Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Encyclopedia
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) or Office de protection de la nature de Toronto et de la région is one of 36 conservation authorities in Ontario
, Canada
. It owns more than 16,000 hectares (40,000) acres of land in the Toronto region and employs more than 400 full time employees and coordinates more than 3,000 volunteers each year.
TRCA's area of jurisdiction is watershed-based, and includes 3,467 square kilometres: 2,506 on land and 961 water-based in Lake Ontario. This area comprises nine watersheds from west to east: Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, Humber River, Don River, Highland Creek, Petticoat Creek, Rouge River, Duffins Creek, Carruthers Creek.
TRCA offers knowledge and experience to help its partners contribute to a healthy city region. This includes ecology and the study of water quality, natural habitats, plants, animals and more. It helps identify environmental needs, set targets, and restore natural areas. It advises partners about land use, development proposals and construction, and environmental education to help students and community members appreciate their local environment and learn to look after it. This work is focused in and around Toronto
including portions of the Regions of Peel, York, and Durham.
TRCA is not responsible for parks within the City of Toronto, which are operated by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division
. The exception is Black Creek Pioneer Village. A few other TRCA lands outside of Tornoto are also also operated by local municipalities, such as Milne Park in Markham.
to protect the lands of the Don Valley. The DVCA held popular 'conservation special' train outings from the Don Station north along the CNR line to Richmond Hill and other destinations to promote the conservation of the Don Valley. After the deaths and damage of Hurricane Hazel
in 1954, governments recognized the need for conservation of river floodplains. The Don Valley Conservation Authority was formed, with full legal authority to purchase and expropriate lands for conservation. The name was changed to Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in 1957 and the authority retained that name until 1997, when Metro Toronto was abolished.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It owns more than 16,000 hectares (40,000) acres of land in the Toronto region and employs more than 400 full time employees and coordinates more than 3,000 volunteers each year.
TRCA's area of jurisdiction is watershed-based, and includes 3,467 square kilometres: 2,506 on land and 961 water-based in Lake Ontario. This area comprises nine watersheds from west to east: Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, Humber River, Don River, Highland Creek, Petticoat Creek, Rouge River, Duffins Creek, Carruthers Creek.
TRCA offers knowledge and experience to help its partners contribute to a healthy city region. This includes ecology and the study of water quality, natural habitats, plants, animals and more. It helps identify environmental needs, set targets, and restore natural areas. It advises partners about land use, development proposals and construction, and environmental education to help students and community members appreciate their local environment and learn to look after it. This work is focused in and around Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
including portions of the Regions of Peel, York, and Durham.
TRCA is not responsible for parks within the City of Toronto, which are operated by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division
Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division
The City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division is the division of the Toronto municipal government responsible for city-owned parks, forests, and recreation centres...
. The exception is Black Creek Pioneer Village. A few other TRCA lands outside of Tornoto are also also operated by local municipalities, such as Milne Park in Markham.
History
The TRCA has its roots in the Don Valley Conservation Association (DVCA) established in 1949 by Charles SauriolCharles Sauriol
Charles Joseph Sauriol, CM was a Canadian naturalist who was responsible for the preservation of many natural areas in Ontario and across Canada.-Early life:...
to protect the lands of the Don Valley. The DVCA held popular 'conservation special' train outings from the Don Station north along the CNR line to Richmond Hill and other destinations to promote the conservation of the Don Valley. After the deaths and damage of Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
in 1954, governments recognized the need for conservation of river floodplains. The Don Valley Conservation Authority was formed, with full legal authority to purchase and expropriate lands for conservation. The name was changed to Metro Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in 1957 and the authority retained that name until 1997, when Metro Toronto was abolished.
Properties
A list of parks and conservation areas under the TRCA:- Albion Hills and Campgrounds - CaledonCaledon, OntarioCaledon is a town in the Regional Municipality of Peel in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In terms of land use, Caledon is somewhat urban, though it is primarily rural in nature...
- Boyd Conservation AreaBoyd Conservation AreaBoyd Conservation Area is a suburban land preserve owned and operated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. It also overlaps a life science Area of Natural and Scientific Interest of the same name....
- Vaughan - Bruce Mills - Whitchurch-StouffvilleWhitchurch-Stouffville, OntarioWhitchurch–Stouffville is a municipality in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada, approximately 14 kilometres north of the City of Toronto. It is 206.74 square kilometers in size, and located in the mid-eastern area of the Regional Municipality of York on the ecologically sensitive Oak...
- Bathurst Glen Golf Course - King CityKing City, OntarioKing City is an affluent, unincorporated village in King Township, Ontario, Canada, located just north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King Township, with 1,629 dwellings and a population of 4,902.-History:...
- Black Creek Pioneer VillageBlack Creek Pioneer VillageBlack Creek Pioneer Village is a historic site in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, just west of York University and southeast of the Jane and Steeles intersection. It overlooks Black Creek, a tributary of the Humber River. The village is a recreation of life in 19th-century Ontario and gives an idea how...
- Toronto - Charles Sauriol Conservation Reserve - Toronto
- Claireville Conservation AreaClaireville Conservation AreaThe Claireville Conservation Area, one of the largest tracts of land owned by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority , is unique. It was acquired in 1957 to construct a flood control dam and reservoir after the destruction caused by Hurricane Hazel...
- Brampton (Peel) - Cold Creek Conservation AreaCold Creek Conservation AreaCold Creek Conservation Area, usually Cold Creek, is an ecologically diverse protected Area of Natural and Scientific Interest in south-central Ontario, Canada. The conservation area was opened on June 20, 1962 by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. It is located on the western end of King...
- KingKing, OntarioKing is a township in York Region north of Toronto, within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada.The rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine are the most prominent visible geographical feature of King. The Holland Marsh, considered to be Ontario's "vegetable basket", straddles King Township... - Glen Haffy - Caledon
- Heart LakeHeart Lake (Ontario)Heart Lake is a lake located in the northern part of Brampton, Ontario, Canada. The lake itself is found in the Heart Lake Conservation Area in which trees are planted every year by students from the local elementary schools. There are numerous biking and running trails as well as a roped-off area...
- BramptonBrampton, OntarioBrampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average... - Humber Bay Shores Waterfront Park - Toronto
- Indian Line Campgrounds - Brampton (Peel)
- Kortright Centre for Conservation - VaughanVaughan, OntarioVaughan is a city in York Region north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan is the fastest growing municipality in Canada achieving a population growth rate of 80.2% between 1996–2006, according to Statistics Canada having nearly doubled in population since 1991. Vaughan is located in Southern...
- Lake Saint George --Richmond HillRichmond Hill, OntarioRichmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
- Langstaff Ecopark - Vaughan
- Petticoat Creek - PickeringPickering, OntarioPickering is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the largest metropolitan area in Canada.- Early Period :...
See also
- Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation DivisionToronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation DivisionThe City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division is the division of the Toronto municipal government responsible for city-owned parks, forests, and recreation centres...
- Rouge ParkRouge ParkRouge Park will become an urban national park located along the border of Toronto and Pickering, Ontario, Canada. It will be Canada's first national park within a municipality....
- Downsview ParkDownsview ParkDownsview Park is a former Canadian Forces Base in the community of Downsview in Toronto, Canada. It contains about 231.5 hectares of land, of which more than 130 hectares are earmarked for traditional parkland, recreational and cultural amenities...
- Parks CanadaParks CanadaParks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
- Grand River Conservation AuthorityGrand River Conservation AuthorityThe Grand River Conservation Authority is a conservation authority in Ontario, Canada. It operates under the Conservation Authorities Act of Ontario...
- Hamilton Conservation AuthorityHamilton Conservation AuthorityThe Hamilton Conservation Authority maintains the greenspace, trails, parks and some attractions in the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.The Hamilton Conservation Authority has managed the natural environment in partnership with the City of Hamilton and the Province of Ontario to help ensure a safe and...
- Conservation Authorities Act (Ontario)
- Toronto ravine systemToronto ravine systemThe Toronto ravine system is one of the most distinctive features of the geography of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a network of deep ravines that form a large urban forest that runs throughout much of the city...