Thank you Guelph for helping us grow a great Private Tree Protection Bylaw for our community. Community input was used to prepare a proposed updated Private Tree Protection Bylaw that goes to Council in April 2025. See below for more information on what we've heard and what comes next.

Guelph values its tree canopy cover and the numerous contributions trees make to the health of our community. A private tree protection bylaw is one of the tools the City uses to protect and enhance tree canopy cover, and to help build a sustainable city.

Increasing pressures on Guelph’s tree canopy cover related to urban intensification and climate change, as well as updates to related policies and regulations, have made reviewing and updating the current Private Tree Protection Bylaw a priority.

In late 2022, the City retained a multi-disciplinary consulting team to lead the research and engagement for Guelph’s Private Tree Protection Bylaw update. In the spring of 2023 we reached out to the community to hear about your thoughts about and experiences with the private tree bylaw. Now we’re seeking your input to options identified for updating the bylaw!

Engagement summary from Phase 1

Thank you to everyone who participated in our survey and conversations throughout Phase 1. We've analyzed the information and summarized what we heard throughout the spring of 2023 to share in our What We Heard Phase 1 Summary.

Engagement in Phase 2 ended May 27

Thank you to everyone who shared your thoughts on this project along the way. We've reviewed feedback from online, in person and focus group conversations, and we've summarized what we heard during Phase 2 in this report.

Interested in learning more about the options being considered for updating Guelph's private tree bylaw?

• Check out the Phase 2 information session slide deck
• Read the background section of this page for the highlights
• See the Phase 2 backgrounder or see the Phase 2 Issues and Options report to dig even deeper
• Call or email us

What's Next | Proposed Private Tree Protection Bylaw goes to Council in April 2025

Following community engagement activities that have been underway since 2022, the City of Guelph has prepared a proposed update to the Private Tree Protection Bylaw. The updated bylaw goes to Council in April, and the community can delegate if they wish.

Here’s the timeline:

• April 1 – City staff present the proposed bylaw at the Committee of the Whole meeting
• April 23 – The bylaw returns to the City Council meeting and Council votes on whether to adopt the updated bylaw

The staff report and proposed bylaw are in the Committee of the Whole agenda on our website.

Delegating to Council

Information on submitting correspondence or delegating at a Committee of the Whole or City Council meeting is available on our website. You can register or provide written comments and/or presentation materials by 10 a.m. on the last business day of the week before the meeting.

For more information, please contact:

Timea Filer, Urban Forestry Field Technologist
City of Guelph
519-822-1260 extension 3352
timea.filer@guelph.ca