Taking care of Vaughan’s trees

Jan. 29, 2022 10:00 a.m.
​Vaughan’s seven-year Tree Maintenance Strategy includes enhanced pruning approach


As a truly green community, the City of Vaughan is dedicated to championing healthy and sustainable neighbourhoods that will continue to elevate the quality of life for all citizens. An important part of this commitment includes maintaining the city’s urban tree canopy. This year, to further advance Vaughan’s environmental stewardship efforts, the City is taking an enhanced and more proactive approach to tree pruning.

Through a new Council-endorsed Tree Maintenance Strategy, every City-owned street tree will now be pruned at seven-year intervals. This initiative – which also includes increased tree inspections – allows the City to adopt a more cost-effective approach to tree maintenance and reflects the ongoing commitment to good governance and financial stewardship, as outlined in the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan. It also prioritizes quality services by managing and improving the urban forest and increasing canopy cover – an important element of green infrastructure and the overall health of the Vaughan community and its ecosystem.

The City prunes trees routinely according to species, age and, in some cases, location. There are many benefits to regular tree pruning, including:

  • promoting good health.
  • preventing insects and disease.
  • removing potential safety hazards.
  • making vehicle and pedestrian clearances.
  • reducing storm damage from high winds, snow and freezing rain.
  • accommodating streetlights, buildings and utilities.

The City is preparing to prune approximately 25,000 City-owned trees in 2022.

Following this direction, the City is also taking a new approach to responding to individual pruning requests. Non-emergency requests within the scope of planned pruning will be addressed as planned; all other requests will be managed in priority sequence following an inspection. 

To report a municipal emergency or problem that requires immediate attention, call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281. The following problems are considered a municipal emergency request:

  • Fallen limb
  • Fallen tree
  • Hanging broken branches 
  • Leaning/uprooted tree
  • Split/cracked tree

For more information, visit vaughan.ca/trees.

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