and 24 provincial or federal legislative, policy, or technical guideline initiatives to advocate for TRCA interests, to offer our implementation expertise, help reconcile conflicts, and achieve shared objectives.

45 collaborative research initiatives undertaken with many partners, such as: Toronto Metropolitan University, McMaster University, Ontario Tech University, University of Toronto, University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, Trent University, and Carleton University.

6 scientific publications covering priority issues of salt, phosphorus loading, water quality of coastal wetlands, ecosystem analysis, modelling, mitigation, and restoration techniques. Publications included the Journal of Great Lakes Research, Ecogeography, Hydrobiologia, Wetlands, Ecological Solutions and Evidence, and through the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat.

New Technologies

TRCA guidance on sustainable technologies is referenced in 97 municipal plans and programs.

Trcagauging.ca is a newly enhanced flood monitoring website that displays real time precipitation and water level measurements for our jurisdiction. Used internally and available publicly – anyone can now look up their local conditions, anytime.

17 green infrastructure sites monitored and inspected with partner municipalities.

Participated in 240 knowledge sharing events including:

15 Years Young

Impacts of the 15-year-old Partners in Project Green (PPG) program dedicated to advancing environmental action and economic prosperity across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are achieved through 64 members, along with community participants. In 2023, 12 different events were held to continue to foster knowledge and action lasting change.

Source To Stream Makes a Successful Return

Following a three-year hiatus, TRCA and partners welcomed nearly 800 delegates to an in-person Source to Stream Conference – Canada’s premier event for stormwater, erosion, and sediment control professionals. A new industry sponsorship initiative with AECOM opened opportunities for new immigrants to Canada to network and engage at no cost.

Driving Heat Pump Adoption

• 7 case studies, 5 homeowner testimonial videos, and 28 webinars, conference, and community presentations reaching over 2K participants helped to drive the adoption of this green technology.
• Partner collaboration through the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, Clean Air Partnership, Green Communities Canada, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), along with partner municipalities and resident groups in Peel and Durham, Halton Hills, and King helped to facilitate engagement.
• The Toronto Star, Chatelaine Magazine, and other coverage of TRCA’s heat pump expertise helped to drive more than 10K views to the TRCA webpage SmarterHomeHeating.ca.
• Collaboration with Natural Resources Canada on a sizing and selection tool for use by contractors is supported by ongoing monitoring of various units, advancing science-backed evaluation for success.

Easy Access to Eco Knowledge

TRCA’s Watershed and Ecosystems Reporting Hub is a valuable one-stop shop that puts information on the state of the environment in local watersheds at your fingertips. Updates this year include:

• Water quality indicator data trends from 47 stations displayed in an interactive format.
• A newly developed regional approach to identify and display natural heritage areas that meet the Province’s Significant Wildlife Habitat criteria, including through updated mapping tools.
• A video summary of the remarkable progress towards making Lake Ontario’s nearshore environment drinkable, fishable, and swimmable through the Remedial Action Plans and significant partner collaboration was produced in celebration of these amazing accomplishments.

Regulated Area Map Tool

With 52K pageviews, TRCA’s Regulated Area Search Tool – which allows home and property owners to determine if a property is located within a TRCA Regulated Area – saw 38% of all Planning and Development webpage visits.

Knowledge Sharing

Shared TRCA-generated scientific knowledge through 54 partnerships, collaborations, and by providing technical support to partner municipalities.

Newly Created

Generated 1,625 new and updated data layers, including:

• 23 updated datasets from ongoing
  monitoring programs.
• 1,562 new climate variable data layers.
• 27 new Significant Wildlife Habitat data layers.
• 18 new Ecosystem Service Valuation Study data layers.
• 5 new Nature-Based Solutions Siting tool data layers.

Adapting Together

For safe and resilient development within the jurisdiction, TRCA participated in 35 policy planning-related workshops, helping partners understand how TRCA could continue to support and improve sustainability and resilience while maintaining consistency with legislated roles and responsibilities.

Sustainability Journey to Net Zero

In partnership with the Mississauga Board of Trade and the City of Mississauga, TRCA’s Partners in Project Green launched the Mississauga Climate Leaders Program to help local businesses reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance corporate sustainability goals. The initial cohort of 18 trailblazing organizations kicked off training in November to advance energy savings through efficiency gains.

An expanded GreenBiz Caledon Resource Hub, developed in partnership with the Town of Caledon, now benefits sustainability-seeking organizations. The Circular Economy Leaders Consortium continued to advance zero-waste goals through its network of like-minded sustainability professionals.

Land to Lake Initiative

Bringing together 7 Conservation Authorities and 35 municipalities, the Land to Lake Initiative was created through Environment and Climate Change Canada funding to help implement land-based actions to improve water quality and ecosystem health in Western Lake Ontario. In its first year of implementation, two pilot projects have been selected by the Advisory Committee – one of which is the creation of a training course for municipal staff on natural asset management, while the other focuses on improving data coordination and reporting on nutrient loads.

Animal and Plant Neighbours

Knowing the flora and fauna that call the watershed home helps facilitate collective action to protect and enhance needed habitats for a healthy communal environment. Unique finds this year as part of TRCA’s monitoring efforts include an American Eel on the Toronto waterfront, an American Stoat (formerly the Short-tailed Weasel), the rare Mustard White butterfly, and the first regional breeding record of the Upland Sandpiper in 15 years.

Documented plants designated as regional species of conservation concern include the purple and showy Bottle and Fringed Gentian, Showy Lady’s Slipper, and the Northern Beech Fern, to list a few among the surveyed sites.

Trail Users

150K visitors were counted at 8 benchmark TRCA sites, a 53% increase over 2022.

1.5M visitors were counted at 24 locations of TRCA trails and City of Toronto trails through TRCA’s Trail Counter Program, an increase of 11% over 2022.

With the support of community partners, maintained access to 500 km of TRCA managed trails on 7,297 ha of TRCA-managed Conservation Parks and Lands available for public access and recreational activities.

Across all TRCA greenspaces in 2023, 1.1M visitors enjoyed the physical and mental wellbeing that only outdoor natural spaces can provide.

Creating Connections!

Advanced 4 trail and amenity capital projects through planning, design, and construction phases on behalf of partner municipalities.

6.53 km of trail were constructed, of which 5.72 km are regional-level connections and 0.81 km are local-level connections. This includes prominent 2023 projects: the Claireville North Multi-Use trail in Brampton, Macleod Estate Trail in Richmond Hill, and Church Street Trans Canada Trail in Ajax.

The new 2022 Trail Sustainability Fund made improvements possible in the Township of Uxbridge and the Regional Municipality of Durham in 2023. Boardwalk and bridge repairs, conducted through partnerships and with dedicated volunteers, deepened these trail-nature connections even further.

With the support of the Weston Family Foundation and Partners, TRCA continued to advance The Meadoway project. By linking 7 river systems, 15 parks, 13 neighbourhoods, 200 ha of meadow, and 16 km of trail, this transformative, award-winning initiative will become one of Canada’s largest linear urban parks.

Welcoming All

TRCA continues to ensure that programs and facilities are available and accessible through 182 financially/physically accessible program offerings, 27 respite and wellbeing options, and 22 partnership projects with equity-deserving communities. Prioritizing community connections, TRCA exceeded annual targets by as much as 25X. This work to operationalize a wellbeing culture seeks to ensure all communities are able to participate, truly feel welcomed, and experience a sense of belonging.

Engaging Newcomers

Welcoming and helping newcomers connect, learn, and gain employment in the green sector is the focus of three innovative TRCA programs: Professional Access into Employment (PAIE), Newcomer Youth Green Economy Project (NYGEP), and Multicultural Connections (MC). In 2023, these programs reached 3.6K participants through 27K hrs of coaching, training, and learning.

Breaking Down Barriers

Through a new partnership with Construct, a social enterprise by BlueDoor, a new course covering energy technologies, construction, and green infrastructure was offered, helping create connections and break down barriers to employment.

Albion Hills once again hosted The Gathering of Nations Summer Camp for Indigenous students, who completed a 21-day high school credit course through the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

With support from York Region, and in partnership with 360kids and Salvation Army, TRCA launched a new employment training program to provide skills development and job readiness supports for unhoused youth seeking employment in the landscape and greenspace management sectors.

Widespread Upgrades

Thanks to a $10M investment from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund – the largest in decades – key TRCA destinations received crucial infrastructure updates this year, such as paved roads and parking lots, new picnic shelters and upgraded washrooms, a new roof on the Albion Hills Ski Chalet, and a new workshop. 90% of costs were covered as the investment was paired with Fed Dev and other funding sources to enhance access and safety and improve the visitor experience in nearly every one of our parks.

Professional Access into Employment (PAIE)

PAIE provided fully virtual job search and corporate culture training as well as hybrid coaching, employment, and mentoring opportunities. Over 140 hrs of profession-specific training, including field trips, was delivered virtually and in-person, during the nine-month program. 35 PAIE participants received 100 interviews and 70 mentor connections were made with clients to further their career journeys. On average, PAIE participants have an 80% employment success rate!

Making Memories

Conservation starts with connections. TRCA Signature Events drew 37K+ attendees across the region including: the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival, Spring Bird Festival, Flight of the Monarch Day, Adventures of Salmon, Bike the Creek, and Celebrate the Humber.

The Nature School

Resonating with communities, TRCA’s The Nature School engaged 21K learner hours through the delivery of weekend, PA Day, Preschool, and Elementary school programs. A fully funded Naturehood program has also now transitioned smoothly to a fully outdoor, in-person format for a memorable learning experience.

School and Community Learning

95K school kids were engaged through virtual and in-person education programs for 600K learner hours of programming, including many at 8 TRCA locations throughout the region. 362 Community Learning events across Durham, Peel, Toronto, and York engaged 16.5K participants to create the conservation champions of today and tomorrow.

This work – and more – is made possible through hundreds of partnerships cultivated over decades. The desire to grow relationships with equity-deserving communities advanced through 17 recently established partnerships.

Exhibiting Science

Black Creek Pioneer Village opened its largest exhibition in decades: Invented: Propelled by Imagination., which explores how 19th century science impacted science fiction authors, whose creativity then prompted even more remarkable inventions. The exhibit was visited by 40K people, including close to 2K students in curriculum-linked STEAM education programs.

Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP)

SNAP worked with 65 implementation partners to achieve neighbourhood-based solutions for urban renewal and climate action across 6 active SNAPs. These include municipalities, local businesses and agencies, community organizations, and universities. 176 collaborative events engaged 3K residents and stakeholders. Showcasing the model’s transformative power – SNAP has been listed as an example of innovative urban development as part of the World Urban Pavilion profiling Urban Sustainable Development Goal projects in Canada.

SNAP SUCCESSES

Fostering a Greener Future

The longstanding Environmental Leaders of Tomorrow program in Peel continues to deliver strong impact, with 918 students from 32 classes engaged in 2023. 93% of participating teachers cite that their students were more likely to act to help care for nature and the environment following the program.

Valuable Volunteers

5,943 volunteers invested 13K hrs of personal time through different events contributing towards restoration and stewardship projects across the jurisdiction. During the 166 events, 21K trees, shrubs, and wildflowers were planted, 3.6K kg of garbage was removed, and 14K m² of invasive species were removed manually to maintain 10.6 ha and restore another 3.6 ha of beautiful local greenspace.

Regional Watershed Alliance

A more diverse Regional Watershed Alliance (RWA) membership structure was introduced, and members learned about, or provided input to, 11 different TRCA- or partner-led initiatives, attended a tour of major TRCA flood infrastructure, and took part in a memorial tree planting for former RWA member Lisette Mallet.

Salmon Spotting

TRCA’s online interactive map saw a 60% increase in reported sightings of migrating Salmon in local streams this year – valuable community input into monitoring that both increases knowledge and demonstrates a desire to contribute to environmental health.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI)

TRCA’s long-term commitment to increasing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is driven through its People First DEI Playbook, which saw a 63% progress towards full plan completion.

Several initiatives in support of each of the 5 key overarching pillars were achieved in 2023, including reviewing TRCA’s recruitment, onboarding, retention, and succession practices with a DEI lens to ensure it is woven into the fabric of our practices.

A shift in the direction of job descriptions was established, resulting in 100% of descriptions across the organization being updated to focus on minimum education and qualifications to provide greater access to TRCA career opportunities within the communities we serve. TRCA also fostered equitable and inclusive opportunities for professional growth and development for all employees, creating greater access to learning and development.

Celebrating Staff

The 5th annual Service Recognition Awards were held at a September ceremony at Black Creek Pioneer Village, honouring 84 staff celebrating milestones ranging from five to 30 years! A staff summer BBQ brought the many diverse TRCA teams together at Boyd Conservation Area for the first time this year, complementing the traditional annual Staff Pancake Breakfast for even more valuable opportunities for staff engagement and relationship-building.

Learning is Growth

Continued providing robust and diverse learning and development opportunities to employees through the Learning Management System. 200+ courses are now on offer by service providers such as SkillSoft and ComPsych. Leadership-specific training through Radiant is available for those in senior roles. In 2023, TRCA staff completed nearly 17K internal training hours by 715 staff, signaling ongoing employee growth and development.

Health and Safety

TRCA is progressing towards the rigorous Certificate of Recognition (COR) following an important milestone in November: the submission of the internal audit to the accrediting agency, the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA). Frequently used as a pre-qualifying and/or condition of contract, this certificate ensures competitiveness, alignment with mandatory requirements, and even insurance and other cost-related benefits.

Listening and Leaning In

A successful workforce begins with strong engagement, a responsive organization and future-positive planning.

• 79% of eligible employees participated in the 2023 employee engagement pulse survey, providing valuable feedback.
• 51.5% of staff have a Flexible Work Arrangement in place, attracting and retaining top talent and increasing employee engagement.
• 98% of employees in required positions have goals tied to the Performance Development Program that drives the success of TRCA’s overall Strategic Plan.

New HQ Progress

Construction continued to progress on the new TRCA administrative building, with mechanical and electrical systems, building envelope, and interior work nearing completion. Solar panels now grace the roof, with insulation underway. One of this building’s most innovative features, the open loop geothermal well, has been commissioned and is already running.

This industry-leading building centered on user wellbeing garnered the following external accolades this year:

• Zero Carbon Building Design Certification from the Canadian Green Building Council.
• Embodied Carbon Award for New Construction in the Commercial/Industrial/Institutional category from The Carbon Leadership Forum Toronto and Ottawa Hubs.

Asset Management

The technical implementation of a new Asset and Maintenance Management system was completed to support the operation and preventative maintenance of TRCA’s tangible capital assets. Under the guidance of a new charter in a rapidly changing landscape, the work to integrate assets from flood and erosion control, buildings, parks, and fleet will be featured through an updated asset management plan in early 2024.

Place Making

Look After Where You Live, an external employee engagement program managed in collaboration with the Toronto and Region Conservation Foundation, worked with 38 different organizations across a wide range of sectors in 43 events such as planting and mulching trees, seeding, and clean-ups across 16 GTA sites. This program’s increasing popularity highlights a growing interest for local businesses and organizations in team-building initiatives that support our local greenspaces.

Valuable Heritage

TRCA licensed archaeologists conducted 78 assessments on 63 ha in support of legislated internal and partner project needs – respecting the rich heritage value of Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, and Métis nations roots in our jurisdiction.

Municipal MOUs Signed

In order to meet provincial requirements, Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were advanced for municipally-requested work. Through consistent engagement, a total of 5 out of 6 participating municipalities, and 8 out of 10 partner municipalities executed or received Council approval for MOUs, with the remaining municipalities expected in early 2024.

Leadership Lines of Communication

Frequent and tailored leadership meetings were held throughout the jurisdiction involving key municipal and government agency partners and senior TRCA staff. These action-oriented meetings facilitated information sharing, enhanced co-operation, and built support for mutually beneficial projects and programs as part of ongoing Memorandum of Understanding negotiations in 2023.

Strong Internal Collaboration

With strong internal co-ordination, 400+ key seasonal positions were efficiently filled between February and June to support operations during warm weather months. Promotion included an engaging multi-faceted social media campaign, attendance at 15 career fairs and speaking engagements, and coordination at various institutions and agencies. This annual initiative brings together several TRCA teams and builds a strong talent pipeline for the needs of tomorrow.

Awarded 2023 Initiatives

Received the Jessica Markland Partnership Award from the Durham Environmental and Climate Advisory Committee for Durham Trees: a six-partner collaborative that plants subsidized trees on private land.

Presented with the Environmental Excellence award from the Electricity Distributors Association presented to Hydro One for a TRCA-led wetland restoration project in Kleinburg that advances corporate climate change goals.

Voice of the Youth

TRCA’s Youth Council is now 400+ members strong! Events held in 2023 include a Summer Retreat with Four Colours Drum Circle at Heart Lake Conservation Park, hosting Vaughan-Woodbridge Youth Council at William Foster Woods for a Buckthorn Removal Event, and co-facilitating a workshop with the University of Toronto on Urban Biodiversity, to name a few. In total, 7 in-person and virtual events were organized, and members participated in a further 10 events with partners for a busy year!

Annual Audit

TRCA’s 2022 audited financial statements were issued with a clean auditor’s report.

Strategy in Action

Following the November 2022 Board of Director’s endorsement of TRCA’s new Strategic Plan 2023-2034, the new framework guided long-term planning, decision-making, and reporting for the first time. 25 interactive staff orientation sessions were held to ensure full alignment and understanding for smooth implementation and performance results.

Optimizing Processes and Procedures

71% of all corporate policies reviewed, 54 new and updated policies and guidelines approved and went into effect, with others being advanced by the interdivisional Policy Committee.

93 staff trained in the internal meeting management platform eScribe for efficiency and transparency gains.

Plans for Safety and Function

Draft annual State of Good Repair capital plans are created and executed annually to account for property portfolio needs – 100% of budgeted priority repairs or replacements completed.

Freedom of Information

Received 47 Freedom of Information Requests and worked on 54 requests, including those carried over from 2022. 48 requests were closed in 2023, with work on the remainder of requests ongoing.

Climate Change Progress in Peel

In partnership with Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and through expert guidance, performance measures have been developed to track, monitor, and report Region of Peel climate change funded projects and programs. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) created are used in annual reports, the second of which was published in 2023, helping Region of Peel and its member municipalities better understand the impact of TRCA and CVC work to advance their climate change goals.