Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has completed its annual update of the mapping that shows the TRCA Regulated Area across our jurisdiction.
At the TRCA Board of Directors Meeting #6/19, held on Friday June 21, 2019, Resolution #A116/19 was approved as follows:
- THAT staff continue to make updates to the Regulation mapping on an annual basis;
TRCA staff have now completed the 2023 annual mapping update. For more information on the update process, read the staff report to the TRCA Board of Directors on the Conservation Authorities Act Regulated Area Mapping Annual Update.
The final Regulated Area is now on our Online Regulatory Search Tool.
The final version of the Regulated Area with supporting criteria layers can be viewed HERE.
Regulation Mapping to Support New Permit Regulation
Effective April 1, 2024
On April 1, 2024, amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act governing TRCA’s permit regulation process were proclaimed (i.e., came into effect) by the Province of Ontario, including a new section, “Part VI – Regulation of Areas Under Which Authorities Have Jurisdiction”.
In addition, a new Minister’s regulation for all conservation authorities, Ontario Regulation 41/24: Prohibited Activities, Exemptions and Permits, is in effect as of April 1, 2024. This new, single regulation replaces all individual conservation authority permit regulations, including TRCA’s Ontario Regulation 166/06.
For more information on the legislative changes, please see the TRCA staff report on the Conservation Authorities Act Legislative and Regulatory Amendments Effective April 1, 2024.
Under section 2(3) of Ontario Regulation 41/24, the distance conservation authorities regulate around all wetlands is 30 metres. To align with the new regulation as of April 1, 2024, TRCA’s 2023 regulation mapping update has incorporated this change.
Previously, under TRCA’s Ontario Regulation 166/06, TRCA regulated 120 metres around Provincially Significant Wetlands and all wetlands on the Oak Ridges Moraine.
As noted in the background section of the staff report, since 2019 TRCA has implemented a permit streamlining measure and applied a 30-metre distance to all wetlands within the urban built boundary. Therefore, the impact of the new regulation to the regulation mapping is a reduction of the regulated area around all wetlands outside the urban built boundary.
For questions on the regulation mapping, please contact regulationmapping@trca.ca.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
What Does TRCA’s Regulation Do?
TRCA regulates construction, alteration, and development activities in and around valleys, streams, and wetlands and along the Lake Ontario shoreline. This is done through the Conservation Authorities Act and Ontario Regulation 41/24.
Under the Act and the Regulation, property owners need to apply for a permit from TRCA if they are planning to undertake any of these activities on a property that falls within our regulated area.
The Act and Regulation aim to:
- Prevent or reduce risk to life and property from natural hazards associated with flooding, erosion, and slope instability.
- Minimize negative impacts on natural features, functions, and systems.
- Prevent the creation of new hazards or aggravation of existing hazards.
What is TRCA Regulation Mapping?
TRCA’s Regulation mapping shows the areas within TRCA’s jurisdiction that are likely to be subject to the Regulation.
These areas are described in the words of the Regulation, and are based on the presence of natural features and natural hazards such as rivers, streams, flood plains, wetlands, valleylands, and the Lake Ontario shoreline.
TRCA, municipalities, and members of the public can use the Regulation mapping to determine whether a permit from TRCA is needed before proceeding with a construction, alteration, or development project.
The regulated area does not represent the development limit. But development in a regulated area does need to take into account possible constraints from natural hazards or features.
It is important to note that the text of the Conservation Authorities Act and Ontario Regulation 41/24 describe the areas that are regulated, so features and hazards do not have to be shown on the mapping to be regulated.
For example, TRCA regulation mapping does not capture very small wetlands (less than 0.5 hectares), even though all wetlands and their surrounding areas are regulated.
TRCA does its best to keep the mapping as up to date as possible by using the most current information available when preparing the map. TRCA uses a number of different sources of information to keep the mapping current, including:
- Provincial, municipal, and TRCA databases
- Field verification by provincial, municipal, and TRCA staff
- Technical studies, typically undertaken at the time of a planning or permit application
What Has Been Updated?
The mapping of our regulated areas has been updated to reflect new technical information, such as new flood plain mapping, provincial wetland data, and information based on field verification. These updates more accurately capture areas regulated by TRCA.
The mapping update may capture new areas meeting the descriptions in the Conservation Authorities Act and Ontario Regulation 41/24.
Bear in mind, as noted above: the Regulation already applies to those areas; the mapping is just “catching up” now by indicating where these areas are located.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?
More accurate mapping gives property owners a better idea of whether a permit from TRCA is required, before undertaking work on a property, to reduce risk to people, property, and the natural system.
In addition to using TRCA’s Online Regulated Area Search or the regulation mapping viewer, you can also contact TRCA Planning & Development staff to confirm whether your property falls within our regulated area, or if your proposed project requires a permit.
IMPORTANT LINKS
- Staff report to the TRCA Board on the Conservation Authorities Act Regulated Area Mapping Annual Update
- Staff report to the TRCA Board on the Conservation Authorities Act Legislative and Regulatory Amendments Effective April 1, 2024
- The Living City Policies (refer to Chapter 8 and Appendix C)
- TRCA Planning and Permits
- TRCA Planning and Permits FAQ