The Oak Ridges Steering Committee (Toronto Council Subcommittee on the Oak Ridges Moraine) has completed its mandate and is no longer active. The following information is provided for archival purposes.

The rolling terrain of the Oak Ridges Moraine sustains some of the most significant and distinctive woodlands and wetlands in the GTA.

The Oak Ridges Moraine is a regional feature

• The moraine is a ridge of primarily sand and gravel, deposited by advancing and retreating glaciers, approximately 12,000 years ago.
• The moraine extends 160 km across the GTA, from the Ganaraska Forest in Durham Region in the east, to the Niagara Escarpment in the west.
• 90 km of the moraine are in the GTA, with a total coverage area of 1,250 square kilometres.
• The moraine varies in width from 3 km at its narrowest point near Lake Scugog, to approximately 24 kilometres at its widest point in York Region.
• The centre of the moraine and its deepest vertical section of the moraine is located within Richmond Hill, at 330 metres.
• The moraine forms the drainage divide for Lake Simcoe and Lake Ontario.
• The moraine serves as a groundwater recharge/discharge area for approximately 65 watercourses, 35 of which are in the GTA.
• The moraine contains most of the remaining natural areas in the GTA bio-region including forests, wetlands, and flora and fauna species.
• The moraine provides opportunities for regional scale recreation, education and nature appreciation.
• 21% of the Regional Municipalities of Durham, Peel and York fall within the moraine.

The City of Toronto's interests in the Oak Ridges Moraine

• Development on the moraine will have effects on the quantity and quality of water in the Rouge River, Don River and Humber River.
• The moraine is an environmentally significant ecological and geomorphologic feature.
• The moraine contributes to the overall quality of life of residents in the City of Toronto, which is tied to the overall health of the GTA.
• The moraine's historic role as an urban separator for development in the GTA assists in the intensification of existing urban areas, allowing for greater efficiency in the provision of services and transit.
• The public interest requires that the interests of all affected municipalities are represented in any debate over the fate of the moraine.
• The absence of a GTA-wide body to represent all interested and impacted municipalities requires participation of each affected municipality.

The need for a co-ordinated approach to protect the Oak Rides Moraine

• There are currently significant pressures to extend development on the moraine throughout the GTA.
• A comprehensive moraine strategy is required because of the regional character of the moraine and the web of river valleys that flow from it across the GTA.
• Development on the moraine impacts the health of the entire GTA bio-region, not only the local municipality.
• Development on the moraine impacts the overall quality of life of residents in the GTA.
• Environmental impacts resulting from development on the moraine will extend beyond political boundaries.
• Local and regional governments have no legal means to establish moraine policies that bind or have force and effect in another jurisdiction, creating a piecemeal approach to protection of the moraine.
• The province has recognised the need for a co-ordinated approach through interim guidelines, detailed studies and a draft strategy, but has not implemented any binding policies.

Fundamental Principles

• The Oak Ridges Moraine is one of the most significant landforms in southern Ontario. The moraine contains the headwaters of 65 river systems (35 in the GTA alone) and has a unique concentration of streams, woodlots, wetlands, kettle lakes, kettle bogs and significant flora and fauna.

• The moraine is one of the last remaining continuous green corridor in southern Ontario. It represents the GTA's last chance to save what's left of the region's natural forests for today and future generations.

• The moraine crosses many regions and local governments must take the total impact of development into consideration.

• The Province has recognized the importance of the moraine to all of southern Ontario and needs to take more of a leadership role in protecting this unique eco-region.