In addition to its Board of Directors, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has a number of advisory committees that provide informed, expert advice to TRCA’s Board and staff, as well as guidance and support for key TRCA initiatives.
Regional Watershed Alliance
Established and approved by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Board of Directors in 2017 as part of the TRCA Community Engagement Strategy 2017-2027 (RES.#A102/17), the Regional Watershed Alliance is an advisory committee to the Board.
The RWA comprises diverse community members from across the Greater Toronto Area who provide input on TRCA initiatives and advise the Board of Directors and TRCA staff, including providing input on TRCA and municipal partner programs and projects and matters of community interest.
RWA membership includes approximately 45 voting members, representing TRCA watershed residents, sector experts and organizations, municipal, provincial, and federal governments, and TRCA’s Board of Directors.
The RWA is primarily responsible for:
- Forging partnerships and collaborations that build our collective capacity to advance the goals of TRCA’s Strategic Plan: Building The Living City 2013-2022 and TRCA Strategic Plan – Five Year Update, and providing a platform for collective action on cross-jurisdictional and cross-sectoral priorities
- Sharing and advocating for TRCA initiatives in order to disseminate and engage the public in the good work that TRCA does, and build support for TRCA and its mandate
- Working with staff in setting regional and local priorities that help advance TRCA’s and its municipal partners’ objectives of sustainable communities, recommendations of TRCA’s 2017 Community Engagement Strategy, watershed plans, watershed report cards, and The Living City Report Card
- Providing input to TRCA-led and partner-led initiatives in order to apply a multi-stakeholder lens to work and projects within TRCA’s watersheds.
The TRCA Youth Council is also a part of Regional Watershed Alliance and is open to youth aged 16 to 30 who reside or go to school within TRCA’s jurisdiction.
The Youth Council engages young people in the environmental issues that are important to them and provides career development resources for those interested in the environmental field.
RWA Membership
RWA members are recruited from different sectors representing various network connections, based on a diverse skill set and demonstrated expertise and knowledge of the watersheds within TRCA’s jurisdiction.
The composition of the RWA is as follows:
- Up to two (2) TRCA Board of Directors Members
- Up to twelve (12) TRCA Watershed Residents
- Up to six (6) Sector Experts
- Up to five (5) Municipal Representatives
- Up to one (1) Provincial Representative
- Up to one (1) Federal Representative
- Up to two (2) Youth Representatives
- Up to one (1) Indigenous Representative
| TRCA Board of Directors Members |
| Councillor Amber Morley (City of Toronto) |
| Councillor Chris Fonseca (City of Mississauga) |
| Watershed Residents |
| Don Sinclair (Simcoe County, Humber River Watershed) |
| Itala Abreu (City of Toronto, Highland Creek Watershed) |
| Jane Darragh (City of Toronto, Etobicoke Creek Watershed) |
| Katie (Kyra) Doreen (York Region, Humber River Watershed) |
| Jennifer Ogrodnick (City of Toronto, Humber River Watershed) |
| Justin Leung (City of Toronto, Mimico Creek Watershed) |
| Kayla Hayden (York Region, Don River Watershed) |
| Lisa MacTavish (City of Toronto, Waterfront) |
| Markelle Morphet (City of Toronto, Humber River Watershed) |
| Natalija Vojno (York Region, Humber River Watershed) |
| Peter Welsh (City of Toronto, Humber River Watershed) |
| Sue Bartleman (City of Toronto, Humber River Watershed) |
| Sector Experts |
| Evergreen |
| Heart Lake Turtle Troopers |
| Humber River Citizens Alliance |
| Park People |
| The Centre for Community Energy Transformation |
| Waterfront Regeneration Trust |
| Municipal Representatives |
| Scott Lister (York Region) |
| Councillor David Pickles (City of Pickering, Durham Region) |
| Councillor Mario Russo (Town of Caledon, Peel Region) |
| Deb Schulte (King-Vaughan) |
| Councillor Gord Shreeve (Uxbridge Township, Durham Region) |
| Provincial Representative |
| Hon. Charmaine Williams (Brampton Centre) |
| Federal Representative |
| MP Leah Taylor Roy (Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill) |
| Youth |
| Dhara Parsania |
| Vamika Sharma |
RWA Reference Materials
Partners in Project Green Executive Management Committee
Initiated in 2008 by Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) (RES.#A184/08, page 480), Partners in Project Green (PPG) supports a growing community of businesses working together to advance environmental action and economic prosperity across the Greater Toronto Area by fostering collaborations with businesses and municipalities, supporting the implementation of sustainable technologies and practices, and participating in projects that produce tangible environmental benefits.
Reporting to TRCA’s Board of Directors, the Partners in Project Green Executive Management Committee (PPG EMC) has a mandate to:
- Assist businesses to help improve their environmental performance while at the same time improving costs
- Attract and retain clean and more environmentally friendly investments in the Pearson Eco-Business Zone and beyond
- Act as a catalyst for new ideas, innovation, excellence, and improvement in employment lands, with a focus on reducing environmental impacts
The Executive Management Committee is primarily responsible for:
- Providing leadership and communication among Partners in Project Green members and supporters
- Acting as an ambassador for Partners in Project Green
- Reviewing and approving the Partners in Project Green strategy and programs as
required - Reviewing and approving the Partners in Project Green budget
- Monitoring overall Partners in Project Green priorities and performance
- Guidance relating to Partners in Project Green activities
PPG EMC Membership
The PPG EMC comprises:
- One (1) Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) member
- TRCA’s Chief Executive Officer
- Up to four (4) municipal representatives
- Up to eight (8) business representatives with an affiliation to TRCA’s jurisdiction
- Up to one (1) Ontario Chamber of Commerce or affiliate Local Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce representative
- Up to one (1) community representative to be selected from TRCA’s Professional Access into Employment (PAIE) program and/or Newcomer Youth Green Economy Project (NYGEP)
- Up to one (1) youth representative attending a post-secondary institution in TRCA’s jurisdiction
- Up to three (3) members at large
Current PPG EMC Members
| NAME | POSITION | ORGANIZATION |
|---|---|---|
| One (1) GTAA Member | ||
| Todd Ernst (Co-Chair) | Director, Aviation Infrastructure, Energy & Environment | Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) |
| TRCA’s Chief Executive Officer | ||
| John MacKenzie | Chief Executive Officer | Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) |
| Up to Four (4) Municipal Representatives | ||
| Chris Fonseca | Councillor | City of Mississauga |
| Anthony Perruzza | Councillor | City of Toronto |
| Alvin Tedjo | Councillor | City of Mississauga |
| David West | Mayor | City of Richmond Hill |
| Up to Eight (8) Business Representatives | ||
| Michelle Brown | Vice President, Property Management | BentallGreenOak |
| Erica Brabon | Director, Energy & Sustainability | Black and McDonald |
| Anthony Fernando | Senior Account Manager | TELUS Business Solutions |
| Katelyn Poyntz | Director, Project Engineering & Energy | Unity Health Toronto |
| John Coyne | Principal | Coyne Consulting Services |
| Maxx Kochar | Chief Business Officer | Silver Dart Group |
| Carolyn Scotchmer | Executive Director | TD Friends of the Environment Foundation |
| Up to One (1) Community Representative | ||
| Up to Three (3) Members at Large | ||
| Leah Nacua | Manufacturing Consortium Manager, Toronto & GTA | Excellence in Manufacturing Corsortium |
| Christine Tu | Director, Office of Climate Change and Energy Management | Region of Peel |
| Ontario Chamber of Commerce | ||
| Claudia Dessanti | Senior Manager, Policy | Ontario Chamber of Commerce |
PPG EMC Reference Materials
Natural Science and Education Committee
The Natural Science and Education Committee (NSEC) is an advisory board of Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) Board of Directors. Approved by the Board on May 28, 2021 (RES.#A107/21), the NSEC was formed as a result of recommendations from the Outdoor Education Task Force (OETF).
The objective of the NSEC is to advise the TRCA Board of Directors and partner agencies on the effective implementation and advancement of the recommendations of the Outdoor Education Task Force, specifically the following:
- Establish consistent access and curricular standards across TRCA and school boards
- Establish a unified performance measurement system
- Advance shared-ownership and access models that enhance and sustain an overall out-of-classroom learning system
- Develop a long-term equitable access financial plan
Currently, recruitment is expected to occur over the summer of 2021, and the NSEC is anticipated to begin meeting in November 2021.
NSEC Membership
Membership comprise representatives from the following:
- Up to ten (10) School Board Trustees from each of the area school boards
- Up to two (2) TRCA Board of Directors Members
- Up to two (2) Ministry of Education Representatives
- Up to two (2) Indigenous Representatives with a Treaty right or historical affiliation to TRCA’s jurisdiction
- Up to two (2) Youth Representatives attending an educational institution in TRCA’s jurisdiction
Current NSEC Members
| Stan Cameron | Peel District School Board |
| Monique Forster | Durham Catholic District School Board |
| Angela Grella | York Catholic District School Board |
| Pamela McCarthy | York District School Board |
| Jamaal Myers | TRCA Board Member |
| Deborah Oldfield | Durham District School Board |
| Anu Sriskandarajah | Toronto District School Board |
| Connie Tang | TRCA Board Member |
| Garry Tanuan | Toronto Catholic District School Board |
| Thomas Thomas | Dufferin Peel Catholic School Board |
| David West | TRCA Board Member |
NSEC Reference Materials
Meeting Materials
All materials for advisory board meetings can be found on our Meetings, Agendas, And Minutes page.
Addressing Advisory Boards
Members of the public are welcome to provide input on agenda items at upcoming advisory board meetings. A person or organization may address an advisory board by submitting a delegation request.
In addition, members of the public and organizations may submit correspondence to be included in an agenda for an upcoming advisory board meeting.
For further information on submitting delegation requests and correspondence, please visit our Addressing the Board page.
Advisory Board Remuneration
Advisory board members will contribute their expertise as in-kind services. Compensation for transportation will be provided for attendance at meetings according to TRCA policy where these are not covered by their agency or other source.
For further information, please visit our Board Policies and Guidelines page.
Contact Information
For any questions or comments regarding TRCA’s advisory boards, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (437) 880-2328 or by email at clerks@trca.ca.