natural heritage & environmental maagement strategy nh… · this natural heritage...

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Acknowledgements

This Natural Heritage Environmental Management Strategy (NHEMS) has been developed with input from broad

consultation with municipal, agency and community stakeholders. The City of Brampton appreciates the time, energy

and valuable contributions that each individual and organization has provided to this project. Staff and/or organizations

that have participated in this process are listed alphabetically.

The City would like to specifically acknowledge Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) and Toronto and Region Conservation

Authority (TRCA) for all of their hard work, experience, knowledge and enthusiasm that was brought to the preparation

of the Conservation Authorities Natural Heritage System Mapping project undertaken on behalf of the City of Brampton.

City Project Team

Susan Jorgenson, Manager, Environmental Planning

(Project Lead)

Michael Hoy, Environmental Planner (Project Lead)

Dave Kenth, Senior Stormwater Engineer

Rob Landry, Supervisor, Works Operations

Gary Linton, Manager, Central Operations

Mike Parks, Director, Roads Maintenance & Operations

Jim Pitman, Manager, Parks Maintenance

Jessica Skup, Community Development Coordinator

John Spencer, Manager, Parks & Facility Planning

Technical Advisory Team

City of Brampton

Kelly Brooks, Senior Advisor, Communications

Paul Clarkson, Programmer, Outdoor Education

Travis Dorn, GIS Analyst

Susan Evans, Supervisor, Traffic Streetlights

Ed Fagan, Supervisor, Urban Forestry

Rob Gasper, Manager Parks Assets and Infrastructure

Hamid Hatami, Manager, Environmental Engineering

Barb Jaskulski, Supervisor, Horticulture

Stavroula Kassaris, Heritage Co-ordinator

Werner Kuemmling, Landscape Architect

Antonietta Minichillo, Heritage Co-ordinator

Natasha Rea, Land Use Policy Planner

Jacqueline Svedas, Special Projects Coordinator

Simone Banz, Planning Manager, Integrated Planning,

Region of Peel

Mark Head, Manager, Research and Analysis, Integrated

Planning, Region of Peel

Josh Campbell, Senior Planner, CVC

Bob Morris, Manager of Natural Heritage, CVC

Leilani Lee-Yates, Senior Planner, TRCA

Lionel Normand, Project Manager, TRCA

Brampton Environmental Planning Advisory Committee

David Laing, Citizen Member

Francis Sim, Citizen Member

Ian Drever, Development Industry

Jayne Pilot, Industry/Business Sector

Kelly Crawford, Citizen Member

Pauline Dykes, Academic Community

Councillor Bob Callahan

Councillor John Hutton

Councillor Paul Palleschi

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Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System Mapping for City of Brampton - Technical Working Group

Aviva Patel, CVC

Dawn Renfrew, CVC

Kamal Paudel, CVC

Liam Marray, CVC

Scott Sampson, CVC

Yvette Roy, CVC (Project Manager)

Dena Lewis, TRCA

Jason Tam, TRCA

Leilani Lee-Yates, CVC

Lionel Normand, TRCA

Stakeholders Organizations

We would also like to thank the many individuals and organizations who attended workshops and provided input to the

development of the NHEMS, including, but not limited to, the following:

Beacon Environmental

Brampton Environmental Planning Advisory Committee

Brampton Etobicoke Working Group

Chrysler

Credit Valley Conservation

Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

Etobicoke-Mimico Coalition

Evergreen

Mayor's Youth Team

Metrus Properties

Mississauga Environmental Advisory Committee

Mississauga’s of the New Credit First Nation

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Ontario Streams

Peel District School Board

Peel Public Health

Region of Peel

Rotaract Brampton

Sandalwood Heights Secondary School

Sierra Club-Peel

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

Urban Forest Innovations Inc.

West Humber Naturalist

Natural Heritage & Environmental Management Strategy Consulting Team

Brent Tegler, North-South Environmental Inc.

Susan Hall, Lura Consulting

Leah Winter, Lura Consulting

Mirek Sharp, North-South Environmental Inc.

Richard Czok, North-South Environmental Inc.

In association with:

Ron Scheckenberger, AMEC Environmental

Mark Schollen, Schollen and Company

Philip van Wassenaer, Urban Forest Innovations Inc.

Paul Lowes, Sorensen Gravely Lowes Planning

Associates Inc.

Photo Credits

All photos in this document were provided courtesy of

the City of Brampton and North-South Environmental,

unless otherwise noted.

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Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy Contents and Organization

The Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy (NHEMS) for the City of Brampton is a compendium of

three documents: Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System, a Background Report and an Implementation Action

Plan.

The Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System Mapping for the City of Brampton – Final Technical Report – 2014

(CA NHS) was prepared under separate cover. The CA NHS was developed using Brampton’s natural heritage features

and areas (as per Schedule D, Official Plan 2006) and local natural heritage system planning (as per approved secondary

and block plans), with recommended expansions based on current science in landscape ecology and monitoring data.

The CA NHS was prepared with the objective to improve the health, resilience and connectedness of existing areas and

features to form a robust natural heritage system. The NHEMS Implementation Action Plan, also available under

separate cover, identifies four goals, 19 objectives and 101 actions to realize the vision of the Strategy.

This Background Report for Brampton’s NHEMS provides an overview of natural heritage system planning in Brampton,

a snapshot of the current state of the environment, including Brampton’s Natural Heritage System (NHS), open space

system, green infrastructure and urban forest, and an overview of the NHEMS framework.

The Background Report is organized under the following sections:

Section 1 contains an overview of the relevant plans, policies and strategies that were considered in the development of

the NHEMS, and the general process for developing the Strategy.

Section 2 provides an overview of natural heritage system planning and the regional and watershed natural systems that

define the local context. It also describes the development of the Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System (CA

NHS) that supports Brampton’s natural heritage system planning.

Section 3 provides an overview of the state of the natural heritage system and built green spaces in Brampton, including

issues and opportunities as they relate to the city’s NHS, open spaces, green infrastructure and the urban forest.

Section 4 provides an introduction to the NHEMS Framework that links the Background Report to the Implementation

Action Plan, and which identifies the mission, guiding principles, targets, goals, objectives, actions and timelines for

implementation.

Section 5 provides a Glossary of Terms that defines the technical terms used throughout the report. Note terms

included in the glossary are italicized for the first use only.

Section 6 provides a Summary of Documents reviewed in support of this Strategy.

Appendices provide a summary of the policy gaps in the Brampton Official Plan 2006, stakeholder consultation that

helped shape the plan, a presentation of best practices relating to infrastructure corridors, open space and urban

forests, as well as a series of maps that illustrate watershed natural heritage system components and subwatershed

studies in support of the NHEMS.

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 The Need for a Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy ........................................................ 1

1.2 The Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy .......................................................................... 4

1.2.1 Natural Heritage System ................................................................................................................................. 5

1.2.2 Built Environment ........................................................................................................................................... 5

1.2.3 System Sustainability ...................................................................................................................................... 6

1.3 The NHEMS in Relation to Other City-Wide Plans .................................................................................................. 7

1.4 The Process to Develop the NHEMS ....................................................................................................................... 9

1.5 Consultation .......................................................................................................................................................... 11

1.6 Effecting Change ................................................................................................................................................... 12

2. Natural Heritage System Planning ................................................................................................................................ 15

2.1 Context .................................................................................................................................................................. 15

2.2 Natural Heritage System Policy, Plan and Program Guidance .............................................................................. 15

2.2.1 Federal Government ..................................................................................................................................... 15

2.2.2 Province of Ontario ....................................................................................................................................... 16

2.2.3 Region of Peel ............................................................................................................................................... 21

2.2.4 Conservation Authorities .............................................................................................................................. 23

3. State of the Environment in Brampton ......................................................................................................................... 25

3.1 Brampton’s Natural Heritage System ................................................................................................................... 26

3.1.1 Natural Heritage Systems in the Urban Context ........................................................................................... 26

3.1.2 Brampton’s Current Natural Heritage System .............................................................................................. 27

3.1.3 Brampton’s Future (Proposed) Natural Heritage System ............................................................................. 31

3.1.4 Natural Heritage System Issues and Opportunities ...................................................................................... 36

3.2 Brampton’s Open Space System ........................................................................................................................... 47

3.2.1 Open Space Issues and Opportunities .......................................................................................................... 48

3.3 Brampton’s Green Infrastructure ......................................................................................................................... 55

3.3.1 Green Infrastructure Issues and Opportunities ............................................................................................ 57

3.4 Brampton’s Urban Forest ...................................................................................................................................... 60

3.4.1 Urban Forest Issues and Opportunities ........................................................................................................ 63

4. Overview of the NHEMS Framework ............................................................................................................................ 64

5. Glossary of Terms .......................................................................................................................................................... 65

6. Summary of Documents Reviewed in Support of this Strategy .................................................................................... 68

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Figures

Figure 1: Current and projected population growth in Brampton (Source: Preliminary forecasts prepared for the City of

Brampton by Hemson Consulting Ltd., February 2015)

Figure 2: Ecosystem services and human well-being (Source: Corvalan, C., Hales, S., & McMichael, A. (2005). Ecosystems

and Human Well-Being: Health Synthesis. Geneva: WHO)

Figure 3: Brampton’s living landscape is comprised of functionally interconnected natural (wild) and built green spaces

and built (hard) spaces

Figure 4: Relationship of NHEMS to city-wide strategic plans

Figure 5: NHEMS planning process and consultation activities

Figure 6: Brampton in the context of regional natural systems (Source: City of Brampton, 2015)

Figure 7: Parkway Belt West Plan Area near Brampton (Source: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 2008)

Figure 8: Core Areas of the Region of Peel Greenlands System (Source: City of Brampton, 2015)

Figure 9: Brampton’s natural heritage features and areas (Source: City of Brampton Official Plan, 2006)

Figure 10: Schedule 1 City Concept of the Official Plan (Source: City of Brampton Official Plan, 2006)

Figure 11: Land cover in Brampton (Source: CVC and TRCA, 2014)

Figure 12: Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System for Brampton (Source: CVC and TRCA, 2014)

Figure 13: Natural Core Areas in the City of Brampton (Source: City of Brampton)

Figure 14: Illustration of the basic cycle of adaptive management

Figure 15: Brampton’s Major Recreational Open Space (Source: City of Brampton Official Plan, 2006)

Figure 16: Brampton’s Pathways System (Source: Brampton’s Pathways Routing Plan, 2010)

Figure 17: Brampton’s Open Spaces (Source: City of Brampton, 2015)

Figure 18: Brampton’s Green Infrastructure Corridors (Source: City of Brampton, 2015)

Figure 19: TransCanada infrastructure corridor trail between McLaughlin and Chingaucousy Roads (Source: City of

Brampton, 2015)

Figure 20: Site plan for greening corporate grounds at Brampton Memorial Gardens (Source: Credit Valley Conservation,

2012)

Figure 21: Percentage of existing and possible tree cover (TC) in Brampton (Source: Brampton Urban Forest Study, 2011)

Figure 22: Components of the NHEMS framework

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Tables

Table 1: Relative ecological services provided by natural and built green spaces (Source: Toronto and Region

Conservation Authority, 2015)

Table 2: Current and proposed land uses in Brampton (Compilation of City of Brampton, CVC and TRCA data)

Table 3: Differences between Schedule D of Brampton’s Official Plan (2006) and the proposed Conservation Authority

Natural Heritage System (2013)

Table 4: Percentage of natural and semi-natural vegetation along watercourses (CVC and TRCA, 2014)

Table 5: Key issues and opportunities for the NHS

Table 6: Key issues and opportunities for Open Space

Table 7: Key issues and opportunities for Green Infrastructure

Table 8: Key issues and opportunities for the Urban Forest

Appendices

Appendix A: Official Plan Policy Gap Analysis

Appendix B: Stakeholder Consultation Summaries

Appendix C: Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System Strategies

Appendix D: Mount Pleasant Community - Building a Natural Heritage System

Appendix E: Subwatershed Boundaries

Appendix F: Valley Naturalization Planting Program 2003-2014

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Brampton by the Numbers

1 of the fastest growing

communities

3rd largest community in the GTA

9th largest city in Canada

89 languages

209 ethnic backgrounds

600,000 population (2013)

899,500 population (expected for

2041)

1. Introduction

1.1 The Need for a Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy

Brampton is one of the fastest growing communities in Canada

(averaging growth of more than four percent annually). It is the third-

largest community in the Greater Toronto Area and the ninth-largest

city in the country, with a population of more than 600,000 residents.

Brampton benefits from a rich, diverse, multicultural population

representing 209 distinct ethnic backgrounds and speaking 89

different languages. The Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater

Golden Horseshoe suggests that there will also be significant

population and employment growth in Peel Region through 2041. A

considerable portion of that growth will occur in Brampton.

Preliminary forecasts call for Brampton to undergo strong population

growth through 2031 and to see continued growth, albeit at a slower

pace, from 2031 to 2041 (Figure 1). With such social and cultural

diversity and rapid population growth, the City recognizes the need to engage, educate and communicate with both the

existing community and the expected future population about the importance of the protection and management of the

city’s natural heritage and green spaces.

Figure 1: Current and projected population growth in Brampton (Source: Preliminary forecasts prepared for the City of Brampton by Hemson Consulting Ltd., February 2015)


Rapid urbanization and population growth brings environmental impacts and threats to our remaining natural areas and

ecosystems. Finding a balance between managing growth and resources and protecting the natural heritage system is a

key component of creating complete, healthy and livable communities.

Environmental challenges also threaten the sustainability of the city’s natural heritage and built green spaces, i.e. open

space (parklands), green infrastructure1 and urban forest. Some of these challenges include habitat loss due to changing

climatic conditions, invasive species, air and water pollution, and encroachment activities that put pressure on the city’s

living landscape and its functions. Many of these challenges and stresses not only impact the environment, but have

adverse impacts to public health and quality of life.

As Canada’s Flower City, Brampton is known for its quality natural, open and built spaces, innovative programs, and

spirited and proud community. The Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy will provide an

environmental framework to define how the City, businesses, residents, government agencies, service providers and

public can help protect and conserve a healthy, diverse and robust Natural Heritage System (NHS), open space and

parklands, and green infrastructure lands and urban forest as key attributes of Brampton’s Flower City legacy.

Ecosystem Services

Although under stress, the city’s natural heritage and built green spaces provide many benefits called ecosystem

services2 (Figure 2) that are critical to sustaining natural and human health, such as:

Providing clean air, clean water, and habitats for a range of plant and animal species;

Reducing energy, and providing food, timber and fiber;

Regulating climate, flood and disease, and purifying and maintaining water quality;

Supporting nutrient cycling, soil formation and primary growth of trees and other species;

Providing opportunities to learn about the natural world, including natural sciences and outdoor education;

and

Providing opportunities for arts and spiritual enrichment, recreational and aesthetic experiences.

1 The City has adopted the definition of green infrastructure as provided by the Provincial Policy Statement 2014. However, for the

purposes of the NHEMS, green infrastructure is only referring to lands associated with infrastructure service corridors, road boulevards and stormwater management facilities. 2 The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Ecosystem_Assessment


Figure 2: Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being (Source: Adapted from Corvalan, C., Hales, S., & McMichael, A. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Health Synthesis. Geneva: WHO)

On a local level, with long-term protection, restoration and enhancement, the NHS coupled with the urban forest can

provide a number of significant environmental benefits, including increasing biodiversity, reducing heat, reducing energy

use and improving water quality. Open space and green infrastructure can support these benefits to a lesser degree

(Table 1) with appropriate naturalization and enhancement.

Benefits (Ecosystem Services/Ecological Functions)

Living System Component

Increase Biodiversity

Reduce Heat Island

Reduce Energy Use

Improve Water Quality

Provide Recreation

NHS H H M H H

UF M H H H H

OS L M L L H

GI L L L H L

* NHS – Natural Heritage System, UF – Urban Forest, OS – Open Space, GI – Green Infrastructure

** NB – No Benefit, H – High Benefit, M – Medium Benefit and L – Low Benefit

Table 1: Relative ecological services provided by natural and built green spaces (Source: Adapted from Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 2015)


Understanding the value of our living system and the potential benefits it provides at the local level will help to inform

our decisions as the City establishes municipal conservation and environmental management priorities and actions,

develops its greenfields, intensifies within the built boundary, and retrofits existing neighbourhoods.

1.2 The Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy

The City recognizes that it is responsible as a corporation, community leader, land manager, and land use approval

authority to ensure that Brampton’s environmental goals are integrated across municipal departments and shared with

our conservation partners, residents, businesses and stakeholders. This will ensure that Brampton’s policies, plans and

practices achieve sustainable, healthy natural and built environments.

The principle of sustainable development represents the foundation of Brampton’s Official Plan (2006), and in

combination with the City’s long standing ecosystem approach to land use planning, recognizes the dynamic

interrelationship of all elements of the biophysical community that are necessary to achieve sustainable, healthy natural

and built environments. Building on the ‘Preserving’ pillar of the Strategic Plan, the City’s Official Plan gives clear

direction to protect, restore and enhance Brampton’s NHS and to sustainably manage Brampton’s natural resources,

open space, green infrastructure and the urban forest.

Brampton’s Natural Heritage and Environmental Management Strategy (NHEMS) is a proactive approach to ensure that

the abundance of natural heritage and built green spaces found in the city are conserved, restored, connected and

enhanced to support the health and diversity of the natural and built environments. To do so, this Strategy examines the

city’s natural heritage with a full systems approach that recognizes the challenges and opportunities presented by

protecting and conserving natural features, functions and linkages in an urban setting. Furthermore, the NHEMS

addresses the implementation, management and enhancement of the city’s open space, green infrastructure and urban

forest that both provide, and contribute to, sustaining the NHS and ecosystem services.

Figure 3: Brampton’s living landscape is comprised of functionally interconnected natural (wild)

and built green spaces and built (hard) spaces


1.2.1 Natural Heritage System

The living landscape in Brampton is made up of the natural environment and built environment. These two

environments are distinct yet interconnected, mutually supporting and overlapping, as illustrated in Figure 3.

The City of Brampton’s Natural Heritage System (NHS) is a network of conservation lands and waters that includes the

remaining wild spaces throughout the city. These wild spaces include woodlands, valleys, rivers and streams, meadows

and wetlands, where natural processes occur relatively uninterrupted by adjacent land uses and are linked by natural

and restored corridors. Brampton highly values the abundance of natural heritage lands nestled within and around the

urban environment, and recognizes the need to collectively protect and conserve this system for the benefit of present

and future generations.

Brampton’s NHS is part of the larger regional-watershed landscape. Water, air, aquatic systems and terrestrial systems

are connected and shared with surrounding regional and area municipalities, and fall under the jurisdiction of various

authorities including the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), and

provincial and regional agencies. The system is part of provincially significant systems including Lake Ontario, the

Greenbelt, the Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine. As such, the NHEMS emphasizes shared responsibilities,

collaboration, partnerships and stewardship where stakeholders can work together to protect natural systems.

1.2.2 Built Environment

Brampton’s built environment is comprised of urban land uses that are well-used, managed and generally impervious

spaces that surround the NHS, including elements such as homes and condos, schools and recreation centres, malls and

industrial parks, and roads and parking lots. Within the built environment, green spaces have been created, including

open space, parks, green infrastructure, service corridors, and the urban forest on public and private lands.

The city’s built environment generally provides limited habitat for plants and animals, aside from habitat for those

species that easily adapt to human land uses and activities, such as squirrels, raccoons and skunks. However, there are

also rare and sensitive species, such as Chimney Swift and Barn Swallow that nest in buildings, and Bobolink and

Meadowlark which can be found in active hayfields, abandoned farm fields and cultural meadows. In recent years,

reports of coyotes within the city are becoming more frequent.

The way Brampton’s built environment and green spaces are designed, constructed and maintained are significant

factors that not only determine and/or contribute to the health and resiliency of the city’s NHS, but also ensure public

well-being and safety.

Open Space

Brampton’s open space and parks provide residents and visitors with a range of recreation and outdoor activities in

public and private spaces that vary in their degree of naturalness, from manicured tableland sports fields and City parks

(e.g. Chingaucousy Park), to naturalized recreation open spaces (e.g. Eldorado Park and golf courses that are adjacent to

and within valleylands). All of these areas contribute to the health of the NHS by cycling water, providing habitat for

native plants and animals, supporting ecological linkages between natural areas, buffering the NHS from adjacent land

uses, and contributing to the urban forest canopy. Conservation areas owned and managed by the Conservation


Authorities are both part of the NHS but also programmed for passive recreation, eco-tourism and environmental

education.

Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure provides necessary services to Brampton’s built environment, including transportation and

electricity corridors and flood control. In the context of the NHEMS, green infrastructure means those lands associated

with stormwater management facilities, hydro transmission lines, gas pipelines and major transportation corridors.

These major infrastructure corridors that traverse the city provide habitat for native plants and animals, and have the

potential to serve as important ecological linkages between the natural valley systems in the city, buffer the NHS from

adjacent land uses, and contribute to the urban forest canopy. In addition to linking natural systems, the corridors

connect neighbourhoods and communities through pedestrian and trail networks on a local and regional scale.

Urban Forest

Brampton’s urban forest includes natural

woodlands and provides numerous services to the

city’s natural and built environments, such as:

habitat for wildlife, linkages between natural

areas, improved air quality, reduced energy use in

homes and businesses, and special places for

people to enjoy. Prior to European settlement,

Brampton was largely forested. Agriculture and

urbanization have reduced the pre-settlement

forest to individual woodlands in valleys, farm

woodlots, and individual groupings of trees, shrubs

and plants across Brampton’s natural and built

environments. This Strategy focuses on the urban

forest within the built environment on public and

private lands, including parks, infrastructure

corridors and stormwater management ponds, street boulevards, parking lots, front and backyards, and manicured

areas of businesses and institutions.

1.2.3 System Sustainability

The sustainability of Brampton can be measured, in part, by the ability of its living landscape to sustain biodiversity and

ecosystem services, as well as the environmental health of the city and its residents. The history of settlement in

Brampton has involved the extensive clearing of forests and wetlands for agricultural land uses followed by rapid

urbanization which has left the city’s remaining natural areas in need of environmental care and management. Natural

heritage management includes the need to identify and protect the remaining natural areas, restore and enhance

ecological features and functions, connect fragmented habitat patches to create healthier and larger core areas, and

mitigate impacts of climate change, public encroachment, pets and invasive species.

The City of Brampton also recognizes that the way the built green spaces and hard spaces are designed, constructed and

maintained on public and private lands can have a profound impact on the functionality and biodiversity of Brampton’s


natural environment and the community’s public health and well-being. With this Strategy, the City is demonstrating its

commitment to protecting, restoring, and enhancing its natural environment, as well as developing and managing its

built environment to provide a range of ecosystem services that will result in a more complete, healthy and liveable

community.

With a diverse, resilient natural heritage system, the potential for human and wildlife interactions may occur. The

majority of interactions are mutually beneficial, as residents learn to appreciate wildlife and respect its right to share

Brampton’s living landscapes. There may be some interactions that are a nuisance, for example, urban wildlife foraging

in garbage cans, lawns or gardens. On rare occasions, some contact with wildlife may seem threatening, such as

confrontations with coyotes. While this contact does point to a healthy natural heritage system, through robust

education and outreach programs and management activities, most of these interactions can be avoided.

Community engagement and education are critical components to successful implementation of the NHEMS and the

conservation of the city’s natural heritage and built green spaces.

1.3 The NHEMS in Relation to Other City-Wide Plans

The NHEMS provides a framework to guide and integrate the diverse policies, programs and activities of City

departments, conservation partners and stakeholders. This approach aims to ensure that our collective efforts are

directed to secure the long-term sustainability, biodiversity and health of the city and its watersheds for present and

future generations.

There are four key municipal plans and strategies that function together as an integrated community sustainability plan

for Brampton: the Strategic Plan, Official Plan, Environmental Master Plan and Growth Management Program. The

NHEMS is designed to support these plans, as illustrated in Figure 4.


Figure 4: Relationship of NHEMS to city-wide strategic plans

City of Brampton 2016-2018 Strategic Plan

The 2016-2018 Strategic Plan was approved by Council in December 2015 with a vision of Brampton as a connected city

that is innovative, inclusive and bold. Four priorities – Good Government, Move & Connect, Smart Growth, and Strong

Communities – address the outcomes Council and City staff are focused on achieving. The NHEMS is an initiative within

the Smart Growth priority.

City of Brampton Official Plan (2006)

The City’s Official Plan (2006) outlines Brampton’s sustainable city concept and ecosystem approach to land use planning

which includes: balancing the social and economic needs of the community with environmental and cultural


conservation; making wise use of non-renewable resources; and protecting, enhancing and restoring the natural

heritage system and environmental resources for future generations.

Official Plan policies define the City’s responsibilities to identify, conserve, maintain,

restore, enhance and manage its natural heritage and open space systems, green

infrastructure and urban forest to ensure a sustainable, healthy community and

ecosystem. The NHEMS supports the Official Plan by: defining a natural heritage system;

identifying actions to address policy, program and best management practice gaps; and by

recommending targets to monitor and track Brampton’s environmental performance to

sustain its natural heritage and built green spaces.

Brampton Grow Green (2014)

The NHEMS is directed by the vision of Brampton Grow

Green (2014), the City’s first Environmental Master Plan.

Brampton Grow Green provides a sustainable environmental framework and monitoring

tool to: guide and support healthy, diverse natural and built environments; ensure

matters of environmental sustainability are considered in City decisions that affect both

the corporation and community-at-large; and develop broad, ongoing education and

engagement with staff, stakeholders and conservation partners, and the broader

community.

The Plan has six core components (goals): People, Air, Water, Land, Energy and Waste. It

identifies priority indicators (short and long-term metrics), targets, and establishes

monitoring and communications tools to report the City’s environmental progress with

the public. The People, Water and Land goals of Brampton Grow Green are directly related to the NHEMS (Figure 4). The

NHEMS integrates and builds on Brampton Grow Green metrics, targets and recommended actions, and coordinates

environmental monitoring and reporting. Section 2 defines how the NHEMS is complementary to existing plans and

strategies being implemented in Brampton.

1.4 The Process to Develop the NHEMS

Developing the NHEMS has been undertaken in two distinct phases.

Phase 1 involved the development of a science-based Natural Heritage System for the

City of Brampton that was led by CVC and TRCA in consultation with City staff, Region of

Peel and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). The Conservation

Authority Natural Heritage System Mapping for the City of Brampton – Final Technical

Report – 2014 (CA NHS) was prepared under separate cover and is briefly described in

Sections 2.2.4 and 3.1.3 of this Background Report. TRCA and CVC refined their

watershed-based natural heritage systems using current science in landscape ecology and

current conservation values. The CA NHS will be used to inform the City’s 2006 Official

Plan Review.


Phase 2 of the NHEMS was led by City of Brampton in collaboration with North-South Environmental and Lura

Consulting, and includes this Background Report and the Implementation Action Plan. The preparation of these

documents has involved research and collaboration with conservation partners and key stakeholders. The mission, goals,

objectives and actions were informed through consultation activities held directly as part of this process, as well as those

for the development of Brampton Grow Green and the City’s Strategic Plan.

The process included a review of:

Current plans, policies, initiatives and practices of the City of Brampton and those of partner agencies (i.e.

neighbouring municipalities, the Region of Peel and Conservation Authorities);

The state of Brampton’s NHS, open space, green infrastructure and urban forest today;

Best practices in natural heritage, environmental management, infrastructure, open space, urban forest and

stewardship; and

Recommended actions to strengthen Brampton’s NHS and green spaces within the built environment.

Official Plan Policy Gap Analysis

Working with City staff, the consulting team identified policy gaps within the existing Brampton Official Plan (2006)

required to implement the NHEMS and address broader environmental issues. These gaps are summarized under eleven

theme areas: Sustainability, Green Infrastructure, Natural Heritage Systems, Regional Natural Heritage System

Connections, Other Land Use Designations, Parks and Open Space, Management and Restoration, Natural Hazards,

Community Stewardship, Urban Forests and Light Pollution. Appendix A summarizes the gaps within the eleven theme

areas, and the NHEMS Implementation Action Plan includes specific actions for reviewing and strengthening Official Plan

policies to improve the protection, restoration and enhancement of the NHS, urban forest, open space and green

infrastructure.


1.5 Consultation

Consultation with City staff and a wide range of stakeholders was important to developing the NHEMS (Figure 5).

Figure 5: NHEMS planning process and consultation activities

Phase 1

The Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System for Brampton (CA NHS) was developed by a Conservation Authority

Technical Working Group and an inter-agency Steering Committee with expertise in planning, natural heritage,

geographic information systems (GIS), forestry, parks and engineering. Additional staff consultations were held with City

of Brampton planning, operational and communications staff throughout the process.

The draft report and mapping were reviewed by the Technical Working Group and Steering Committee with additional

comments from Conservation Authorities staff that specialize in water management, restoration, and stewardship.

The resulting product is a Conservation Authority NHS for Brampton that provides consistent mapping across the city,

and identifies preliminary recommendations for implementation.


Phase 2

A project Engagement Plan was developed for Phase 2 that divided the consultations into two stages, as defined below:

Stage 1 consultation focused on gathering input for the development of the NHEMS mission, guiding principles,

goals, and objectives, as well as providing opportunities to discuss issues and ideas on preliminary directions

through stakeholder meetings. Representatives from the following key stakeholders groups3 were invited to

facilitated meetings in the Fall 2013:

o Aboriginal organizations;

o Government and agencies (including adjacent municipalities and local Conservation Authorities);

o Local educational institutions;

o Environmental groups, youth groups, community groups and residents associations;

o Environmental consultants;

o Local recreation facilities (including golf courses);

o Business and development organizations;

o Local utility and transit companies; and

o Local arboriculture firms.

Stage 2 consultation focused on gathering input on the Draft NHEMS obtained through a stakeholder workshop

held in Fall 2014 with approximately 40 participants, including representatives from City staff and other

stakeholders. The purpose of the session was to collect feedback on all aspects of the Draft Strategy, including

the mission, guiding principles, goals, objectives, targets and actions. Participant feedback was incorporated into

the final NHEMS.

For both rounds of consultation, participants were invited to provide comments verbally at the meetings (all comments

were recorded), on feedback forms provided and made available on-line, or via email directly to the Project Manager. A

summary of this feedback is provided in Appendix B.

1.6 Effecting Change

The success of the NHEMS is a long-term commitment by the City, its conservation partners and the Brampton

community, and relies on three key activities: education and awareness; collaboration and partnerships; and

performance monitoring and reporting. These activities align with the Brampton Grow Green corporate actions and will

ensure successful coordination and implementation of the Environmental Master Plan and the NHEMS.

3 Workshop stakeholders are alphabetically listed in the Acknowledgements at the front of the Strategy.


Photo Credit: TRCA

Education and Awareness

Internal and external education must focus on engaging

stakeholders and building support to undertake environmental

actions. City Council and staff, conservation partners and the

public must understand what it is they are expected to do, what

supports are in place to assist them, and what benefits can be

achieved from their actions.

Implementation of the NHEMS (and Environmental Master Plan)

requires dedicated staff resources to support and coordinate

operational activities for the natural heritage and built green

spaces, as well as monitor, report progress and update the

Strategy as appropriate.

Collaboration and Partnerships

As recognized by Brampton Grow Green: “The environment is a

precious resource and at the heart of the quality of life that residents of Brampton enjoy.”

To sustain the environmental health and diversity of Brampton’s green spaces, there is a need to align and strengthen

current operations and environmental programs of the City and its conservation partners. Brampton needs to work

collaboratively within and across its own departments and rely on the support and partnerships with other levels of

government, conservation agencies, community based organizations, infrastructure services providers, local industry,

businesses, schools and the public.

City Council is a key partner in protecting and managing Brampton’s natural heritage and open space systems, green

infrastructure and urban forest. Capital budget approval, community education and engagement with ward residents,

and staff support are just a few of the ways that Council can recognize the value of the ecosystem services that are

contributing to a liveable and healthy community.

Brampton’s parks and roads operations have primary responsibility for the management and maintenance of

Brampton’s open space and parkland, road boulevards and stormwater management facilities, and urban tree canopy.

Municipal environmental committees of Council support the City’s environmental stewardship efforts, including the

Brampton Environment Advisory Committee (BEAC). Brampton Grow Green and the NHEMS envision the role of BEAC as

a community resource for education and outreach. CVC and the TRCA are key partners in protecting, restoring and

enhancing the city’s NHS, and can be considered Brampton’s ‘environmental action arm’4 for restoration, stewardship

and educational services on a watershed basis. CVC and TRCA also provide the leadership and technical support for

natural heritage system inventorying, monitoring and adaptive management.

4 Personal communication with Robert Morris, Manager, Natural Heritage, Credit Valley Conservation.


Working with land managers such as Ontario Hydro, TransCanada Pipeline, and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation

(MTO) to undertake stewardship programs ensures the green infrastructure corridors are enhanced to improve natural

features, functions and linkages, and the urban forest.

Opportunities for collaboration and partnership with conservation organizations (i.e. Ontario Streams, Sierra Club Peel,

Evergreen and LEAF, etc.) are critical in helping the City to engage with residents, local industry, businesses, schools,

institutions and places of worship, in conservation education and programming, and in community stewardship.

Performance Monitoring

Implementation of the NHEMS requires baseline data collection, ongoing monitoring, and a refinement of the

performance framework and strategies over time to ensure effectiveness. Performance benchmarking involves choosing

metrics and targets that reflect municipal priorities, are measurable, and can establish the City’s environmental

progress.

Reporting on the City’s environmental progress is a critical component of education and awareness for all audiences.

The NHEMS should align with the environmental performance monitoring and reporting of Brampton Grow Green,

including annual and long-term sustainability reports.

CVC and TRCA are vital partners in reporting on Brampton’s ecosystem health and diversity through their unique

watershed services and programs, such as science-based research, inventories, natural heritage conservation

monitoring, water management, adaptive management, cumulative impacts and ecosystem services.


2. Natural Heritage System Planning

2.1 Context

Natural heritage systems can be developed at various scales, including provincial (regional) plans, and watershed and

subwatershed (local) studies. Provincial plans and watershed studies facilitate natural heritage systems that coordinate

ecosystem-based and watershed-based issues across municipalities, and recognize important linkages (e.g. physical

features such as valleylands, and ecological functions such as hydrological connectivity) that go beyond planning

authority boundaries.

Local natural heritage system planning is best undertaken as a cooperative, community-based activity that involves

senior government (i.e. Province, regional municipality), the City and Conservation Authorities, and includes residents,

landowners and community groups (e.g. naturalist clubs). Local natural heritage system plans need to recognize

ecological ties to other physical features and areas in the regional landscape, including urban green spaces, in order to

support the overall diversity, health and interconnectivity of natural areas, features and functions, and contribute to

human health and well-being.

Each system is designed to capture important natural areas and linkages, as well as areas for protection and

enhancement, to ensure the long-term provisioning of ecosystem services at each scale.

Section 2.2 describes provincial and watershed-based natural systems and plans that guide Brampton’s natural heritage

system planning and policies.

The identification, conservation and maintenance of natural heritage systems is an ongoing process undertaken by the

responsible planning authority. Natural ecosystems are dynamic (especially in a growing urban center and a changing

climate), and as a result, natural heritage systems plans should be updated and refined as new information becomes

available.

This study is Brampton’s first effort to develop a city-wide plan for its NHS and a sustainable environmental framework

for the management of its open space, green infrastructure and urban forest.

2.2 Natural Heritage System Policy, Plan and Program Guidance

2.2.1 Federal Government

There are several pieces of Federal legislation and guidance that relate to municipal natural heritage system protection

and the urban forest:

Species At Risk Act (2002) protects federally listed vegetation and wildlife species on federal lands. The purpose

of the Act is to prevent wildlife species from being extirpated or becoming extinct; to provide for the recovery of

wildlife species that are extirpated, endangered or threatened as a result of human activity; and to manage

species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.

Fisheries Act (2015) governs marine and inland fish habitat, and the Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994)

prohibits damage or disturbance of many bird species and their nests during breeding season.


“How Much Habitat is Enough” (April 2013, 3rd Edition) is science-based and

provides landscape-level guidance to help sustain minimum viable wildlife

populations, and to help maintain selected ecosystem functions and attributes.

“Area Sensitive Forest Birds in Urban Areas”, a report of the Canadian Wildlife

Service (2006), provides more urban specific guidance.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Canadian Forest Service are

responsible for monitoring and controlling the spread of high risk invasive urban

forest pests (most notably Asian Long-horned Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer).

Lastly, a national network of urban forest professionals that comprise the

Canadian Urban Forest Network has developed a Canadian Urban Forest

Strategy; however, this group has no formal status or tie to the Federal

government.

2.2.2 Province of Ontario

Provincial ministries and agencies develop and apply legislation and regulations, policies, plans, guidelines and programs

that deliver services to residents and direct the Region of Peel and City of Brampton as corporations, land use planning

authorities and service providers.

Provincial Policy Statement (2014)

The Provincial Policy Statement (2014) (PPS) establishes the overarching policy framework

for natural heritage system planning (Section 2.1.3), conservation of long-term ecological

function and biodiversity (Section 2.1.2) and protection of features related to

development under the Planning Act (Sections 2.1.4 and 2.1.5).

Technical manuals and guidelines, such as the Natural Heritage Reference Manual (2010),

provide guidance to municipalities and agencies on implementing the PPS, including

defining significant natural areas and features and linking these areas through corridors,

as well as restoration and enhancement areas.

The MNRF has also developed other guidelines and reference material such as:

Significant Wildlife Habitat Technical Guide;

Ecosystems of Ontario, Part 1: Ecozones and Ecoregions and the Ecological Land Classification system; and

Fish Management Plans prepared in collaboration with Conservation Authorities.

Other provincial legislation, strategies and plans that influence NHS planning, land management and urban development

include:

The Ontario Endangered Species Act (2007), which regulates the protection of all species and their habitat in the

Province that are listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened, on both public and private lands. Screening is

required for regulated species for virtually any public and/or private development proposal, and for

development within regulated habitat, compensation and an overall net benefit may be required for critical


habitat of certain species. Species specific Recovery Strategies can guide compensation plans, as well as efforts

to restore and enhance species habitat.

The Ontario Invasive Species Strategy (2012) is intended to “prevent new invaders from arriving and surviving in

Ontario, to slow and where possible reverse the

spread of existing invasive species, and to reduce

the harmful impacts of existing invasive species.”

The Ontario Biodiversity Strategy (2011) highlights

four goals critical to Ontario’s Biodiversity: Engage

People, Reduce Threats, Enhance Resiliency, and

Improve Knowledge. Each goal is supported by

long-term objectives, outcomes, key actions and

targets. Target 12 specifically states that “By 2015,

natural heritage system plans and biodiversity

conservation strategies are developed and

implemented at the municipal and landscape

levels”.

The Provincial Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills is considering Bill 6, the Great Lakes

Protection Act (2014) which is intended to protect and restore the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River. This Act will

support Ontario’s Great Lake Strategy (2012) and the Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan. While these

plans are focused on Lake Ontario, they recognize the supporting role of watersheds, such as the Credit River

watershed.

Provincial Landscapes

Through legislation, the Province has developed three regional plans that have implications to the Region of Peel, the

TRCA and CVC watersheds, and the City of Brampton, including:

Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (2002);

Niagara Escarpment Plan (2005); and

Greenbelt Plan (2005), which includes land within, and builds upon, the Niagara Escarpment Plan and the Oak

Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.

The regional natural systems within these plans are inter-connected, as well as connected through Brampton to Lake

Ontario via the city’s river valleys, including the Credit River, Etobicoke Creek and the West Humber River, as shown in

Figure 6.

Provincial plans and policies for each of these regional plans require municipal policy conformance in protecting the

significant natural areas and functions of the natural systems and their buffers. Specifically, the Brampton Official Plan

has addressed the Greenbelt Plan (2005).


Greenbelt Plan (2005)

The Greenbelt Plan and Greenbelt boundary were established under the Greenbelt Act

in 2005. The Greenbelt is a broad band of 700,000 hectares (ha), or 1.8 million acres,

stretching around Lake Ontario from the Region of Durham, west to the Niagara River,

and north to the Bruce Peninsula. The Greenbelt’s natural heritage system is connected

to other regional systems beyond the Greenbelt boundary, including the Niagara

Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine, and the surrounding major lake system, to

protect wildlife habitat, provide for the movement of plants and animals, and maintain

and/or enhance water resources (both quantity and quality of water).

Approximately 202 ha (500 acres) of land adjacent to the Credit River Valley in

northwest Brampton are designated as Protected Countryside and identified as Natural

System. The Natural System includes areas with the highest concentration of the most sensitive and/or significant

natural features and functions.


Figure 6: Brampton in the context of regional natural systems (Source: City of Brampton, 2015)


Growing the Greenbelt

There are eleven (11) external river valley connections identified by the Greenbelt Plan to Lake Ontario, including the

Credit River, Etobicoke Creek and three (3) tributaries of the West Humber River that traverse the City of Brampton. The

Greenbelt Plan policies encourage recognition and enhancement of these external connections. In 2008, the Province

released ‘Growing the Greenbelt Consultation Paper’ which presented draft criteria for growing the Greenbelt and which

stimulated environmental non-government organizations (NGOs) to request municipalities in the Greater Toronto and

Hamilton Area to consider an expansion of the Greenbelt on public lands along external river valley connections.

While municipalities such as the Cities of Toronto (Don and Humber Rivers) and Mississauga (Credit River) were studying

these requests, the Province passed Amendment 1 to the Greenbelt Plan in January 2013. Section 1.1 was amended to

indicate that “The Greenbelt Plan is structured to provide for the inclusion of publicly owned lands in urban river valleys

that were not in the Greenbelt at the time the Plan was approved in 2005. These lands, while not part of the Protected

Countryside, are part of the Greenbelt and these areas assist in recognizing the importance of connections to Lake

Ontario and other areas in Southern Ontario”.

Section 6.0 of the Plan outlines an Urban River Valley (URV) policy that identifies that

“Key river valleys in urban areas adjacent to the Greenbelt provide opportunities for

additional connections to help expand and integrate the Greenbelt and its systems into

the broader Southern Ontario landscape. The Urban River Valley designation provides

direction to those areas where the Greenbelt occupies river valleys in an urban context.

These urban river valleys may be the setting for a network of uses and facilities including

recreational, cultural and tourist amenities and infrastructure, which are needed to

support urban areas”. As provided in Amendment 1, public lands in URVs will be

governed by the City’s Official Plan policies, although our actions will have to be in

conformity with the Greenbelt Plan for parkland, open space and trails.

The Official Plan (2006) Schedule D and natural heritage policies identify and protect all of the city’s valley and

watercourse corridors, including lands in both public and private ownership. The true value of the URV designation will

be a means to engage Brampton Council and the community in recognizing the relationship of Brampton’s NHS and

urban environment to this unique regional natural system. The City of Brampton will examine the opportunities,

challenges and feasibility of growing the Greenbelt along the city’s river valleys through a separate study as part of the

2006 Official Plan Review.

Parkway Belt West Plan

The Province established the Parkway Belt West Plan Area (PBWPA) in 1978 “For the purposes of creating a multi-

purpose utility corridor, urban separator and linked open space system”.

While the Plan identifies a land reserve for provincial infrastructure (i.e. highways, hydro corridors and pipelines), it also

expresses a goal to “provide a system of open space and recreational facilities linked with each other, nearby

communities and other recreational areas”.

It should be noted that within and adjacent to the PBWPA, is the Highway 407 Express Toll Route (407 ETR).


Although a provincial infrastructure corridor, the PBWPA (and 407 ETR) is bisected by the numerous valleys and

watercourse corridors that traverse Brampton. The PBWPA is comprised of a variety of existing land uses such as urban

areas, open space (e.g. active parkland), agriculture, successional areas and natural cover that contribute to local natural

heritage systems, as well as create linkages across the landscape. This Strategy acknowledges the unique environmental

opportunities the PBWPA/407 ETR green infrastructure corridors provide to Brampton’s NHS, open space and urban

forest.

Figure 7: Parkway Belt West Plan Area near Brampton (Source: Ministry of Municipal Affairs and

Housing, 2008)

2.2.3 Region of Peel

The Region of Peel applies policies, plans and programming that deliver services directly

to residents, and which guide the development of Brampton, including the conservation

of the NHS, and support its (remaining) agricultural lands.

In this regard, the Region of Peel Official Plan (ROP) provides policy for the protection,

restoration and enhancement of a Greenlands System in Peel, which consists of Core

Areas, Natural Areas and Corridors (NACs) and Potential Natural Areas and Corridors

(PNACs). Core Greenlands are significant natural areas, including provincially and/or

regionally designated lands, such as: Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW),

Environmentally Significant Areas (ESA), habitats of threatened or endangered species,

Provincial Life Science Areas of Natural Interest (ANSI), and valley corridors and core

woodlands. These areas are all protected in the Region’s and Brampton’s Official Plans, as illustrated in Figure 8.


Figure 8: Core Areas of the Region of Peel Greenlands System

(Source: City of Brampton, 2015)

NACs contain important ecological features, forms and/or functions that play a crucial role in supporting the integrity of

Core Areas and are to be protected in Brampton’s Official Plan. PNACs may also contain important ecological features,

forms and/or functions that support the integrity of the Greenlands System in Peel, and may require further study and

evaluation for protection, as identified by Brampton’s Official Plan policies.

The Region seeks to secure significant natural areas and features using a range of tools, including planning policy,

stewardship and monitoring (first steps in the securement process) and as appropriate, through acquisition. In 2007, the

Region established the Greenland Securement Program for the protection of key natural heritage landscapes in


Greenland Securement

The Region of Peel, Conservation Authorities and City of Brampton have active ‘securement’ programs to bring natural areas on private lands into public ownership.

The Region of Peel Greenland Securement Program provides funds to match municipal and/or conservation authority monies (up to 50 percent) towards total property acquisition costs. The Region’s program is funded annually, and properties that are potential candidates for securement are reviewed and approved by the Greenland Securement Subcommittee comprised of Regional Councillors.

As part of the Greenland Securement Program, the Region funds the Landowner Securement Contact and Education Project that is being implemented in Brampton through Orland Conservation. This project seeks to educate private landowners about the securement program, and explore options to place private lands deemed environmentally valuable under public management. Participation in the program by landowners is strictly voluntary.

collaboration with area municipalities, Conservation Authorities and local organizations in Peel. The Program supports

the acquisition of land through mechanisms such as bequests, easements, donations or purchase.

The Region is currently undertaking a review of the Greenlands

System policies with the purpose of updating direction for

natural heritage systems planning and identifying a regional

natural heritage system to complement existing policies.

The Region is also leading strategic partnership projects with

the area municipalities and Conservation Authorities, including

the Peel Climate Change Strategy, and Peel Urban Forest

Strategy and associated Priority Tree Planting Project. The

NHEMS integrates direction from these projects and supports

implementation, particularly as it relates to targets and actions.

2.2.4 Conservation Authorities

CVC and TRCA apply regulations, policies, plans and

programming that deliver services directly to residents, protect

natural hazards and natural heritage systems, and engage and

educate the community and schools. In this regard, the

Conservation Authorities:

Regulate development and activities within floodplains,

riparian and valley slope and erosion hazards, wetlands,

and the Lake Ontario shoreline;

Guide development to eliminate, minimize and mitigate

impacts to natural features, functions and linkages,

including terrestrial and aquatic systems, and the water

cycle;

Develop and support science-based research, inventories

and monitoring programs for natural heritage conservation, water management, adaptive management,

cumulative impacts and ecosystems services;

Manage conservation lands, including natural features and functions, and hazards lands for their protection,

restoration and enhancement, and for passive public recreation and education opportunities.

Secure natural areas and features in public ownership in collaboration with the Region of Peel and area

municipalities;

Collaborate with regional and area municipalities, school boards, NGOs and other levels of government to

deliver environmental education and stewardship programs to residents, local businesses, community

organizations and schools; and

Own and manage conservation lands, including natural features, functions and linkages and natural hazard lands

for their protection, restoration and enhancement, and for passive public recreation and education

opportunities.


CVC and TRCA have developed watershed natural heritage systems through science-based models that aim to identify the

land base necessary to protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystem function over the long-term in the rapidly

developing Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTAH). Current conservation authority data and analyses indicate that

protecting current levels of natural heritage cover will not be sufficient to sustain long-term ecosystem health (CVC and

TRCA, 2014). In response, both CAs have developed “targeted systems” (Appendix C) comprised of existing natural cover

and areas with the potential to be restored and/or managed to increase ecosystem function. Further, long-term

management of the entire landscape (within and beyond the NHS) is recognized by CVC and TRCA as being important to

sustaining ecosystem health and promoting complete communities.

A brief description of the CA’s respective watershed natural heritage systems and associated mapping is provided in

Appendix C. More detailed information regarding the Conservation Authorities watershed natural heritage systems is

available on their respective websites; TRCA Terrestrial Natural Heritage (http://www.trca.on.ca/the-living-

city/land/terrestrial-natural-heritage/), and CVC Natural Heritage System for the Credit River Watershed

(http://www.creditvalleyca.ca/watershed-science/our-watershed/natural-heritage-system-credit-river-watershed/).

As identified in Section 1.4, CVC and TRCA collaborated to prepare the City of Brampton CA NHS Technical Report that is

based on comprehensive conservation authority data and common principles across the city. CVC and TRCA further

refined the system to capture local linkages within Brampton, as well as linkages that extended outside the City’s

jurisdiction, allowing for watershed and regional linkages to be maintained. The CA NHS helps to integrate with other

ongoing strategies and plans, such as Conservation Authority greenlands securement projects and programs, and

subwatershed studies and restoration plans. An overview of the CA NHS is provided in Section 3.1.3.

The CAs are also leading strategic partnership projects with the Region of Peel, City of Brampton and each other (as

appropriate), including:

TRCA: Peel Channels Remediation Study, Terrestrial Ecosystem Services Compensation Protocol (underway),

Partners in Project Green (Pearson Eco-business Park), and the County Court Sustainable Neighbourhood

Retrofit Action Plan.

CVC: Credit River Watershed – Peel Natural Areas Inventory, City of Brampton Natural Areas Inventory,

Stormwater Management – Low Impact Development, and the Fletcher’s Creek Sustainable Neighbourhood

Retrofit Action Plan.

The NHEMS integrates direction from these projects and supports implementation, particularly as it relates to targets

and actions.

http://www.trca.on.ca/the-living-city/land/terrestrial-natural-heritage/

http://www.trca.on.ca/the-living-city/land/terrestrial-natural-heritage/

http://www.creditvalleyca.ca/watershed-science/our-watershed/natural-heritage-system-credit-river-watershed/


3. State of the Environment in Brampton

This section provides an overview of current conditions and management needs and opportunities for Brampton’s NHS

and built landscapes, which include open space, green infrastructure and urban forest (Table 2).

Table 2: Current and proposed land uses in Brampton (Source: Compilation of City of

Brampton, CVC and TRCA data)

State of the Environment in Brampton

Current Land Cover

Natural Cover Agriculture Manicured Open

Space Urban

17% 21% 7% 55%

Current Natural Heritage Land Ownership

Public Private

57% (2,650 ha) 43% (1,990 ha)

Current Public Natural Heritage Land Ownership

City Conservation Authority

64% (1,690 ha) 43% (960 ha)

Natural Heritage System

Existing NHS Conservation Authority NHS (proposed)

17% 21%


3.1 Brampton’s Natural Heritage System

The City of Brampton comprises an area of approximately 269 square kilometres and is characterized by the numerous

river and valley corridors of the Credit River, Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek, and the Humber/West Humber River

watersheds that connect the city to some of Ontario’s most significant landscapes and regional ecosystems, including

the Niagara Escarpment, Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario, as illustrated in Figure 6.

Brampton’s NHS is a network of conservation lands and waters, linked by natural and restored corridors that together

will provide a natural landscape for future generations. The quality of a community’s natural landscape can be measured

by its biological diversity and landscape health, as well as the health of the city’s built environment.

3.1.1 Natural Heritage Systems in the Urban Context

Current guidelines for establishing natural heritage systems recommend identifying large core areas and functional

linkages based on ecological principles. However, protecting biodiversity and a full range of ecological functions and

natural features in urban environments presents both challenges and opportunities.

Urban natural systems generally consist of the remaining

fragmented natural features on the landscape today, including

valley and watercourse corridors, woodlands, wetlands and

vegetation communities. Many existing natural features,

especially those on tablelands, tend to be small and lack

functional ecological linkages to other features. Urban natural

areas are also subject to a host of stresses associated with

urban land uses, such as encroachment and unauthorized uses,

invasive species, and changing climate and weather events.

Day-to-day human activities have a dominant influence on

urban natural heritage systems that require ongoing

management. This often calls for creative stewardship and restoration approaches to sustain and enhance existing

natural heritage areas, functions and linkages.

One such approach is recognizing that Brampton’s built green spaces (i.e. open spaces, green infrastructure and urban

forest, and hard spaces) can provide supporting functions to the natural heritage system. For example, there are many

urban-adapted wildlife species (e.g. coyote, skunks, raccoons, and deer) that use parks, sports fields, cemeteries, golf

courses and infrastructure corridors to move and disperse among natural features. These green spaces may already

provide other supporting functions, such as surface water infiltration and groundwater recharge, urban heat island

reduction (particularly if they are treed), and support insect populations that provide pollinator functions and a food

source for some birds.


Other built-up areas of the city also provide opportunities to maximize ecosystem services. These approaches may

include, for example:

Enhancing the permeability of existing hard surfaces through innovative re-development and Low Impact

Development (LID) measures;

Developing partnerships with owners of major private open spaces and green infrastructure to undertake

stewardship initiatives;

Implementing low-maintenance landscaping in public spaces using primarily native species; and

Expanding municipal and conservation agency programs that support naturalization of private lands (i.e.

residences, business parks, commercial plazas, and health centre lands).

3.1.2 Brampton’s Current Natural Heritage System

Brampton’s Official Plan (2006) depicts natural areas and

features, as shown on Schedule D (Figure 9). This system

is approximately 4,600 ha in size, making up

approximately 17 percent of the municipal land base,

and is comprised of:

Valleylands and watercourse corridors;

Woodlands;

Wetlands (Provincially Significant and other

wetlands);

Environmentally Sensitive/Significant Areas;

Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI);

and

Greenbelt Plan Natural System.

Other natural features and ecological functions

protected by Official Plan policies that are not able to be

depicted on Schedule D include fish habitat, significant

wildlife habitat, and habitat of endangered and

threatened species.


Figure 9: Brampton’s natural heritage features and areas (Source: City of Brampton Official Plan, 2006)


Brampton’s NHS is primarily contained within valley corridors and along the associated watercourses of the city’s four

major watersheds – Credit River, Etobicoke Creek, Mimico Creek and Humber/West Humber Rivers. Individual wetlands

and woodlands are scattered across the city’s tablelands. Although fragmented, the city’s natural areas and features

support a number of species at risk and significant habitat, such as:

Habitat for Atlantic Salmon (a Heritage Species) within the Credit River, which is one of the few remaining

coldwater tributaries on the Peel Plain;

Habitat for Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus), a provincially endangered fish species, present in eleven (11)

tributaries;

Aquatic habitat for American Eel; and

Bobolink, Meadowlark and Barn Swallow, which are found in both agricultural lands and grasslands (which in

some cases are currently proposed for development).

As of 2014, approximately 2,650 ha (57%) of Brampton’s natural areas and features are in public ownership (1,690 ha

City of Brampton, and 960 ha Conservation Authorities) and the remaining 1,990 ha (43%) are in private ownership.

Most of these remaining natural areas within private ownership will come into City ownership through the development

planning approvals process.

TRCA owns and manages the Heart Lake Conservation Area (HLCA) and Claireville Conservation Area (CCA) located

within the Etobicoke Creek and Humber River watersheds, respectively. These conservation areas (897 ha) are part of

Brampton’s natural heritage and open space systems, conserving both natural ecosystems and cultural heritage

resources, and providing active and passive recreation and educational opportunities. Other lands owned by the

Conservation Authorities, but managed by the City of Brampton, include lands within the Etobicoke Creek valley (TRCA)

and Fletcher’s Creek/Mains Creek Tributary (CVC).

Heart Lake Conservation Area

Named after a spring-fed kame lake shaped like a heart, Heart Lake Conservation Area is a 169 ha provincially and regionally significant natural ecosystem that is designated as a woodland ESA, an Earth and Life Science ANSI, contains 15 wetlands (part of the Heart Lake Provincially Significant Wetland Complex), and provides habitat for federal and provincial Species of Concern and significant wildlife habitat. Heart Lake and Teapot Lake are natural kame lakes on the Brampton Esker within the HLCA. The area is a destination for residents and visitors alike, offering active and passive outdoor recreation (fishing, hiking, swimming, picnicking), environmental education and activities, and protected and celebrated cultural heritage resources.

Claireville Conservation Area

The Claireville Conservation Area is a 728 ha natural oasis located in the Cities of Brampton and Toronto and abutting the Cities of Mississauga and Vaughan. The CCA is one of the most accessible TRCA properties available for public use in the Greater Toronto Area, and is an integral part of the city’s natural heritage system, cultural heritage fabric and recreation destinations. The West Humber River system provides habitat for species at risk, and the surrounding agricultural lands and rural roads include several designated built cultural resources. Residents and visitors enjoy many outdoor recreation opportunities from camping, to horseback riding, to water activities.


The current land cover within the City of Brampton shows there is a predominance of urban land (55% of lands within

the Built Boundary), as illustrated in Figure 10 (Schedule 1, City Concept of the Official Plan, 2006). As the City develops

to its urban boundary (i.e. lands shown as Designated Greenfield Area on Schedule 1), urban land cover is expected to

grow to approximately 80%, displacing areas of existing agriculture (21%) and successional (10%) land cover (CVC and

TRCA, 2014). The refinement of local natural heritage systems within the City’s “designated greenfield” development

areas will occur as part of secondary and block planning.

Figure 10: Schedule 1 City Concept of the Official Plan (Source: City of Brampton Official Plan, 2006

Currently Brampton’s natural cover is at 17% and consists of 10% successional meadows, 4% forests, 1% cultural forest,

1% wetlands, and 1% aquatic communities (CVC and TRCA, 2014) as illustrated in Figure 11.


Figure 11: Land cover in Brampton (Source: CVC and TRCA, 2014)

The amount of natural cover within major urban centres in southern Ontario varies greatly and depends on a host of

factors: location relative to significant landforms (e.g. Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine) and general

topographical features (e.g. large valley systems), as well as extent of natural features protected through the

development process. For example, natural cover in the City of Mississauga is 9.5%, and in the City of Vaughan is 25%.

TRCA and CVC undertake individually, and/or in collaboration with the City of Brampton and the Region of Peel,

watershed and subwatershed plans which guide the City’s natural heritage system planning at the secondary plan scale.

These plans rely on the emerging science for defining and protecting natural features and functions, as well as

establishing NHS management priorities for restoration and enhancement efforts.

3.1.3 Brampton’s Future (Proposed) Natural Heritage System

CVC and TRCA have undertaken a science-based review of their watershed-scale natural

heritage systems in consultation with the Region of Peel and MNRF to assist Brampton in

developing a city-wide NHS. This resulted in the Conservation Authority Natural Heritage

System Mapping for the City of Brampton – Final Technical Report – 2014 (CA NHS),

prepared under separate cover and part of the NHEMS family of documents. The CA NHS

will be used to inform the City’s 2006 Official Plan Review. The CA NHS is briefly described

below.

Refinement of Watershed-based Natural Heritage Systems

The NHEMS Phase 1 CA NHS for Brampton, as shown in Figure 12, was developed using the city’s current natural

heritage features and areas (as per Schedule D, Official Plan 2006) and local natural heritage system planning (as per

approved secondary and block plans), with recommended expansions based on current science in landscape ecology and

55%

7%

21%

1%

4%

1%

1%

10%

Agriculture

Manicured Open Space

Urban

Forest

Cultural Forest

Wetland

Aquatic

Successional

Natural Cover in

Brampton 17%


Natural Heritage Strategies

TRCA has developed a regional ‘Terrestrial Natural Heritage System Strategy’ that identifies a Natural Heritage System for the nine watersheds in its jurisdiction. This regional scale NHS has been further refined through the Humber River and Etobicoke-Mimico watershed plans, which were completed in consultation with watershed municipalities and stakeholders and can be found at: www.trca.on.ca/humber and www.trca.on.ca/EMCommunity.

CVC has developed the ‘Credit Valley Conservation Natural Heritage System Strategy’, in consultation with a Technical and Municipal Advisory Committee, which has also undergone extensive external peer-review. Appendix C further explains and illustrates the TRCA and CVC watershed scale natural systems, respectively.

monitoring data. The CA NHS was prepared with the objective of improving the health, resilience and connectedness of

existing areas and features to form a robust urban natural heritage system.

The refinement of the CVC and TRCA watershed Natural

Heritage Systems for the City of Brampton was undertaken

through the following steps:

1. Define the base data – TRCA and CVC watershed

data sources were compiled for comparison and

refinement of the NHS, including up to date aerial

photography and GIS layers containing natural

heritage information.

2. Examine watershed boundaries in comparison

with watershed systems – The CVC-TRCA

jurisdictional boundary was examined to ensure

that the NHSs aligned across the respective

watersheds. Of note is that the CA NHS for

Brampton provides watershed scale linkages to

neighbouring municipalities (i.e. Halton, Caledon,

Mississauga and Vaughan).

3. Update mapping based on aerial photography –

Aerial photography from 2012 was used to update

the mapping in areas of the city that had recently

undergone development.

4. Incorporate existing approved Secondary Plans and Block Plans – Local-scale NHSs that have been

determined or refined through the City’s planning process were incorporated into the CA NHS for Brampton.

5. Review elements and definitions included in NHS – The watershed NHSs were reviewed to ensure the systems

were compatible and where outstanding differences were identified, they are discussed in the CA NHS report

for the City of Brampton’s consideration in implementation through the NHEMS.

6. Map screening areas and areas for additional consideration – Additional features that provide natural or

social functions but did not meet criteria for inclusion in the CA NHS were mapped for further consideration

(e.g. small woodlands that provide local scale social functions such as recreation opportunities or ecosystem

functions such as increased woodland cover, or Headwater Drainage Features that should be evaluated at the

site level). Further, Ecologically Significant Groundwater Recharge Areas, Significant Groundwater Recharge

Areas and High Volume Groundwater Recharge Areas were mapped as ‘Important Groundwater Recharge

Areas’ in Brampton to be considered when implementing the NHS.

The resulting CA NHS for Brampton is comprised of existing natural cover, as well as areas with the potential to be

restored or managed (i.e. potential natural cover/enhancement areas) for improved ecosystem function.

http://www.trca.on.ca/humber

http://www.trca.on.ca/EMCommunity


Figure 12: Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System for Brampton (Source: CVC and TRCA, 2014)


The CA NHS is approximately 5,642 ha in size and covers approximately 21% of Brampton’s land base. Forty-seven

percent (47%) of the CA NHS overlaps with public lands owned by the City of Brampton, CVC or TRCA. The remaining

53% is in private or other public agency ownership at this time.

The CA NHS mapping was overlaid with provincially and regionally designated natural features, including known

locations of species at risk in CVC’s and TRCA’s jurisdictions, Regionally Significant ANSIs, ESAs, PSWs, conservation

authority floodplain and crest of slope mapping, and Region of Peel Core Greenlands. The mapping also captured all

locations of rare vegetation communities in Brampton and it is anticipated that it will capture the majority of significant

wildlife habitat (not currently mapped).

Finally, the CA NHS mapping was compared to the natural heritage features and areas in Schedule D of the City of

Brampton Official Plan (2006). Both Schedule D and the CA NHS include the majority of the city’s remaining natural

cover of watercourses, valleylands, woodlands and wetlands. Table 3 describes the differences between Schedule D and

the proposed CA NHS.

Table 3: Differences between Schedule D of Brampton’s Official Plan (2006) and the proposed Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System (2013)

Land Area

(ha)

Municipal Land Base

(percentage) System Elements and Basic

Differences

Official Plan 2006, Schedule D

4,639 ha 17% Existing natural features

Includes majority of remnant tableland woodlands

Proposed CA NHS 5,642 ha 21% Existing natural features

Applies 30m buffers to natural features5

Includes areas of potential enhancement in the PWBPA, water bodies, and stormwater management facilities within a natural feature

Screens out small woodlands based on watershed scale criteria

As illustrated in Table 3, the CA NHS identifies a natural heritage system that is approximately 1,000 ha larger than the

current natural areas and features shown on Schedule D. These differences are the result of the CA NHS recognizing the

city’s aquatic cover (e.g. Professor’s Lake), the application of buffers to natural features and watercourses, and the

identification of potential natural cover/enhancement areas. For example, there is approximately 359 ha (36%) of the CA

NHS potential natural cover/enhancement area that has been identified in the Parkway Belt West Plan Area that is

outside of Schedule D natural areas and features.

This recognition parallels current natural heritage system planning as undertaken for the Mount Pleasant Community.

The expansion of the Mount Pleasant Community NHS was the result of connecting areas of fragmented woodlands and

5 Thirty (30) metre buffers were applied to some natural features in CVC’s jurisdiction (i.e. High Functioning woodlands, wetlands

and aquatic habitat, and the crest of slope or meander belt of High Functioning valleylands). TRCA did not explicitly define buffers; however, the modelled potential natural cover often provided a buffer to natural features.


Mount Pleasant Community

The Huttonville and Fletcher’s Creeks Subwatershed Study is an excellent example of local natural heritage system planning to support the Mount Pleasant Secondary Plan Area, located north of Bovaird Drive, east of Mississauga Road.

In the rural landscape, areas of fragmented woodlands and wetlands, and altered watercourses, including agricultural drains and headwater swales, comprised 8% of the secondary plan area. The subwatershed study prepared for the Mount Pleasant Community identified an integrated terrestrial and aquatic natural heritage system that comprised 18% of Block Plans 51-1 and 51-2.

Building the Mount Pleasant NHS is described in Appendix D and illustrated in Figures D2 to D8.

wetlands, restoring watercourses and corridors, and naturalizing potential natural cover/enhancement areas to

mitigate/compensate for the loss of natural features and functions, as illustrated in Appendix D.

Potential Natural Cover / Enhancement Areas

Potential natural cover/enhancement areas have been

identified as areas that can be managed or restored to

improve ecosystem integrity of the natural system and

provide ecological linkages. These areas generally

complement ongoing stewardship and restoration efforts

currently being undertaken by the City, Conservation

Authorities, infrastructure service corridors providers and

volunteer organizations. Some of these areas may be in the

process of succeeding to natural communities, while other

areas provide additional opportunities to enhance

connectivity, biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Management of these areas depends on a variety of factors,

including landowner interest and site suitability. Some

locations may be suitable for full-scale restoration to forests,

wetlands or meadows, or for specific improvements such as

native species plantings, invasive species management and

wildlife habitat creation. Other areas may be targeted for

best management practices such as LID measures, and

fertilizer and/or no-mow management plans.

The largest area of potential natural cover is associated with the Parkway Belt West Plan Area (PBWPA).

Parkway Belt West Plan Area

The Parkway Belt West Plan Area (PBWPA), including the 407 ETR corridor as shown in Figure 7, is comprised of

approximately 645 ha. The CA NHS has identified 459 ha of land, of which 100 ha is existing natural cover, and 359 ha is

potential natural cover/enhancement areas comprised of agriculture or successional tablelands, as illustrated in Figure

12. By including the PBWPA land base, the City is recognizing the unique ability of green infrastructure corridors to

provide an east-west linkage between Brampton’s north-south oriented valleyland corridors.

It is understood that the PBWPA lands are first and foremost identified for provincial infrastructure planning and

stewardship efforts. However, the NHEMS can open up partnership opportunities that help meet the PBWPA goals for a

‘linked open space system’ and can be used to identify opportunities to enhance and link natural areas across the urban

landscape.

The City of Brampton will work with provincial agencies, including the MTO and 407 ETR, to undertake stewardship

activities within the PBWPA lands, as appropriate. CVC has also initiated discussions with Ontario Hydro for

naturalization activities within their corridors.


Etobicoke Creek

Etobicoke Creek flowed through downtown Brampton from its inception as a crossroads named Buffy’s Corner in 1819 until 1951, when the Etobicoke Creek By-pass Channel was built. Spring floods throughout this time period wreaked havoc on lives, businesses and homes. Construction of the concrete-lined channel in 1951 kept downtown Brampton floodfree when Hurricane Hazel hit in October 1954 (with a record 8.27” in 48 hours).

Today, Brampton seeks to revitalize the Etobicoke Creek as an integral element of the city’s historic downtown and as a major focal point to unlock economic development of Brampton’s ‘urban growth center’.

(Photo credit: Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) and the City of Brampton)

3.1.4 Natural Heritage System Issues and Opportunities

Historical Impacts

Brampton is located within the Peel Plain, which is characterized by fairly level topography with a generally uniform

slope toward Lake Ontario. This landform with its clay and till soils was very attractive to farmers. As a result,

Brampton’s natural areas have been fragmented by over 175 years of agricultural land clearing and farming activities,

and rural/urban development, which, like most of southern Ontario, has resulted in the extensive loss and alteration of

the pre-settlement vegetation communities and natural heritage features, functions and linkages.

By the 1940s, Brampton had approximately 6% remaining natural cover as compared to 17% today (i.e. woodlands,

wetlands and successional/meadow cover). The natural cover was comprised of remnant woodlands and wetlands

located in valley corridors too steep to farm or which lacked fertile agricultural soils; and scattered tableland woodlands

most often located at the back of farms at mid-concession (referred to as ‘back-forty’ woodlots) and used as a resource

for maple syrup production, firewood and/or areas for grazing livestock. Other natural features on the landscape were

often managed for agricultural purposes; watercourses/headwater drainage features (swales) were realigned or

channelized to regularize and maximize field

acreage and facilitate drainage, watercourses

and wetlands were dug out to create ponds

used for irrigation or livestock watering, and

wetlands were tiled to create tillable acreage.

While agriculture has adversely impacted

Brampton’s natural system, it has also left

features on the landscape today that can evolve

to a natural state as a result (or a combination)

of lack of management, natural succession and

active stewardship. These areas are now being

inventoried and assessed as natural features for

conservation including but not limited to;

abandoned fields succeeding to natural

meadows supporting many endangered bird

species (i.e. Bobolink, Meadowlark); ponds

naturalizing as wetlands supporting fish,

amphibian and wildlife habitat; and agricultural

swales being extended and deepened to

become defined watercourse channels that

support fish habitat.

Brampton’s valleys and watercourses have been

subject to much human activity and land use. The

city’s rivers and creeks provided Ontario’s aboriginal peoples and pioneers with valuable services and resources, ranging

from transportation and energy, to water and food; historical communities (and agriculture) flourished in the adjacent

valley lands. The historical villages of Churchville and Huttonville grew along the banks of the Credit River in combination


Natural Core Areas

The Credit River valley is an important naturally vegetated cross-regional corridor linking Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment and the Oak Ridges Moraine. The Credit River Valley Area includes two City of Brampton parks: Eldorado Park and Churchville Park, as well as private lands in natural cover. The area includes the Huttonville Valley ESA and the Provincially Significant Churchville Norval Wetland Complex. The river winds across a valley bottom characterized by a broad riparian zone with a wide variety of habitat types supporting a diversity of flora and fauna, including species at risk and regionally rare species. This part of the valley lies near the north edge of the Carolinian Zone, providing habitat for Carolinian species (e.g. Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) and the regionally rare Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)).

The Heart Lake Natural Area extends from north of Bovaird Drive to Mayfield Road and lies along the Brampton Esker, a regional terrestrial and hydrological linkage to the Provincial Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine natural systems. TRCA’s Heart Lake Conservation Area (HLCA) is the ‘heart’ of this Natural Area, and includes designated woodland ESA, life and earth ANSI, and provincially significant wetlands, and two kame lakes. The Heart Lake Provincially Significant Wetland complex extends along the Esker, is one of the largest remaining wetland complexes on the Peel South Slope, and is home to locally and regionally rare species, and provincial and federal species at risk.

The West Humber River Valley Natural Area, part of the Humber River watershed, extends south from Castlemore Road to Finch Avenue (and Highway 427), including the Claireville Conservation Area and Claireville Reservoir. The Humber River watershed originates in the Niagara Escarpment and the Oak Ridges Moraine and links to Lake Ontario. The natural area is a mixture of forest, successional forest, meadows and wetlands, and lies on the boundary between the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and the Carolinian floristic regions, the latter of which is composed of mixed coniferous-deciduous forest. The West Humber tributaries are a significant fishery and provide habitat for Redside Dace, an endangered fish species.

with dams and mills to grind grains and produce

power; the village of Brampton prospered and

expanded along Etobicoke Creek.

Human settlement along rivers and within

valleys has led to the management of natural

flooding and erosion hazards that resulted in

watercourse alterations ranging from

channelization and hardening, as evidenced

along Etobicoke Creek in downtown Brampton,

Spring Creek in Bramalea, and Mimico Creek,

and the impoundment of the West Humber

River as the Claireville Reservoir in TRCA’s

Claireville Conservation Area.

Many of these historical activities which have

impacted natural areas, features and functions

remain in-situ today. The historical villages are

valued and unique communities in the city, and

although environmental impacts persist,

ongoing and future management and

enhancement of the urban fabric and built

green spaces will do much to restore ecological

services in these valley areas. Remediation,

restoration and naturalization of watercourses

can mitigate existing impacts and restore

ecological functions and ecosystem services,

while still maintaining the original hazard

management objectives.

Natural Core Areas of Brampton’s NHS

Brampton is characterized by three major

watersheds and five major valley corridors – the

Credit River (with Levis Creek and Fletcher’s

Creek), Etobicoke Creek (with four major

tributaries) and the West Humber River and

Tributaries. Each of these watersheds/valley

corridors has unique attributes. They:

Are provincially and regionally

significant designated natural areas,

habitat for federal and provincial species at

risk, and significant wildlife habitat;


Figure prominently in the city’s cultural heritage landscape; and

Provide outdoor educational and recreation opportunities.

Natural ‘core’ areas of the NHS associated with these three watersheds include the Credit River Valley, Heart Lake and

West Humber River Valley Natural Areas, as shown in Figure 13. These represent the City’s first efforts to identify

municipally significant natural areas and features. The City will continue these efforts in conjunction with CVC and TRCA,

as well as identify significant natural features in accordance with the Provincial Policy Statement, 2014.

Species Habitat

Natural Heritage Systems that are healthy, diverse and resilient provide habitat to sustain endangered and threatened

species, significant wildlife habitat, species of conservation concern, and uncommon habitat as identified by the

Province and Conservation Authorities.

In Brampton, protecting, restoring and enhancing natural features, functions and processes are necessary to maintain

existing habitat and species, and to create/expand habitat to enrich species diversity. As an example, conserving and

remediating watercourse (channel) fluvial processes, and maintaining stream temperatures (by protecting groundwater

contributions and riparian cover along watercourses and managing stormwater drainage) is particularly important to

protect fish habitat. Watercourses that traverse Brampton provide some of the few remaining coldwater fish habitat on

the Peel Plain; the Credit River supports heritage fish species such as Atlantic Salmon; and eleven tributaries of the

Credit River and the West Humber River systems have been identified to provide regulated (i.e. occupied and recovery)

habitat for Redside Dace.

Redside Dace (Photo Credit: K. Schmidt)

Brampton must also sustain and link healthy wetland habitat with large undisturbed woodlands (as essential NHS

components) to protect habitat capable of sustaining other significant and rare birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles

and plants, including species at risk. In some cases the protection of habitat will require active management and

stewardship of natural areas, such as: managing open habitat for birds; providing ecological linkages by installing eco-

passages under/over roads for amphibians, reptiles and small mammals; or protecting specialized habitats (e.g. human

structures) for Barn Swallow and Chimney Swift and exposed bluffs for Bank Swallows.


Figure 13: Natural Core Areas in the City of Brampton (Source: City of Brampton)


Ecosystem Diversity and Biodiversity

Ecosystem diversity and biodiversity can refer to the variety of species, ecological communities and ecological processes

that occur in different physical settings. The quality of natural cover and species present within the NHS and built green

spaces is critical to providing habitat and supporting the protection of native floral and faunal biodiversity. In southern

Ontario, environmental disturbances have been responsible for historical and current impacts to natural system

biodiversity. This includes disturbances related to agricultural activities and crops, including introduced weeds; rural

land uses; urbanization, including human encroachment, and noise and light; climate change; and invasive species.

Watercourse Channelization

In the 1950s and 1960s, urbanization prompted engineering practices that altered and hardened watercourses with

concrete or other hard bed and bank treatments, as a means to convey water quickly downstream and avoid local

flooding. Stormwater management was not yet part of city building, and natural area conservation focused more on

providing recreation space than ecosystem health. Current knowledge recognizes that this treatment has negatively

impacted the overall health of the aquatic system. In addition, the design life (50+ years) of many of these hardened

channels is ending, with some major failures already experienced. In anticipation of weather systems increasing in

intensity within southern Ontario, the rate of deterioration may accelerate. Major failures have already been observed,

including that of the channel structures along Spring Creek after the storm event on July 8, 2013.

Channel condition pre- and post-July 8, 2013 storm event (Photo Credit: TRCA, Peel Channels

Remediation Strategy Interim Report – Spring Creek Pilot Project, July 2014)

Invasive Species

Human agricultural activities, climate change, immigration and world trade

has been responsible for introducing the majority of non-native invasive

species into Ontario. Without ecological controls (i.e. natural control

provided by vegetation or insects), many of these species can dominate

natural forests, wetland and meadow communities, and pose a risk to

ecosystem health and biodiversity, as well as public health and well-being.


Invasive species such as Norway Maple, European Buckthorn, Garlic Mustard, Asian Long-horned Beetle and Emerald

Ash Borer can drastically reduce the quality of native habitats, making them unsuitable for native flora and fauna. Giant

Hogweed poses a serious public health risk as the the clear watery sap of this plant contains toxins that can cause severe

inflammation of the skin (dermatitis)6.

Invasive plant Fig Buttercup invading floodplain

Invasive species management plans should identify the presence of native and invasive species and the extent of

impacts to public and ecosystem health, and provide recommendations for remedial, restoration and enhancement

measures to mitigate the threat to the NHS and community. A good example is the work being undertaken by the City's

Urban Forestry division, which is closely monitoring the spread of Emerald Ash Borer in Brampton and addressing the

removal and replacement of infected trees. The City of Brampton has also been successful in working with partners such

as CVC and schools (i.e. Hickory Woods Public School), community volunteers (i.e. in the Valleywood community) and

developers (i.e. in the Credit Valley Secondary Plan) to remove invasive plants from natural areas. There remain,

however, many natural areas in the city where invasive species constitute a significant threat to native flora and fauna.

Encroachment

The quality of natural areas in the city’s NHS may also be impacted by unrestricted uses including: unauthorized access

to natural areas which can lead to trampling of sensitive areas; unauthorized trails and active recreation uses, such as

mountain biking, leading to erosion on slopes and loss of vegetation and habitat; and encroachment where private and

public property intersect, such as dumping of yard waste, landscaping and mowing of natural areas, or inappropriate

placement of storage buildings and gardens.

Management of encroachment can include by-law enforcement to halt detrimental activities, and stewardship and

restoration activities to remediate impacts and improve ecological features and functions. To eliminate unauthorized

recreation uses, the City may need to consider providing alternative, suitable municipal facilities (e.g. BMX parks) to

encourage appropriate behaviour in natural areas.

6 OFAH/OMNR Invading Species Awareness Program. (2012). Giant Hogweed. Retrieved from: http://www.invadingspecies.com

http://www.invadingspecies.com/


Noise and Light

Urbanization generates significant noise and light pollution that can affect

normal patterns of behaviour in animals and physiology in plants. For

example, singing birds may have difficulty establishing breeding territory or

attracting mates in noisy roadside habitats. Light pollution affects human

and wildlife circadian rhythms, wastes energy and disrupts ecosystems.

Impacts include the fatal attraction of birds and insects to lit buildings,

facilities, and street lights. Plants also may not enter winter dormancy

when exposed to light at night. Reducing and/or shielding of noise and light pollution sources adjacent to natural areas

can reduce these impacts.

Greenland Securement

The majority of Brampton’s city-owned natural areas and features have been gratuitously dedicated through the

development approvals process in accordance with the Official Plan (2006) policies. The purchase of lands for long-term

conservation has generally only occurred as part of the City’s active parkland acquisition, as evidenced at Creditview-

Sandalwood Park (East Huttonville Creek woodland-wetlands) and Gore Meadows Park (West Humber River). In 2012,

Council approved the Greenlands Landowner Securement Contact and Education Project that has identified where there

is merit in the City acquiring ecologically important lands.

The Conservation Authorities have acquired lands in Brampton, as illustrated in Figure 13, for management of the

environmental hazards of flooding and erosion, and for the conservation of land. TRCA owns four properties, including

the Heart Lake Conservation Area, Etobicoke Creek valley (south of Mayfield Road), the Etobicoke Creek Bypass Channel

(downtown Brampton), and the Claireville Conservation Area and Reservoir. CVC owns the Main’s Creek Channel (a

tributary of Fletcher’s Creek) and a reach of Fletcher’s Creek immediately upstream of Queen Street, as shown in Figure

13.

At noted in Section 3.1.3, forty-seven percent (47%) of the CA NHS overlaps with City of Brampton, CVC or TRCA owned

(public) property. The remaining 53% is in other public or private ownership at this time.

Conservation Area Land Acquisitions

The Etobicoke-Mimico Conservation Authority (now TRCA) acquired the Heart Lake Conservation Area (169 ha from ten properties) from 1956 to 1982 to protect the area’s diverse and significant natural features and wildlife habitat, enhance natural water storage for the Etobicoke Creek system, and for the development of recreation facilities and trails. The Etobicoke-Mimico CA also built the Etobicoke Creek Channel in downtown Brampton in 1952, just before Hurricane Hazel struck in 1954.

TRCA acquired the numerous agricultural lands that now constitute the Claireville Conservation Area (728 ha) in 1957 to construct a dam and reservoir to control flooding in the Lower Humber River valley lands. The Claireville Dam and Reservoir were built in 1964. The CCA is now one of the most important recreation, education and environmental appreciation destinations in the GTA.


Natural Area Management and Monitoring

The City of Brampton and its conservation partners, including the Province, Peel Region, TRCA and CVC, recognize that

research, knowledge, management, monitoring and stewardship are key tools to addressing past and present impacts to

the natural system and improving natural features and

functions.

Management plans can be scaled based on the natural

heritage system or natural areas/features under consideration,

such as the Provincial Greenbelt Plan, conservation authority

watershed and subwatershed plans, and conservation area and

park management plans. Each of these plans provides direction

which, when implemented, make important contributions to

the achievement of sustainable land use planning and long-

term protection and enhancement of Brampton’s NHS.

Developing management plans for the city’s natural areas and

open space/parkland will enable Brampton to plan and budget

for active conservation and restoration efforts through

municipal and/or community programs. TRCA has completed

management plans for the Heart Lake and Claireville

Conservation Areas. These plans provide an excellent basis

from which Brampton could develop management plans for

the city’s Natural Core Areas that include the HLCA, CCA and

portions of the Credit River valley.

Monitoring strategies and plans also range in scale, both

geographically and temporally, based on identified issues, proponents and funding. Current monitoring that tracks

environmental indicators in Brampton include the long-term provincial Integrated Water Quality Monitoring Network,

CVC’s Integrated Watershed Monitoring Program (IWMP) and Effectiveness Monitoring Program, the Mount Pleasant

Community 5-year monitoring project, and the Heart Lake Road Ecology Monitoring Project.

The NHEMS identifies targets and actions that require monitoring and reporting in conjunction with Brampton Grow

Green. Brampton will need to integrate and leverage, where possible, data already being collected or that can be easily

collected by the City and its conservation partners.

Management Plans

Comprehensive and integrated management plans such as the Claireville Conservation Area Management Plan are needed for all natural areas which make up the NHS in Brampton. Management plans identify significant natural features and functions as well as environmental threats, and provide direction for actions (i.e. restoration, trails and signage).


Figure 14: Illustration of the basic cycle of

adaptive management (in which “check” could

be replaced with “monitor”)

Brampton’s Valleyland Naturalization Program

Brampton’s comprehensive Valleyland Naturalization Program, established in 2002, is a successful example of ongoing restoration efforts to re-establish indigenous plant communities in the city’s valley lands. In the past 12 years, the program has planted over 161 ha, as illustrated in Valley Naturalization Planting Program 2003-2014 Map (in Appendix F), with 29,000 native trees, 224,000 native shrubs and 100,000 native perennials, that have enhanced vegetation communities, introduced new wildlife habitat and improved fish habitat by stream shading and floodplain stabilization.

Adaptive Management

Natural systems and built green spaces (i.e. urban forests, open

space, parks and green infrastructure) are subject to natural,

social and economic events and changes (i.e. climate change,

severe weather, invasive species, encroachment, and changing

resource allocation priorities) that are difficult to predict.

Adaptive management7 is a tool for land use and resource

managers that acknowledges that our understanding of natural

systems and ecosystem services is incomplete, and that a

systematic process is needed to continually assess and improve

management policies and practices to best ensure robust

decision-making in the face of uncertainty. Adaptive

management also enables a balance between gaining

knowledge to improve management in the future and achieving

the best short-term outcome based on current knowledge.

Stewardship of Brampton’s NHS

Brampton and its conservation partners must work collaboratively to achieve mutual environmental goals through the

delivery of agency mandates and legislative responsibilities, through educating and engaging residents and the public,

and through the delivery of community programs. While the NHEMS focuses on what the City of Brampton can do to

improve its environmental performance, the environment transcends political borders. The City, therefore, is committed

to working with all levels of government, including adjacent municipalities and community partners, to advance the

goals of the NHEMS.

7 Description of Adaptive management has been adapted from: United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005, and Allan &

Stankey 2009. (Catherine Allan and George H. Stankey (2009). Adaptive Environmental Management: A Practitioner’s Guide. The Netherlands: Dordrecht. ISBN 978-90-481-2710-8).


Some of the most ecologically important areas to restore are associated with valley and watercourse corridors. Within

these areas, natural riparian cover protects and enhances aquatic environments; trees shade channels and lower stream

temperatures and prevent bank erosion, provide wildlife habitat, and support ecological linkages across the landscape.

Table 4 identifies the extent of natural and semi-natural vegetation along Brampton’s watercourses that traverse the

city, including woodland communities located within 30 metres of channel banks. Appendix E illustrates these fourteen

subwatersheds across the city.

Table 4: Percentage of natural and semi-natural vegetation along watercourses (CVC and TRCA, 2014)

Natural & Semi-Natural Vegetation Along Watercourses

Subwatershed Natural and semi-natural

vegetation within 30m buffer

Woodland within 30m buffer

Churchville Tributary 77.8 % 44.6 %

Fletcher's Creek 67.9 % 23.5 %

Huttonville Creek 52.4 % 30.5 %

Levi Creek 56.1 % 28.7 %

Mullett Creek 70.7 % 13.0 %

Norval to Port Credit 65.2 % 30.7 %

Springbrook Tributary 63.1 % 36.8 %

Etobicoke Headwaters 72.6 % 39.6 %

Etobicoke Tributary 3 44.5 % 0.0 %

Etobicoke West Branch 64.3 % 18.9 %

Main Humber 27.6 % 1.4 %

Mimico Creek 47.2 % 2.8 %

Spring Creek 54.7 % 21.3 %

West Humber 77.2 % 30.3 %

City of Brampton 65.6 % 26.5 %

Community organizations will be vital in implementing the NHEMS. The TRCA has supported two watershed citizens

groups, the Humber River Alliance and the Etobicoke-Mimico Coalition that focus stewardship efforts on these

subwatersheds, including the Claireville and Heart Lake Conservation Areas, respectively. Sierra Club Peel is a non-

governmental organization (NGO) that promotes sustainable urban centres and transportation, and protecting and

enhancing the Credit River, Etobicoke Creek and Humber River watersheds in Peel.

Ontario Streams, established in 1995, is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the conservation and

rehabilitation of streams and wetlands through education and community involvement with municipalities, landowners,

and school groups. To date, many of Ontario Streams’ projects have occurred in and around the GTA, including activities

such as tree planting, debris and garbage clean-up, habitat creation, bioengineering, biological monitoring, mitigating

fish barriers and restoring and creating wetlands.


Everyone has a role to play in environmental stewardship. The actions contained in the NHEMS make clear the long-term

environmental goals Brampton is working towards, and identify opportunities to achieve the City’s objectives.

The information provided above highlights the role of Brampton’s NHEMS in prioritizing, implementing and monitoring

active restoration and management of the NHS. Key issues and opportunities for the NHS are summarized in Table 5.

Table 5: Key issues and opportunities for the NHS

NHS Issues NHEMS Opportunities

Large areas of ‘potential’ natural cover requiring

restoration

Watercourses and valleylands lacking natural cover

Inappropriate public use and encroachment negatively

impact the NHS

Invasive species impact vegetation community health and

diversity

Residents and visitors may not recognize ecosystem

services, importance of protecting species habitat and

relationship of natural areas to their quality of life and

experiences

Lack of community acceptance of naturalization activities

and success

Long-term funding and commitment is needed for NHS

securement and management

Need to update operations and maintenance programs to

reflect best management practices

Prioritize and implement restoration with

conservation organizations and stakeholders

Expand current valleyland naturalization programs

Improve public trails and signage and undertake

enforcement of unauthorized uses as necessary

Prioritize and implement invasive species

management plans

Engage the community in learning more about the

NHS through stewardship programs, homeowner

guides, educational signage, environmental education

in schools

Engage residents in local naturalization projects

A dedicated budget and external funding

opportunities to support ongoing planning and

management of the NHS

Update operational and maintenance standard

operating procedures (SOP) and relate to capital and

operational budgets

Redside Dace Habitat Rehabilitation Initiative

Ontario Streams developed the Redside Dace Habitat Rehabilitation Initiative in 2001 that is directed towards the recovery of the provincially endangered Redside Dace in accordance with the Draft Recovery Strategy for Redside Dace in Ontario prepared by the Redside Dace Recovery Team.

In 2009, the City of Brampton and Ontario Streams signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Kilmanagh Creek Redside Dace Habitat Restoration Pilot Project. To date, Ontario Streams has restored and enhanced approximately 4 kilometers of Kilmanagh Creek from Castlemore Road to Countryside Drive. Rehabilitations works have included but are not limited to: debris jam and beaver dam removals, stream bank stabilization, riparian plantings, and garbage removal. Ontario Streams undertook this work using volunteers from the Ontario Stewardship Rangers and Sandalwood Heights Secondary School students. Ontario Streams is now supporting the City’s efforts to improve Fletcher’s Creek for Redside Dace.


3.2 Brampton’s Open Space System

Brampton’s Open Space System includes the NHS as discussed above, and Recreational Open Space lands, such as Public

Parkland (active and passive tableland areas), Conservation Areas and Private Commercial Recreation Areas, as shown

on Schedule E of the Official Plan (Figure 15).

This study recognizes on the role of Recreational Open Spaces to supporting a sustainable, healthy, NHS and urban

forest.

Figure 15: Brampton’s Major Recreational Open Space (Source: City of Brampton Official Plan, 2006)

Linking the City

Brampton’s pathways system8 creates a unique linkage between the city’s natural and built environments. Brampton’s

pathways and trails are critical infrastructure to support active transportation, a fundamental aspect of creating healthy

communities and allowing people to move around the city by means other than personal vehicles. The City and our

conservation partners provide on and off-road multi-use paths, as well as a trail network, through the majority of

Brampton’s valley and watercourse corridors and active parklands. These paths and trails connect residents, visitors and

8 As defined by Brampton’s Pathways Routing Plan, 2010.


employees to local and regional destinations, such as schools, shopping, recreation centres, employment areas and

other municipalities, as shown in Figure 16. With greater accessibility comes the need for appropriate design,

construction and maintenance of trails adjacent to, and within, the natural heritage and open space systems and green

infrastructure. Trail planning and design includes, but is not limited to, ecological features, site drainage, viewscapes,

accessibility, safety, visibility, aesthetics, sustainability, maintenance, access, etc.

Figure 16: Brampton’s Pathways System (Source: Brampton’s Pathways Routing Plan, 2010)

3.2.1 Open Space Issues and Opportunities

Public and Private Open Spaces

Public and private open spaces and recreation areas, including institutional lands, provide green spaces where the

community and visitors engage in active organized sports (e.g. cricket, soccer, baseball, golf) and passive recreation

where families can enjoy the outdoors in a safe, natural environment. The large urban population of Brampton relies on

the open space system for active, healthy living, including the use of trail networks that support active transportation for

walking, running and biking to every day destinations (i.e. schools, work, shopping and sports facilities).


Peel Village Golf Course

The City of Brampton owns and operates the Peel Village Golf Course within the Etobicoke Creek valley, that offers golfers a unique experience of playing in a natural garden setting of aquatic and terrestrial features. Peel Village joined the Audubon program in 1995 and became the first municipal golf course to become fully certified under the Audubon Co-operative Sanctuary System in 1998.

Conservation Areas

As described earlier in this document, the TRCA owns and manages the Heart Lake and Claireville Conservation Areas that are part of the city’s natural heritage and open space systems. While the conservation areas protect some of the most significant natural areas within the city, they also provide outdoor education and passive recreation for both residents and visitors. The tableland areas and aquatic lake resources support unique active uses, including: First Nation’s cultural heritage gardens, public events and dragon boat racing (HLCA); urban agriculture (Farm Start); as well as campgrounds and a water park (CCA).

Public and private open space provides social and economic benefits for Brampton’s urban population and ecological

benefits for the NHS and urban forest. Open space can be strategically managed for human use as well as ecological

features, functions and linkages.

Figure 17 builds on Schedule E (Figure 15) by illustrating public and private valley lands, including Conservation Areas,

public and private parklands, cemeteries, and institutional and school properties. The City of Brampton is currently

examining opportunities to share recreation and parking facilities with the Peel District Public School Board.


Figure 17: Brampton’s Open Spaces (Source: City of Brampton, 2015)


Photo Credit: TRCA

Open Space Natural Features and Functions

Brampton’s Official Plan Open Space policies acknowledge the relationship between open space and the NHS: “Where

recreational open space lands include or abut natural heritage features such as woodlands, wetlands, valleylands and

watercourse corridors, the relevant policies in Section 4.6 must be applied to ensure the protection of these features and

the environmental functions and linkages they perform (Section

4.7.4.1)”.

Open space areas can be managed to provide a spectrum of ecosystem

services that support natural features and functions, and provide a

land base for natural vegetation communities and the urban forest.

Open spaces can contribute to the water cycle in urban environments

dominated by hardscapes (i.e. roads and parking areas) that are

impermeable to water. Sports fields, neighbourhood parks, golf

courses and cemeteries are softscapes that can support the natural

water cycle by allowing rainwater or snowmelt to infiltrate into the

ground; conveying clean runoff to watercourses; and supporting

vegetation (grass and trees) that cycles water into the atmosphere through

evapotranspiration9.

There are many ways open space can be enhanced and/or managed to be more sustainable, including: implementation

of stormwater management facilities (i.e. Low Impact Development measures – swales/infiltration galleries) to store

water, increase infiltration and enhance the quality of surface water runoff; reduced mowing to reduce greenhouse gas

(GHG) emissions; and naturalization with trees and shrubs to increase the urban forest canopy, reduce the urban heat

island effect and improve local air quality.

9 Pending appropriate design, construction and management, manicured areas are often considered the second most impervious

surface (in some studies) due to soil compaction, along with being a source of fertilizers/pesticides, and when cut short offer little compensation in terms of evapo-transpiration functions in reducing storm runoff (Source: CVC, 2015).

Brampton’s Recreational Open Space

Currently Brampton has 4,930 ha of recreational open space which includes 2,650 ha of public natural heritage system and 2,280 ha of tableland parkland. The parkland is characterized by 990 parks with 38 recreation centres; 1,147 ha of active sports fields; 290 playgrounds; 388 km of trails; 54 pedestrian bridges (across watercourses) and five community gardens. The NHS (currently 1,690 ha in City ownership) has 413 km of stream channels, and within and/or adjacent to the NHS are 143 stormwater management ponds that provide city-wide water quantity and quality control. The number of stormwater management facilities is expected to increase to 370 by 2031.

Specialty environmental services include: arboricultural and horticultural, community stewardship and education, and community garden installation and management.


Open Space Naturalization

Active sport fields and manicured open spaces provide limited natural habitat functions that can contribute to, or

support, the NHS and urban forest. Active and manicured areas require regular mowing that eliminates naturalizing

plant species, and regular fertilizing that can export nutrients and other pollutants to local streams affecting water

quality; these areas tend to have few trees to minimize shade on turf or interfere with active sports play.

While active sports fields are critical infrastructure of the City’s recreation and sports tourism programming,

naturalization plans that include reduced mowing of passive open spaces provide opportunities for natural processes

and increase habitat diversity, particularly for areas adjacent to the NHS and the urban forest canopy.

To ensure successful naturalization of open space, it is critical to secure public acceptance of converting mown areas

into natural vegetation communities that buffer and/or expand natural features, provide habitat, or link natural areas.

Open Space Ecological Linkages and Buffers

The proximity of recreation open space to the NHS can provide ecological linkages between natural heritage features,

and buffer the NHS from adjacent land uses. The built environment presents many barriers (e.g. roads, buildings, fences)

that impact daily, seasonal and year-to-year movement patterns of species between natural areas, such as between

woodlands and wetlands. Active open spaces can facilitate wildlife movement between natural areas, and passive open

spaces with naturalizing vegetation and an urban tree canopy can provide stronger ecological linkage options, as well as

habitat for some species.

Open space also provides a buffering

function for the NHS, reducing impacts of

adjacent urban land uses, such as noise

from roads, higher temperatures and

drying winds from hardscapes, and light

pollution from street lights and buildings at

night. Naturalization efforts such as tree

planting or reduced mowing, and the

creation of natural habitats, such as

meadows, can greatly improve the

ecological linkage and buffering functions

provided by these areas.

Green Space Management

The City’s Maintenance and Operations divisions are responsible for the good care of Brampton’s green spaces, which

include the NHS, open space, green infrastructure and urban forest.

Operational service levels for the management and maintenance of green spaces are a balance of environmental, social

and economic objectives, including ecosystem services, public health and safety, quality of life, property values, passive

and active recreation and play, and staff and budget resources.


Operational divisions have implemented numerous corporate and community stewardship initiatives, such as

remediation and naturalization (e.g. Spring Creek channels in conjunction with TRCA, Kenpark wetland restoration),

street and park tree inventory, One Million Bulbs, Community Forest, and community invasive species management (e.g.

Hickory Woods Park and Valleybrook).

Annual and seasonal maintenance programs in these green spaces include but are not limited to:

Parks – trail and pedestrian bridges, urban tree care and replacement, hazard tree removal, sports field repair,

mowing and irrigation, and garbage removal;

Animals Services – pet safety, wildlife rescue and management, and community education; and

Roads – multi-use pathways, repair and remediation of watercourse channels and road crossings, winter

plowing and road salt management.

The Maintenance and Operations divisions are also responsible for handling the impacts of extreme weather events on

public lands, such as the Ice Storm 2013 and invasive species (e.g. Emerald Ash Borer), as well as resident and Council

requests for public land maintenance, nuisance wildlife, and community and institutional/school environmental events.

Each of these management issues has the opportunity to benefit the provision of ecosystem services and the

conservation of natural features, functions, and linkages.

Of critical importance to the success of the City’s efforts to manage and naturalize green spaces is the continuous long-

term education and engagement of Council and the community. For example, the cultural values and perceptions of

local residents and businesses result in numerous requests to mow natural areas to project a manicured park look. As

previously noted, manicured open space provides limited ecosystem services, while at the same time demanding

significant staff and budget resources to maintain. These resource demands are compounded by the associated impact

of GHG emissions as a result of mowing. To achieve a healthier community and NHS, local residents need to understand

the benefits associated with naturalized spaces and the costs associated with manicured spaces.

Service requests from residents and Council must be assessed with regard to negative impacts to the health and

diversity of the natural and built green spaces, requirements for unallocated staff and budget resources, and the effect

on the City’s environmental objectives and targets, such as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water

conservation and expanding the urban tree canopy.

The NHEMS will aid the City in its goal to prioritize, implement and monitor the management of recreational open space

to maximize ecological services without impacting its primary role of providing active and passive recreation,

opportunities for public gathering, space for community gardens, and support for Brampton’s place-making efforts.

Ecological services can be derived through targeted restoration and management programs. Key issues and

opportunities for recreational open space are summarized in Table 6.


Table 6: Key issues and opportunities for Open Space

Recreational Open Space Issues Recreational Open Space NHEMS Opportunities

Open space may not include active stormwater

management

Manicured areas provide few ecological benefits, and

maintenance practices impact GHG emissions

Manicured areas are less effective in providing

ecological linkage and buffering

Community perception may not recognize the

ecological value of naturalized areas

Open space may have low tree cover

Retrofit lands for stormwater management measures

including LIDs, to manage runoff , support site water

balance and improve water quality

Develop a city-wide maintenance/operation strategy to

reduce mowing and increase natural vegetation where

possible

Naturalization programs can target improvements to

ecological linkages and buffers and urban forest canopy

Combine naturalization programs with environmental

education and signage

Establish a city-wide tree canopy cover target

Prepare naturalization plans for each open space park

to increase tree canopy cover

Promote the social and environmental benefits of the

urban forest


3.3 Brampton’s Green Infrastructure

The social and economic sustainability of Brampton is dependent on infrastructure, including hydro transmission lines,

gas pipelines, roads and transportation corridors, potable water supply lines and sanitary sewers, and stormwater

management facilities. These infrastructure corridors and facilities are often characterized by green landscapes which

vary in the amount of natural vegetation communities and habitat present.

To date Brampton has primarily focused on management of

stormwater management facilities that provide an opportunity

to buffer the NHS, expand the urban forest, and maximize

environmental features and functions associated with green

infrastructure. Stormwater ponds manage flows during storm

events, improve water quality and, through natural

landscaping, provide areas of aquatic and terrestrial vegetation

that supports native wildlife.

There has been little recognition of the existing or potential ecological services that can be provided by green

infrastructure corridor lands in support of Brampton’s NHS and urban forest. Linear infrastructure corridors (e.g. hydro

transmission lines, Parkway Belt West Plan Area) may provide substantial areas of contiguous habitat as well as upland

terrestrial ecological linkages across regional landscapes, particularly for large urban areas. Landscape management

practices of these corridors should encourage the conservation, restoration and enhancement of natural vegetation that

can enhance ecological features and functions, while withstanding impacts associated with infrastructure maintenance.

The Parkway Belt West Plan Area (PBWPA) is an important green

infrastructure corridor that crosses east to west across south Brampton,

and can support natural habitat as well as provide linkage functions. The

PBWPA connects the majority of the city’s valley and watercourse corridors,

which are typically aligned north to south. Much of the land within the

PBWPA can provide natural cover and/or opportunities for potential natural

cover. The City of Brampton recognizes that, first and foremost, these

corridor lands are meant to provide infrastructures services that support

communities across the GTA and southern Ontario.

Figure 18 identifies the location of the existing and anticipated major infrastructure present in Brampton. The amount of

green spaces and the linear connections provided by these major corridors highlight the landscape opportunities that

green infrastructure can provide in support of the NHS, particularly in creating ecological connections, as well as

providing urban forest canopy cover.

Green infrastructure corridors can also connect communities. As noted in Section 3.1.3, a goal of the Parkway Best West

Plan is for a “linked open space system”. In addition, the City of Brampton has an agreement with TransCanada Pipelines

(TCPL) for a major pedestrian pathway that will span the city, conditions permitting, as illustrated in Figure 19.


Figure 18: Brampton’s Green Infrastructure (Source: City of Brampton, 2015)


TransCanada Infrastructure Corridor

The City’s pedestrian pathway along the TransCanada Pipelines (TCPL) corridor is currently constructed from approximately Airport Road to Mississauga Road, conditions permitting. The pathway links neighbourhoods and residents to local destinations as well as natural areas and amenities, as illustrated in Figure 19.

Figure 19: TransCanada infrastructure corridor trail between McLaughlin and Chingaucousy Roads (Source: City of

Brampton, 2015)

3.3.1 Green Infrastructure Issues and Opportunities

The extent of green infrastructure in Brampton is substantial. Careful management and naturalization of green

infrastructure can improve natural features and functions within the corridors, and complement and enhance the

protection of the city’s NHS and urban forest.

Of the extensive green infrastructure across the city, Brampton only has responsibility for stormwater management

facilities, local road rights-of-way and municipal operations/administration facility lands. Major infrastructure providers

include the MTO, 407 ETR, Ontario Hydro, TransCanada Pipelines, Enbridge, and Region of Peel, as illustrated in Figure

18.

A major focus in moving forward is inter-agency partnerships and collaboration for stewardship. The City currently

manages the natural areas that cross infrastructure corridors, including watercourse remediation, and vegetation

restoration and enhancement. By working with the infrastructure providers and our conservation partners, future


efforts can focus on restoration of tableland natural features within the corridors, and naturalization of potential natural

cover/enhancement areas.

Within the public road rights-of-way, the implementation of stormwater management LID measures is a primary

consideration, particularly where stormwater controls are limited in older neighbourhoods. Providing LID quantity and

quality controls can improve runoff to watercourses, and lessen impacts to fish and wildlife habitat and riparian

vegetation communities through the reduction of stream erosion, sedimentation and poor water quality.

Key issues and opportunities for green infrastructure are summarized in Table 7.


Table 7: Key issues and opportunities for Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructure Issues Green Infrastructure NHEMS Opportunities

Infrastructure providers may not recognize the natural

landscape and/or local NHS context of the

infrastructure corridor

Infrastructure providers may not manage linear

corridors for linkage functions across a diversity of

landscapes

Linear corridors have an extensive edge across the

landscape that provides significant pathways for

invasive plants within the corridor, and/or to extend

invasive species to other natural areas

Conventional landscaping is intended to minimize

maintenance (i.e. trees not typically planted along

hydro transmission lines)

Green infrastructure generally includes minimal

stormwater management controls (e.g.

ditches/swales)

Infrastructure corridor intersections with

roads/highways may impact wildlife safety

Stormwater facility naturalization may conflict with

wildlife species conservation

There may be specific management requirements for

certain types of infrastructure (i.e. pipelines and hydro

transmission corridors)

Community perception may not recognize the

ecological value of naturalized areas within areas of

green infrastructure

NHEMS can educate and engage stakeholders on the

benefits and opportunities of naturalization and

stewardship efforts

NHEMS can guide management and naturalization

efforts to maximize ecological benefits

Adopt programs to prioritize and implement invasive

species management, combined with naturalization

efforts

Select native species to enhance ecological diversity

while minimizing infrastructure conflict

Seek opportunities to maximize/retrofit LID measures to

address site and adjacent natural area water balances

Manage for safe eco-passage using road ecology

measures, including barriers, culverts, etc.

Stormwater facility landscaping should enhance

ecological functions, but not conflict with wildlife

conservation

Establish working groups with the managers of green

infrastructure to address special management

requirements

Combine naturalization programs of green infrastructure

with signage for public education


3.4 Brampton’s Urban Forest

All of the trees present throughout the City of Brampton on public and

private lands constitute its urban forest; this includes trees within

natural woodlands and green infrastructure. The urban forest can also

be found in the most urbanized parts of the city, including street trees

in road boulevards and parking lots, and trees planted on institutional

lands, employment lands (i.e. head office properties, commercial

centres, and industrial areas) and the thousands of trees planted in the

front and back yards of residential neighbourhoods.

Ecological Value of the Urban Forest

Trees provide multiple benefits to urban communities: they reduce the

urban heat island effect by shading hard areas including roads, parking

lots and buildings; reduce cooling costs by shading buildings in the

summer; increase property values; mitigate climate change by

sequestering carbon; woodlands create urban cool islands; provide

habitat for wildlife; and provide areas for passive recreation. Many

urban municipalities establish Urban Forest Management Plans that

strategically guide programs to maintain the health and expand urban

tree cover over time.

City of Brampton Urban Forest Study

The City of Brampton Urban Forest Study (2011) provides the following summary:

The City of Brampton’s 3.6 million trees cover 11 percent of the total land area, providing

145 km2 of total leaf area. Average tree density in Brampton is 134 trees per hectare. By

ownership type, homeowners and tenants control the largest percentage of the city’s

urban forest. Nearly one third of the existing tree cover is located within the residential

area.

Within Brampton, 41% of the tree cover is located in natural woodland, most of which is

protected within the city’s NHS. Surprisingly, the majority of the urban forest canopy

(59%) is located within open space, green infrastructure, and/or on private lands,

representing trees that have been intentionally planted. This demonstrates the

substantial contribution stewardship and tree planting programs make to the health of

the built environment.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&docid=nNkjcdmCbNML-M&tbnid=BtxTsDkAASdsSM:&ved=0CAgQjRw4MQ&url=http://www.greenpop.org/why-trees/&ei=E3lzU5zDJIeT8gGcwYG4BA&psig=AFQjCNHEyxeJpDi-kssx2NBdQMgIzhejhQ&ust=1400162963678923


City of Brampton EAB Mitigation Plan

The City's Urban Forestry division has closely monitored the spread of EAB in Brampton and is now actively removing and replacing affected trees. EAB management will require:

Injections for large, high-value ash trees;

Removing and stumping infected ash trees; and

Replacing lost ash trees at a ratio 1:1 is expected to require the planting of over 2,000 trees each year

The cost of removing and replacing the City’s 28,000 – 30,000 ash trees over the next 10 years is forecast to be $20 million.

Emerald Ash Borer Infestation of the Urban Forest

An important consideration of Brampton’s current urban forest condition is the

ongoing loss of tree cover due to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation. EAB is

an invasive species of beetle which feeds exclusively on ash trees. Ash trees

represent approximately 14% of the city’s tree canopy, including many street and

park trees. In 2005 the City banned the planting of ash, in anticipation of EAB

reaching Brampton. In many older neighbourhoods, entire streets were planted

exclusively with ash trees, which are now large, and highly valued by residents. Ash trees also constitute a significant

species in Brampton’s NHS, as well as on private properties, given their successful growth on the clay soils of the Peel

Plain. EAB is expected to devastate Brampton’s ash tree population, killing virtually all of them by 2017.

Corporate Tree Planting Programs

Typical of a large urban community, Brampton also includes a variety of business and institutional properties which have

large areas of green landscaping. Programs such as the Conservation Authorities’ Greening Corporate Grounds Program

have the potential to transform manicured areas around these buildings to more natural communities that provide

more environmental functions and ecological services, as shown in Figure 20.


Figure 21: Percentage of existing and possible tree cover (TC) in Brampton (Source: Brampton Urban Forest Study, 2011)

Figure 20: Site plan for greening corporate grounds at Brampton

Memorial Gardens (Source: Credit Valley Conservation, 2012)

Priority Areas to Increase Brampton’s Tree Cover

There remain many areas in Brampton where tree planting can be expanded to increase the total tree cover. These

areas include front and back yards; industrial, commercial and institutional lands; recreational open space and parks;

and the NHS. The Brampton Urban Forest Study (2011) shows broad areas of low existing tree cover (TC) for which

municipal, conservation authority and private stewardship and tree planting programs can make a substantial

improvement to Brampton’s total possible tree cover, as shown in Figure 21.


The Peel Urban Forest Working Group is developing a GIS tool to assist with prioritizing tree planting within the urban

areas of Peel Region10. Community programs such as the CVC’s ‘Green Yard’, ‘Greening Corporate Grounds’ and

‘Landowner Tree Give Away’, TRCA’s ‘ Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan’, and Trees Ontario Street

Planting program are examples of tree planting programs that can and do make important contributions to tree cover in

Brampton.

3.4.1 Urban Forest Issues and Opportunities

Trees present throughout Brampton provide significant contributions to ecologically diverse and resilient natural areas

and healthy communities. Landscaping on public and private land makes a substantial contribution to the urban forest

and there are many areas of the city where tree cover can be expanded. Key issues and opportunities for the urban

forest are summarized in Table 8.

Table 8: Key Issues and Opportunities for the Urban Forest

Urban Forest Issues Urban Forest NHEMS Opportunities

Brampton’s agriculture and rural/urban development

have eliminated natural woodlands, vegetation

groupings and hedgerows

Trees do not live forever and can be negatively

impacted by insects, diseases, invasive species, extreme

weather, etc.

Natural vegetation and urban forest communities

experience tree health impacts and may be hazardous

to public health and property

Loss of vegetation diversity and declining ecological

integrity affects resiliency of natural community and

urban forest

Urban lands are generally comprised of highly

disturbed, minimal space and compacted soils that pose

challenges to naturalization and tree planting efforts

Stewardship efforts are managed by multiple agencies

with varying priorities

NHEMS can target and prioritize tree planting areas and

build on existing naturalization/tree planting programs

A comprehensive urban forest management program

can reduce impacts of invasive species, extreme

weather events, etc.

Municipal and private land maintenance and

arboricultural programs can improve tree canopy

stability and health, and manage hazardous trees in

natural areas, parks and streets

A comprehensive Urban Forest Management Plan can

address short and long-term impacts to natural

woodlands and urban tree canopy

Municipal development criteria and guidelines can

address planting standards and soil management

The City can facilitate agency coordination of

stewardship and tree planting programs to address

NHEMS priorities

10

The Priority Tree Planting Areas to Grow Peel’s Urban Forest project is underway to develop a map-based tool to help identify potential areas for tree planting based on environmental, economic and social (including human health) considerations within Peel’s urban areas.


Figure 22: Components of the NHEMS framework

4. Overview of the NHEMS Framework

The framework of the NHEMS includes a mission

statement, guiding principles, targets, goals,

objectives and actions. The development of each

of these components builds on the

comprehensive research undertaken as part of

this Background Report, and is reflective of input

from partners and stakeholders throughout the

consultation process.

The accompanying Implementation Action Plan is

an action-focused document that centres on the

goals, objectives and actions to realize the mission

of the Strategy. It also identifies targets and

timelines for implementation to ensure that a

proactive approach is taken to conserve, restore,

connect and enhance the city’s natural heritage

and built green spaces.


5. Glossary of Terms

Active transportation – Human-powered travel, including but not limited to, walking, cycling, inline skating and travel

with the use of mobility aids, including motorized wheelchairs and other power-assisted devices moving at a comparable

speed (Provincial Policy Statement, 2014).

Adaptive management – A tool for land use/resource managers that acknowledges that our understanding of natural

systems and ecosystem services is incomplete, and that a systematic process is necessary to continually assess and

improve management policies and practices to best ensure robust decision making in the face of uncertainty, and

enables a balance between gaining knowledge to improve management in the future and achieving the best short-term

outcome based on current knowledge. Description adapted from: United Nations Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

2005, and Allan & Stankey 2009. (Catherine Allan and George H. Stankey (2009). Adaptive Environmental Management:

A Practitioner’s Guide. The Netherlands: Dordrecht. ISBN 978-90-481-2710-8).

Aquatic systems – Water based systems such as rivers, streams, ponds and lakes.

Biodiversity – All living things and the ways they interact with each other and their environment. Three levels of

biodiversity are noted: genetic diversity — the variety of genetic information contained in individual plants, animals and

micro-organisms; species diversity — the variety of species; and ecosystem diversity — the variety of habitats, ecological

communities and ecological processes (Ontario Biodiversity Strategy 2011).

Ecological features – Environmental components which are most visible, both living things like plants and animals, as

well as non-living things such as soil, topography, water, rock, etc.

Ecological functions – The natural processes, products or services that living and non-living environments provide or

perform within or between species, ecosystems and landscapes. These may include biological, physical and socio-

economic interactions (Provincial Policy Statement, 2014).

Ecological interactions – The relation between species that live together in a community; specifically, the effect an

individual of one species may exert on an individual of another species.

Eco-passage – A series of guidewalls and under-highway tunnels that allow wildlife to safely cross roadways.

Edge – Most often considered along the perimeter of a woodland patch, but may also be associated with other habitat

types such as wetlands or meadow habitats. The concern is edge effects may not provide ideal habitat conditions due to

a different micro-environment of light, wind, humidity, temperature, etc., and due to the presence of competing and/or

invasive species that invade edge habitat.

Fish habitat – As defined in the Fisheries Act , c. F-14 , means spawning grounds and nursery, rearing, food supply, and

migration areas on which fish depend directly or indirectly in order to carry out their life processes (Provincial Policy

Statement, 2014).

Fusion landscaping – A landscaping and garden design that brings together the lush splendour of traditional gardens

with modern, eco-friendly plants, flowers, colours and textures.


Greenbelt – An area of permanently protected green space, farmland, communities, forests, wetlands and watersheds.

The Greenbelt protects environmentally sensitive land and farmland in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe area from urban

development, and serves as a legacy for all Ontarians by preserving and enhancing our natural and cultural heritage.

Green infrastructure – Natural and human-made elements that provide ecological and hydrological functions and

processes. Green infrastructure (GI) can include components such as natural heritage features and systems, parklands,

stormwater management systems, street trees, urban forests, natural channels, permeable surfaces, and green roofs

(Provincial Policy Statement, 2014). The Green Infrastructure Coalition also notes that GI means to incorporate natural

vegetation and vegetative technologies in the built environment http://www.greeninfrastructureontario.org/report. For

the purposes of the NHEMS, Green infrastructure is referring only to lands associated with infrastructure service

corridors, road boulevards and stormwater management facilities.

Interior habitat – Also known as core habitat, the habitat that is most representative of the woodland, wetland or open

habitat patch, providing the most suitable or preferred habitat of native plants and animals. Interior habitat is not

influenced by edge effects.

Invasive species – A plant or animal that is not native to a specific location (an Introduced species) and has a tendency to

spread, which is believed to cause impacts and/or damage to the environment, human economy and/or human health.

Natural heritage system – A system made up of natural heritage features and areas, with linkages intended to provide

connectivity (at the regional or site level) and support natural processes, which are necessary to maintain biological and

geological diversity, natural functions, viable populations of indigenous species, and ecosystems (Provincial Policy

Statement, 2014).

Niagara Escarpment – Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment is a working countryside and a cornerstone of Ontario’s Greenbelt.

It is a protected area, recognized provincially and internationally as a significant landform with a system of development

control in place to guide development in its area.

Nutrient cycling – The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living

matter. The process is regulated by food web pathways that decompose matter into mineral nutrients.

Oak Ridge Moraine - An environmentally sensitive, geological landform in south central Ontario, covering 190,000

hectares.

Open space system – Components include parks, open space links, the multi-use trail system, natural features and

stormwater management facilities. Open space systems provide a key structural element of the community, and

perform several principle functions, including establishing the character of neighbourhoods, enhancing the built

environment, and providing both passive and active recreational opportunities within the various types of open space

and parks.

Riparian cover – Also called riparian vegetation; refers to plant communities along the river margins and banks.

Soil formation – The process by which soil is made.

http://www.greeninfrastructureontario.org/report


Soundscape – Refers to both the natural acoustic environment that consists of natural sounds, such as the sounds of

weather and other natural elements including animal vocalizations, and environmental sounds created by humans

including ordinary human activities (e.g. conversation, work, music), and mechanical sounds resulting from technology

(e.g. industry, vehicles, equipment). The disruption of these acoustic environments results in noise pollution.

Stable top of bank – The edge of the channel or bank, if there is a sharp change from the steep slope of the channel or

bank to the shallower slope of the field area, or the normal full extent of the watercourse when it contains the

maximum volume of water without flooding, if the change in slope does not exist (Greenbelt Plan, 2005).

Systems approach – The management of natural heritage as a unified, purposeful system composed of interrelated

parts.

Tableland – Any land that does not contain hazard, open space, or other limiting features that would prohibit

development.

Terrestrial systems – Land based systems such as forests, thickets, meadows and wetlands.

Urban forest – Includes all trees, shrubs, understory plants, as well as the soils that sustain them (Peel Urban Forest

Strategy, 2011).

Urban heat island effect – A condition that occurs when the average temperature in a city is higher than nearby rural

areas. The temperature is mostly caused by materials in urban areas like concrete and asphalt that absorb sunlight and

store it in large thermal masses. A secondary cause is waste heat generated by buildings, traffic, etc. The difference

between urban temperatures over regional averages is most striking at night, and especially during the winter.

Valleyland – A natural area that occurs in a valley or other landform depression that has water flowing through or

standing for some period of the year (Provincial Policy Statement, 2014).

Vegetation protection zone – A vegetated buffer area surrounding a key natural heritage feature or key hydrologic

feature within which only those land uses permitted within the feature itself are permitted. The width of the vegetation

protection zone is to be determined when new development or site alteration occurs within 120 metres of a key natural

heritage feature or key hydrologic feature, and is to be of sufficient size to protect the feature and its functions from the

impacts of the proposed change and associated activities that will occur before, during, and after, construction, and

where possible, restore or enhance the feature and/or its function (Greenbelt Plan, 2005).

Wildlife habitat – Areas where plants, animals and other organisms live, and find adequate amounts of food, water,

shelter and space needed to sustain their populations. Specific wildlife habitats of concern may include areas where

species concentrate at a vulnerable point in their annual life cycle; and areas that are important to migratory and non-

migratory species (Provincial Policy Statement, 2014).


6. Summary of Documents Reviewed in Support of this Strategy

City of Brampton

Brampton Development Design Guidelines (2003)

Brampton Grow Green Environmental Master Plan (2014)

Brampton Urban Forest Study (2011)

Brampton Natural Areas Inventory (2009-2011)

Landscape Guidelines for Site Plan Approval Process (2015)

Measuring the Sustainability Performance of New Development (2013)

Official Plan (2006)

Parks, Culture and Recreation Master Plan (2008)

PathWays Master Plan (2002)

Stormwater Management Master Plan (2010)

2016-2018 Strategic Plan

Urban Forest Technical Study (2011)

Province of Ontario

Connecting Nature and People. A Guide to Designing and Planning Natural Heritage Systems (NHS) in Growing the Greenbelt Criteria (2008)

Conservation Authorities Act (2006)

Endangered Species Act (2007)

Great Lakes Protection Act (2014)

Greenbelt Plan (2005)

Growing the Greenbelt Consultation Paper (2008)

Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2006, Office Consolidation Jan. 2012)

Natural Heritage Reference Manual for Natural Heritage Policies of the Provincial Policy Statement, 2005 (OMNR 2009)

Niagara Escarpment Plan (2005)

Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (2002)

Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy (2011)

Ontario’s Great Lake Strategy (2012)

Ontario Invasive Species Strategy (2012)

Ontario Natural Spaces Program (2005)

Provincial Policy Statement (2014)

Places to Grow Act (2006)

Parkway Belt West Plan (1978)

Region of Peel

Peel Climate Change Strategy (2011)

Peel-Caledon Significant Woodlands and Significant Wildlife Habitat Study (2009)

Peel Core Greenlands Mapping Update (2011)

Peel Urban Forest Strategy (2011)

Region of Peel Healthy Development Index Standards (2011)

Region of Peel Official Plan (2008)


Credit Valley Conservation11

Credit River Watershed and Region of Peel Natural Areas Inventory

Greenland Securement Strategy

Invasive Species Strategy

Credit Valley Conservation Natural Heritage System Strategy

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)

Claireville Conservation Area Site Securement and Protection Plan (2008)

Claireville Conservation Area Management Plan

The Living City Policies for Planning and Development

Terrestrial Natural Heritage System Strategy

LID stormwater management planning and design guidelines (TRCA/CVC) (2011)

Government of Canada

Area-Sensitive Birds in Urban Areas (2006)

Fisheries Act (1985)

How Much Habitat is Enough (April 2013, 3rd Edition)

Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994)

Species At Risk Act (2002)

Other Relevant Documents Considered

Canadian Urban Forest Strategy2013 – 2018 (2014). Canadian Urban Forest Network.

Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System Mapping for the City of Brampton – Final Technical Report – 2014 (CA NHS)

Corvalan, C., Hales, S., & McMichael, A. (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Health Synthesis. Geneva: World Health Organization.

11

The following documents were not reviewed for the NHEMS, but can provide additional guidance for implementation including: Credit River Water Management Strategy Update, Credit River Fisheries Management Plan, and CVC NHS and Wetland Restoration Strategy.


Appendix A: Policy Gaps in the Brampton Official Plan

Working with City staff, the consulting team has identified policy gaps in the Brampton Official Plan (2006) that must be

addressed to implement the NHEMS and address broader environmental gaps. These gaps are summarized under 11

theme areas.

1. Sustainability

Gap: The Official Plan policies only promote sustainable development, but do not require it. Sustainability should also

consider the incorporation of bird-friendly designs and lighting policies

Policy Revisions

The policies of Section 1: Vision should recognize and refer to Brampton documents that identify sustainability

requirements i.e. the Strategic Plan, Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Sustainable Community Development

Guidelines.

The policies of Section 2: Context of the Official Plan should reflect the Strategic Plan priorities and the Environmental

Management Plan (EMP) sustainable environment framework.

The policies of Section 3: Sustainable City Concept should be updated to:

Draw a relationship between sustainability, quality of life, and direct social and economic benefits; and

Recognize natural heritage system planning through science-based modelling and subwatershed studies.

Section 3.2.11: Open Space System should provide additional discussion of:

The role of City parks and other open space to enhance the natural heritage system and provide linkage

opportunities in an urban setting;

The importance of expanding the Greenbelt along the urban river valleys;

The role of urban forestry to sustainability, its relationship to open space, and its role in the natural heritage system,

i.e. canopy cover and migratory birds; and

The importance of green infrastructure and its role in sustainability and in enhancing the natural heritage system.

Section 3.3 should give consideration to reframing the Flower City Strategy from a visual streetscape strategy to being a

platform for environmental sustainability, as well as a community engagement opportunity.

Section 4 policies for development could also provide direction to develop bird-friendly design guidelines, including

retrofitting existing structures and lighting policies to minimize bird-building collisions.


2. Green Infrastructure

Gap: The Official Plan doesn’t recognize the importance of green infrastructure, nor promote the creation, restoration

and enhancement of green infrastructure. In a fully urban setting, green infrastructure can be used as linkages and

enhancement to the natural heritage system.

Policy Revisions

Section 3.1: Sustainable Planning Framework (Environmental Management) and Section 3.2.11: Open Space System

should promote the importance of green infrastructure and recognize the need to work with infrastructure providers.

Section 4.6: Natural Heritage and Environmental Management should provide a broadened discussion on the forms of

green infrastructure beyond just stormwater management ponds.

Section 4.6.: Restoration Areas

Section 4.6.: Corridors, Linkages should discuss the role that green infrastructure could play in natural heritage system

linkages and enhancement adjacent to existing natural heritage features.

Section 4.8: Infrastructure and Utilities should include policies that explain what green infrastructure is, the benefit it

provides, and how and where it should be promoted.

Section 4.11.2.5: Urban Design – Open Space Systems should add a bullet that promotes the naturalization of parkland

and green infrastructure.

3. Natural Heritage System

Gap: Section 4.6.6 of the Official Plan discusses the natural heritage system. Although the policies promote a systems

approach to the natural heritage system, it is largely a features-based system with no delineation or designation of an

overall system. On the Land Use Schedule (Schedule A), the natural heritage features are captured under the Open

Space designation. Schedule D identifies the specific Natural Heritage Features and Areas, but it doesn’t delineate the

system or any linkages or restoration areas.

In a nearly fully urbanized municipality such as Brampton, the opportunities for creating a systems-based natural

heritage system throughout the city are limited. However, with the vast majority of the significant natural heritage

features identified and protected, the policy focus can more readily shift to a single natural heritage system designation

with feature specific policies provided where necessary to ensure conformity with the Regional Official Plan and

consistency with the PPS.

The policies also do not recognize the role that parks, other open space, green infrastructure and the urban forest can

play in providing linkages and enhancement to an overall natural heritage system in an urban setting.


Policy Revisions

Reorganization of the NHS policies in Section 4.6 to include a shift from a feature-based policy approach to a systems-

based policy approach, which still address the identification of significant natural heritage features while also

emphasizing how linkages, restoration and enhancement are part of the system and can be provided through other

open space features.

Consideration should also be given to adding a Natural Heritage System designation to the general land use schedule

(Schedule A) based on the CA NHS (CVC and TRCA 2014). To ensure consistency with the PPS, Schedule D identifying the

boundaries of specific features within the Natural Heritage System should remain. Schedule D could also identify

conceptually potential linkages, restoration areas and enhancement area.

Emphasize that impact on natural heritage functions must be addressed through appropriate studies, and that

mitigation/compensation will be undertaken to ensure no net loss to the overall system and a net benefit to the system

where possible.

In addition, strengthening of the existing policies could also be achieved by:

Addressing the conservation and naturalization of lands, including enhancement of existing vegetation next to

natural heritage features;

Discussing Brampton’s NHS relationship with the TRCA and CVC watershed natural heritage systems;

Including restoration areas as a part of the natural heritage system and not something to be added to the natural

heritage system at a later time;

Recognizing species at risk, which include both fish and wildlife;

More explicit criteria on how to identify and delineate linkages within the natural heritage system and the role that

parks, other open space, green infrastructure and the urban forest can play in creating the linkages in an urban

setting; and

Introducing the potential to consider compensation for loss of the natural heritage system in certain areas for

compensation elsewhere.

4. Regional Natural Heritage System Connections

Gap: The Official Plan policies should speak to relevance within, and relationship to, broader regional natural systems,

including the Greenbelt Plan Natural System, and the role that river valleys play in the city’s natural heritage system and

creating regional linkages.

Policy Revisions

Section 2.1: Physical and Environmental Considerations, Section 3: Sustainable City Concept and Section 4.6: Natural

Heritage and Environmental Management should recognize the interconnection of Brampton’s natural heritage system

in the context of the provincial and regional systems, including the Greenbelt Plan.


Section 4.13: Parkway Belt West should identify functional relationship of the Parkway Belt West Plan Area (PBWPA) to

the city’s natural heritage system. As the city’s NHS is comprised primarily of north-south valley and watercourse

corridors, the PBWPA can provide a functional east-west linkage. The policies should also recognize that restoration and

enhancement of the PBWPA natural features and functions will be through stewardship and partnership.

Section 4.6.15: Protecting Public Health and Safety should recognize that proactive management of local water

resources and stormwater drainage is critical to protecting Lake Ontario and Peel’s potable water supply.

Section 4.6.14: Greenbelt should recognize the value of Brampton’s river valleys.

5. Other Land Use Designations

Gap: The land use policies in Section 4 are not linked to the intent of other policy sections of the Official Plan and, in

particular, to the provision of urban forestry, green infrastructure and natural heritage system enhancement.

Policy Revisions

Update policies that address the functional relationship of the city’s built environment to the natural heritage system,

and how other land use designations can assist in enhancing and achieving the natural heritage system and urban forest

in an urban setting.

Recognize that supportive policies in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4 (Central Area, Residential, Commercial, Employment)

may be necessary to promote NHS linkages, private and public land naturalization, green infrastructure, resource

conservation and urban forestry.

Include policies that address that Institutional and Public Uses are often located on substantial properties, and that

these lands could contribute to green infrastructure and urban forest, as well as support ecological features, functions

and linkages.

Recognize that roads, in addition to green infrastructure and stormwater management facilities, provide areas for

improving urban forest and green spaces linkage. The policies should provide design and management direction.

Recognize that the management of roads should consider environmental, social and cultural issues as well as

transportation/traffic related issues.

6. Recreational Open Space and Parks

Gap: The Official Plan policies do not consider how recreational open space and parks can contribute to the Natural

Heritage System and urban forest, and the importance of naturalization within parks and open space.

Policy Revisions


Section 4.7.1: General Recreational Open Space should discuss the conservation of treed areas in parks and open space

and opportunities for naturalization of parks and open space particularly where such areas could enhance the natural

heritage system and urban forest.

Section 4.7.1.14 needs to clarify the relationship between incorporating significant treed areas into the open space

network and the inclusion of such features in the natural heritage system.

Section 4.7.2: Public Parkland should provide policy guidance on the right trail for the right location. Policies should be

added to address trail planning and design considerations in natural features and areas in order to mitigate the impact

of construction and long-term use.

Section 4.7.2: Public Parkland should recognize that high noise and light generating recreation facilities may not be

compatible with the natural heritage system and require mitigation where applicable.

7. Management and Restoration

Gap: The Official Plan policies do not currently address long-term management of the natural heritage system including

restoration initiatives.

Policy Revisions

Section 4.6: Natural Heritage and Environmental Management should identify the need for management plans for

natural areas, set targets for improving the natural heritage system, and provide guidance on monitoring the success of

restoration efforts.

Section 4.8: Infrastructure and Utilities should include a policy for the management and naturalization of utility corridors

to restore and enhance ecological features, functions and linkages.

8. Natural Hazards

Gap: The Official Plan policies regarding natural hazards should emphasize the ecosystem benefit as well as the

risk/safety benefit of protecting natural hazard lands and remediating natural hazards.

Policy Revisions

The Preamble of Section 4.6: Natural Heritage and Environmental Management should recognize that Natural hazard

protection has two benefits. It protects the community from risk while also positively contributing to water quality,

stormwater management, reducing soil erosion and improving slope stability.

Within Section 4.6.15.5: Natural Hazards, the policies should:

Recognize urban flooding as a hazard; and

Recognize remediation of stream channels and valleys both as infrastructure maintenance and enhancing

ecosystem functions.


9. Community Stewardship

Gap: The Official Plan should more explicitly set out a program on community stewardship.

Policy Revisions

Section 4.6: Natural Heritage and Environmental Management should be revised to:

Require the City to undertake internal and external education, including engagement of homeowners living

adjacent to the natural heritage system; and

Require new development approvals include development and distribution of Homeowner Guides for new

residents, which explain the importance of NHS and what residents can do to improve the system.

10. Urban Forestry

Gap: The current Official Plan does not provide sufficient policy guidance on urban forestry.

Policy Revisions

In order to emphasize the importance of urban forests, the Official Plan should include a separate section specific to

urban forestry. This section could provide specific policies on street and park trees, and trees on private property, and

the contribution these trees make to the urban canopy.

A section on urban forests should include policies requiring:

o Regular assessment of urban canopy coverage and targets;

o Urban forest management strategy and plans to be prepared;

o Development of compensation requirements for the removal of trees to facilitate development which is related

to loss of canopy coverage;

o Planting densities requirements for parks and street boulevards;

o Biodiversity to be addressed in planting standards;

o Soil quality criteria for tree planting; and

o Establishment of targets for canopy coverage – e.g. providing substantial shade within 10 years on tree lined

streets.

11. Light Pollution

Gap: The Official Plan policies need to recognize the need to mitigate light pollution on the natural heritage system.

Policy Revisions

Sections 3.2.11: Open Space System and Sections 4.6.15: Protecting Public Health and Safety should include policies

pertaining to light pollution in relation to the natural heritage system.


Appendix B: Stakeholder Consultation Summaries

Phase 1 Stakeholder Consultation Summary

Overview

Six stakeholder sessions, three presentations and online engagement activities were held over May 1 to July 26, 2013 to

discuss Brampton's Natural Heritage Environmental Management Strategy. There were approximately 60 participants in

total. These sessions were held for a wide range of external stakeholders representing: government and agencies

(including adjacent municipalities and local Conservation Authorities), aboriginal communities, committees of City

Council, the Mayor's Youth Team, educational institutions, environmental groups, community groups, business and

development organizations, local utilities and transit, and arboriculture firms. Each session began with welcoming

remarks from Susan Jorgenson (Manager of Environmental Planning, City of Brampton) or Michael Hoy (Environmental

Planner, City of Brampton), followed by a presentation on the project given by Brent Tegler of North-South

Environmental or Susan Hall of Lura Consulting. A facilitated discussion followed the presentation to gather input from

the participants. During the sessions, participants were asked to provide their input to the Strategy vision, identify

existing initiatives, identify key strengths, opportunities and gaps, and provide their recommendations on how to engage

and communicate with the community as the NHEMS is implemented.

Summary

The key themes and discussion points from engagement activities are summarized below.

Vision

The following is a summary of the key

words/concepts that participants thought

should be reflected in the vision for the

NHEMS. The key words/concepts have

been grouped loosely by theme.

Key Themes

The following is a list of key themes

emerging out of the Phase 1 engagement

activities.

Restoration and Protection of Existing

Areas – Participants felt it is important

that the Strategy promotes protection

and restoration of existing areas, such as

wetlands and meadows, in addition to

enhancements.


Urban Forestry and Tree Planting – There were a series of suggestions to improve uptake of tree planting on private

property including: providing informational materials on which trees to plant, approaching residents in less developed

areas, making tree planting a strategic priority of the City. Another suggestion for improving tree canopy was to

decrease the standard road widths in order to allow more room for trees and urban boulevards. Youth audiences

recommended that a focus on other plantings, such as shrubs and gardens, might be more palatable for families.

Planning Tools and Policy – The NHEMS should promote the land use planning tools (i.e. zoning by-laws) to protect and

enhance natural areas. These tools can provide regulatory strength and promote consistency in decision-making. The

City also has the ability to use the authority under the Ontario Heritage Act to protect natural heritage landscapes.

Greening Infrastructure – Participants suggested a variety of opportunities to enhance natural heritage through

‘greening’ infrastructure; for example, creating green roofs, urban boulevards and pervious or stacked parking lots.

There was also support for looking at micro-habitats and supporting functions for foraging or wildlife movement through

existing infrastructure.

Development and Land-use Planning – Participants thought that higher density development offers an opportunity to

promote natural heritage by protecting existing natural areas and green spaces. There are opportunities to protect

natural areas by maintaining a site’s typography and leaving soil on site during development. Transect planning and

planning new developments to maintain connectivity between green spaces were also suggested.

Stormwater Management and Low Impact Development (LID) – Participants identified a variety of opportunities to

improve the natural heritage value of stormwater management ponds by: piloting new techniques such as the floating

islands; using financial incentives to reduce runoff; engaging residents in maintenance and naturalization; and creating a

fund for retrofitting existing ponds. Concerns about maintenance costs, safety and needing successful local examples

were raised.

Design Innovation – There is willingness from the development community to implement alternative approaches to

protect or enhance the natural environment, provided that approvals are not negatively impacted. One suggestion was

to develop an approved toolbox or set of design guidelines for use when reviewing development applications.

Community Engagement and Volunteerism – There were a range of suggestions about how to engage community

members in environmental initiatives. It was suggested that many people are interested in participating in tree planning

and other environmental initiatives but don’t know where to go. There are a number of groups working on the ground

doing excellent environmental work who have already established networks in their communities.

Engaging Homeowners – Participants felt there are a variety of opportunities to improve the natural heritage value of

individual properties, such as natural landscaping, rain gardens and tree planting. Demonstration projects are a good

way to encourage homeowners to implement these initiatives. Another suggestion was to engage people when they are

buying a home. For example, home buyers could be provided with a suite of options to consider, including on their

property during construction.

Education and Awareness – Participants felt that many residents lack understanding of Brampton’s natural heritage

system and its value. Suggestions were made in terms of raising awareness and educating the community about the

value of natural heritage system and how to contribute on their own properties. These included:


Conducting pilot projects and demonstration sites;

Placing signage along trails and rivers;

Encouraging the use of trails and providing opportunities for experiencing nature;

Distributing brochures and informational materials;

Delivering messages through youth; and

Hosting an Eco-Tradeshow.

Opportunities with Schools and School Yards – School yards make up a large portion of the city’s urban greenspace and,

therefore, provide an important opportunity for enhancing natural heritage. There is a general interest from students

and teachers, as well as funding and support for environmental initiatives and, specifically, community gardens on

school properties.

Consistency and Enforcement – Participants noted there is a need for enforcement and consistency in application of by-

laws relating to tree removal and natural heritage protection. The City needs consistent enforcement of City by-laws and

communication with residents.

Communication – Participants indicated that communication with a focus on benefits of naturalization will be a critical

component of making this Strategy a success.

Council Buy-in – Participants suggested that City Council and senior management support are critical to the Strategy’s

success. Educating Council and staff, as well as residents, on the benefits of natural heritage is needed to help improve

support.

Youth – There are a number youth groups and initiatives that encourage participation in environmental initiatives.

Several suggestions were made for how to engage youth in natural heritage, including:

Host events that get youth out into nature and promote outdoor education;

Connect eco-schools and green clubs to help them join forces;

Go into the schools and engage students face-to-face;

Educate and train those who are doing environmental work in schools; and

Host student competitions for environmental ideas.

Faith Grounds and Commercial Properties – There are opportunities to naturalize and enhance urban green space

surrounding faith grounds and commercial properties. Funding and programs exists to support these initiatives.

Incentives – There are opportunities to use financial incentives to encourage conservation among residents and

businesses.

Implementation – The Strategy needs to include a detailed Implementation Action Plan that defines roles and

responsibilities for each department (as appropriate). The Implementation Action Plan should also include realistic

budget allocations.

Linked to Strategic Plan – It is important that the Strategy is linked to other City strategic planning documents, and that

natural heritage is included in these documents.


Aboriginal Consultation

Overview

In an effort to use stakeholders’ time efficiently, aboriginal groups were invited to participate in individual discussions

with the City of Brampton staff, City of Mississauga staff and the consulting team to provide input to both Brampton’s

NHEMS and Mississauga’s Natural Heritage & Urban Forest Strategy (NH&UFS). The purpose of these discussions was to

provide early insights to the development of Brampton’s NHEMS and gain input on key aspects of the draft Mississauga

NH&UFS. Invitations were provided to seven aboriginal organizations represented in Brampton and Mississauga. A

representative from the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation participated in the conference call on June 18, 2013.

The discussion began with a brief welcome from Susan Jorgenson (Manager of Environmental Planning, City of

Brampton) and Olav Sibille (Project Manager, City of Mississauga), followed by an overview about the two projects given

by Mirek Sharp (North-South Environmental). Following the presentation, Susan Hall from Lura Consulting facilitated the

discussion.

The key themes and discussion points are summarized below.

Recognize aboriginal cultural and ancestry: There are many opportunities to recognize aboriginal history in both

Brampton and Mississauga. For example, there is rich ancestry along the Credit River that can help tell the story

of the First Nations peoples. There is an opportunity to create a specific site that can show series of images,

photography, mapping, and include interactive educational features or creative experiences. In addition, there is

interest in developing and promoting a series of markers along Brampton’s and Mississauga’s waterways to

recognize historical sites (i.e. similar to the Yellow Fish Road program) and be promoted during Heritage Month.

This could include developing an in-school program where students would research where their school is

located, which First Nation is there, then paint a moccasin (marker) of the indigenous people to recognize their

history.

Recognize First Nations in the landscape: When travelling through southern Ontario, First Nations are not

reflected in the landscape. There are good examples of integrating function within nature and reflecting natural

values in buildings (e.g. Montreal airport with cultural and natural elements in the stone and archways).

Incorporate Carolinian and other native plants: There is a list of heritage plant species available that could be

used for plantings and an opportunity to educate people about medicinal plants and promote their protection.

Create a memorable experience: Commemoration of aboriginal sites is a good start, but there is a need to

create a memorable experience that will help people understand the value of nature and protect urban forests.

There are opportunities to integrate educational walking tours around water and sacred sites to increase

cultural knowledge.

Continue to educate: Education plays an important role in stewardship. There is a need to educate people about

native and non-native plantings and invasive species. People need tools to help them learn how to protect

natural heritage.

Integrate natural heritage protection in the Official Plan: Green lands need to be included in the Official Plan

and clearly defined so that they can be recognized and protected.


Phase 2 Stakeholder and Public Consultation Summary

Overview

A stakeholder workshop was held on October 29, 2014 to discuss Brampton's Natural Heritage Environmental

Management Strategy. There were approximately 40 participants in total. The workshop was held for a wide range of

City staff and external stakeholders to secure additional input to the draft NHEM Strategy and ensure that the final draft

is reflective of stakeholder values and input.

The workshop began with welcoming remarks from Susan Jorgenson (Manager of Environmental Planning, City of

Brampton) followed by an overview presentation on the draft Strategy given by Brent Tegler, North-South

Environmental Inc., followed by facilitated discussions lead by Susan Hall of Lura Consulting. Participants formed smaller

groups to review and prioritize the draft objectives and actions, as well as collectively review the draft targets.

Summary

The key themes and discussion points from engagement activities are summarized below.

Vision

Key feedback on the draft vision included:

Considering repositioning as a Mission statement;

Considering adding a focus on watershed protection; and

Recognizing the need to identify and expand the NHS.

Guiding Principles

Key feedback on the draft guiding principles included:

Modifying language to be more definitive and simplified;

Thinking beyond Southern Ontario, recognizing best practices from abroad;

Using them as a decision-making tool;

Recognizing that there will be trade-off decisions and highlighting how the City will ensure balance; and

Relating actions and targets to guiding principles more explicitly.

Objectives

Overall, participants suggested rolling up some of the objectives under management and collaboration specifically, and

participants added a few additional objectives to the list. For all goals and objectives discussed, participants suggested

refinements to wording. These are captured in Section 4.0.


Goal 1: Establish an Effective Policy and Planning Framework for the NHEMS

Participants were generally supportive of the objectives under Goal 1.

The key recommendation was to add the following new Objectives:

o To revise the Official Plan (OP) to integrate NHEMS into all OP sections (this would replace all other

Objectives O1.1-O1.4);

o To create a planning framework that creates Development Planning Team meetings to integrate cross-

disciplinary considerations; and

o To monitor and report on the success of implementing the OP - A question was raised on who reports on

all departments/disciplines.

Participants also suggested key elements that can be integrated into actions, such as recognizing the need to

protect endangered species and their habitats, supporting stormwater management retrofits, connecting low

impact trails, including private land planning and management, and addressing effective water management.

Goal 2: Manage Natural Heritage, Urban Forests, Open Space and Green Infrastructure to Maximize the Ecosystem

Services Provided


Participants suggested the following new Objectives be added:

o To extend management practices beyond NHS into green infrastructure lands and open space;

o To develop a Pathway Master Plan that considers the NHS;

Participants suggested that Objectives 2.2 and 2.4 could be merged.

Participants suggested a number of enhancements to the objectives, including a focus on defining who we are

trying to increase understanding for, a need to recognize partnership, a need for management strategies that

recognize protection of endangered species, and a focus on linkages as well as enhancement of NHS.

Goal 3: Invest in efforts to collaborate, engage & create partnerships with all interested stakeholders in the

development and implementation of NHEMS actions


Participants suggested that “partnerships” objectives be merged as one overarching objective with sub bullets

describing the various partnerships with provincial and regional agencies, infrastructure service providers, NGOs

and community groups and local schools, etc.

Participants suggested that a stronger emphasis be placed on engagement with Council and achieving political

support and approval to accomplish actions of the NHEMS.

Actions

Participants were asked to select their top two priority Objectives under each of the three Goals that they wanted to

spend time discussing at the workshop. The Actions related to these top priority Objectives were the focus of the

discussion.


Goal 1: Establish an Effective Policy and Planning Framework for the NHEMS

Feedback on Actions supporting Objective 1.1: Revise Official Plan policies related to the protection, restoration and

enhancement of the Natural Heritage System:

Participants felt that some of the Actions were too specific and that a review of the OP to identify gaps would be

most beneficial.

Some suggested additional Actions include:

o To identify performance measures and monitoring process;

o To review OP to integrate NHEMS into all OP sections;

o To conduct a gap analysis of OP to ensure policies support all NHEMS objectives and actions;

o To look for barriers to NHEMS Objectives and Actions (e.g. water) in OP; and

o To include developing OP to protect endangered species and their habitat.

Feedback on Actions supporting Objective 1.4: Incorporate the results of the CA NHS study (CVC and TRCA 2014) into the

Official Plan policies and schedules:

Participants felt that A1.4.1. needed to be revised to:

o Focus on undertaking a municipally lead review to identify the policy implications and potential policy

changes if incorporating the CA NHS; and

o Define the “process” for bringing in the CA NHS into the OP with ongoing support and involvement of CA

partners/Region/MNRF.

Goal 2: Manage Natural Heritage, Urban Forests, Open Space System and Green Infrastructure Lands to Maximize the

Ecosystem Services Provided

Feedback on Actions supporting Objective 2.2: Actively restore natural features and functions in all areas of the Natural

Heritage System:

Participants were supportive of the Actions identified.

They suggested two additional actions:

o To develop a more comprehensive city-wide Plan for the City’s Valleyland Naturalization Program; and

o To formalize a partnerships strategy with stakeholders.

Feedback on Actions supporting Objective 2.2: Develop and implement an Open Space Naturalization Program to

prioritize areas to be naturalized in city-wide and community parks, and open spaces:

Participants were supportive of the Actions identified with a recommendation to clearly define active and

passive recreation.

They suggested two additional actions:

o To develop a new “dark skies” system standards; and

o To develop planting standards for boulevards.


Goal 3: Invest in efforts to collaborate, engage & create partnerships with all interested stakeholders in the

development and implementation of NHEMS actions

Feedback on Actions supporting Objective 3.1: Engage Council for approval and funding to support natural heritage

protection and environmental management of the city’s natural and built green space:

• Participants were supportive of the Actions identified to engage Council.

• They suggested:

o There is a need to engage and empower Council by bringing forth information to understandable

problems; and

o There is a need to ensure Council understands why the environment is important, how they can be

advocates, and how they can respond to residents.

Feedback on Actions supporting Objective 3.4: Develop a community environmental stewardship network to support

and expand private and public land stewardship and partnerships activities:

Participants were supportive of the Actions identified for environmental stewardship.

They suggested the following additional actions:

o To provide a shared communications platform for stewardship and community groups; and

o To build a network of businesses that are seeking to sponsor stewardship programs, events and activities

on public and/or private lands.

Targets

Key feedback on the draft targets for the NHEMS included:

• The number of targets is appropriate;

• The linkage of targets to the Brampton Grow Green plan is appropriate;

• The Conservation Authorities will work with the City to further refine some of the targets;

• Link targets to the guiding principles;

• Make it explicit that measurement needs to be carried out and who is responsible; and

• Ensure there is an action that speaks to adaptive management.


Appendix C: Conservation Authority Natural Heritage System Strategies

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

TRCA’s approach to the development of a natural system is based on providing a targeted level of ecological function for

the whole system that accounts for predicted future land conversion and optimizes the location of natural cover in the

region. TRCA used two sets of criteria - a vector analysis (patch size, shape and matrix influence) to evaluate both the

existing system and the target system function, and a raster model (ecological and feasibility criteria) to evaluate what

should be included in the target system. The approach, target system and model policies are found in the TRCA’s

Terrestrial Natural Heritage System Strategy (TNHSS).

The TNHS model and target system was used in the development of watershed plans, and the refined natural systems

from the Humber River and Etobicoke and Mimico watershed plans. It should be noted that the relationship between

the aquatic system and the terrestrial NHS can be found in the watershed plans.

TRCA is also leading strategic partnership projects with the Region of Peel, City of Brampton and CVC (as appropriate),

including the Peel Channels Remediation Study, Terrestrial Ecosystem Services Compensation Protocol (underway),

Partners in Project Green (Pearson Eco-business Park) and the County Court Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action

Plan. The NHEMS will integrate direction from these projects and support implementation, particularly as it relates to

targets and actions.


Credit Valley Conservation

CVC’s integrated terrestrial and aquatic Credit Valley Conservation Natural Heritage System Strategy (CVCNHSS) is

similar in principle to TRCA. Utilizing a systems approach based on current science in landscape ecology, the CRWNHS

intent was two-fold: (i) protect, restore or enhance the ecological integrity of the watershed’s natural features, functions

and systems, and (ii) protect or enhance the quantity and quality of surface and ground water for environmental and

human uses. The watershed NHS methodology has been integrated into recent subwatershed studies, refining the

system at a local scale12.

The components of the CVCNHSS consist of natural heritage features and their buffers, and natural heritage areas

identified as Centres for Biodiversity, that were mapped using (vector based) GIS algorithms that classified features into

High Functioning, Supporting and Contributing. The resulting system was reviewed and compared to recommended

natural cover targets, as well as the Credit River Watershed Landscape Scale Analysis to ascertain inclusion of high

quality habitat patches from a landscape perspective, and to adjust criteria if necessary. It is the combination of these

features, their buffers and areas together, that define a resilient, robust system for the Credit River watershed.

12

As identified by CVC staff (pers. comm. Yvette Roy) the CRWNS was consulted to inform the development of Mississauga’s approved Natural Heritage System.


Appendix D: Mount Pleasant Community – Building a Natural Heritage System

The Mount Pleasant Community Natural Heritage System planning was founded on extensive studies that included:

North West Brampton Environmental Open Space Study (2005) that examined supporting the urban boundary

expansion related to the Region of Peel Official Plan Amendment;

North West Brampton Landscape Scale Analysis (2007) to provide the subwatershed ecological context for the

Huttonville & Fletcher’s Creeks Subwatershed Study;

Credit Valley Conservation: Effectiveness Monitoring Strategy - 5 Year Review, May 2009 for Huttonville and

Fletcher’s Creek; and,

Huttonville and Fletcher’s Creeks Subwatershed Study (2010). The HFSWS was undertaken in four phases; Phase

1 Subwatershed Characterization, Phase 2 Impact Analysis, Phase 3 Management Strategies and

Implementation, and Phase 4 Long-Monitoring, as illustrated in Figure D1.

Figure D1: Subwatershed Planning Process (Source: AMEC)


The Mount Pleasant Community Natural Heritage System was developed based on achieving ecological targets

related to:

Surface water – flow time series, instream erosion, contaminants of concern and protection of life and property;

Groundwater – discharge, recharge areas, water table elevations and stream low flow function;

Fisheries - healthy fish communities;

Fluvial – maintenance of drainage density, flushing flow (sediment mobility) and low flow function; and

Terrestrial – riparian cover, forest cover, wetland cover, interior forest/core habitat, species at risk and special

status species, natural area protection, natural corridors and linkages, multi-functional supporting linkage and

significant woodlands.

In total, the HFSWS and the Mount Pleasant Community represent an excellent example of local natural heritage system

planning. Natural areas and features in the rural landscape (that represented 8% of the secondary plan area) comprised

of fragmented woodlands and wetlands and altered watercourses, including agricultural drains and headwater swales,

were transformed into an integrated terrestrial, and aquatic natural heritage system that comprised of 18% of Block

Plans 51-1 and 51-2.

The building blocks of the NHS are depicted in Figures D2 to D8.

Figure D2: Existing Conditions


Figure D3: Protected Woodlands

Figure D4: Protected Woodlands and Wetlands


Figure D5: Protected Woodlands, Wetlands and Watercourse Corridors

Figure D6: Protected Woodlands, Wetlands, Watercourse Corridors and Restoration Areas


Figure D7: Protected Woodlands, Wetlands, Watercourse Corridors, Restoration Areas and Buffers

Figure D8: A Protected Natural Heritage System with External Connections and Supporting Green Infrastructure


Appendix E: Subwatershed Boundaries


Appendix F: Valley Naturalization Planting Program 2003-2014