Sustaining & Growing Oakville's Canopy

The Town has set a goal of achieving 40% tree canopy coverage by 2049. The Town’s tree canopy coverage is just 29%; while Ward 6 is the lowest at 24%.

The Town should take meaningful, measurable steps to protect and expand our urban forest, including:

• • Protect and strengthen Oakville’s natural heritage system by preserving existing trees and natural areas.

  • Increase opportunities for tree growth across all land-use zones, ensuring trees have adequate soil volume, space, and ongoing maintenance to reach their potential mature size.

  • Improve tree planting standards by requiring optimal spacing and sufficient soil volume to support healthy, long-term growth.

  • Update parking lot standards to provide greater soil volumes and encourage enhanced rooting environments that support healthy, mature trees.

  • Require new commercial and housing developments to provide sufficient landscaped areas to support a minimum 30% tree canopy coverage at maturity, helping ensure new neighbourhoods advance the Town’s overall 40% canopy goal. 

  • Strengthen efforts to plant trees in paved and private areas, protect pervious growing spaces, manage invasive species, and track forest health across the Town.

  • Oakville should not simply set a tree-canopy target, we should measure our progress, protect the trees we have, and ensure that new development helps us reach that goal.