Community Profile

City of Toronto

Toronto, ON

Olivia Chow

Mayor

Pledge Summary

The City of Toronto works to protect and restore pollinator populations and biodiversity across the city through a range of programs, policies, and community partnerships. Central to these efforts is the Pollinator Protection Strategy, which guides habitat creation, stewardship, and public engagement to support healthy ecosystems and climate resilience. The PollinateTO Grants program is a key component of this strategy, directly supporting community-led projects that plant native species, enhance greenspaces, and foster hands-on stewardship. Through PollinateTO, the City not only safeguards wild pollinators and increases local biodiversity, but also advances broader priorities for sustainable, resilient communities and supports the implementation of the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and the Biodiversity Strategy.

Community Spotlight

Action Items Committed for 2026

Communications and Convening ▸

Issue a proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat. This proclamation must incorporate a focus on monarch conservation.
Launch or maintain a public communication effort to encourage residents to plant monarch gardens at their homes or in their neighborhoods. (If you have community members who speak a language other than English, we encourage you to also communicate in that language; Champion Pledges must communicate in that language.)
Engage with city parks and recreation, public works, sustainability, and other relevant staff to identify opportunities to revise and maintain mowing programs and milkweed / native nectar plant planting programs.

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.
Facilitate or support a milkweed seed collection and propagation effort.
Plant milkweed and pollinator-friendly native nectar plants along roadsides, medians, or public rights-of-way.
Host or support a monarch butterfly festival that is accessible to all residents in the community and promotes monarch and pollinator conservation, as well as cultural awareness and recognition.
Display educational signage at monarch gardens and pollinator habitat.

Systems Change ▸

Launch, expand, or continue an effort to change municipal planting ordinances and practices to include more native milkweed and native nectar producing plants at city properties.
Launch, expand, or continue one or more ordinances to reduce light pollution to benefit urban wildlife.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Mayor Olivia Chow	2026	1/15/2026		View Pledge
Mayor Oliva Chow	2025	4/29/2025	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mayor Olivia Chow	2024	4/17/2024	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mayor John Tory	2023	2/14/2023	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mayor John Tory	2022	3/16/2022	Leadership Circle	View Pledge
Mayor John Tory	2021	3/19/2021	Leadership Circle	View Pledge

Pledge Status

Pledge Date

Program Year

Links and Uploads

Action Item Report