King Township Council Meeting - January 12, 2026

Monday's meeting included a presentation by the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority on floodplains and council approved King's new Parks & Forestry and Trails Master Plans.

Quick Links

Mayor's Comments

Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority

Parks & Forestry Master Plan

Trails Master Plan

Mayor's Comments

• Be engaged in 2026 and subscribe to King's bi-weekly newsletter and follow the town on social to get the correct information. You can also subscribe on the website for certain notices to get alerts of interest.

• Register for the Winter Recreations Programs – including swimming. Programs start January 12th – more here.

• The province has removed recycling from municipal services. King’s recycling program will be managed by Circular Materials (CM), a national not-for-profit organization and they have contracted GFL to provide curbside Blue Box collection for residents. Ahead of this change, King households received a 360-litre wheeled, lidded recycling cart. If this size does not meet your needs, you may request an exchange for a smaller 240-litre cart by submitting a Recycling Cart Exchange Request Form, available online at circularmaterials.ca/n6king.

Before you request an exchange, please consider the following:

• Recycling collection will move from a weekly to a bi-weekly schedule. The 360-litre cart supports two weeks of recyclables—many residents previously used two blue boxes (equal to an estimated 320-litres) over two weeks.

• Expanded list of accepted materials. Residents will now be able to recycle more materials such as hot and cold beverage cups, black plastic containers, frozen juice cans, ice cream tubs, deodorant and toothpaste tubes, meaning volume in the cart is increasing.

• All recycling items must fit inside the cart and the lid must be closed upon collection.

• Only one cart exchange is permitted per address. Future requests for a second cart will not be permitted for households that have exchanged the standard issued cart (360-litre) for the smaller cart (240-litre).

Note: when placing the bin at the curb, the lid must open toward the street to facilitate automated collection.

You can recycle your old blue boxes at a designated drop off location inside select King Township facilities from January 5 to February 27, 2026.

Please empty and clean your blue boxes prior to drop off at one of the following

locations during regular operating hours.

• King Township Municipal Centre, 2585 King Road, King City

• Trisan Centre, 25 Dillane Drive, Schomberg

• Nobleton Community Centre, 15 Old King Road, Nobleton

• Zancor Centre, 1600 15 Sideroad, King City

Learn more here: https://www.king.ca/recycling

• The Mayor's Cultural Gala is held in conjunction with Art Society King and will be on Thursday, February 26^th at The Manor. Doors open at 5:30 and tickets include a gourmet dinner and a live band, The Sensations. The theme is Local Legends and will also host the inaugural inductions for the King Township Sports Hall of Fame. Buy tickets here.

Lake Simcoe Conservation Authority

The Director of Flood Management for the LSRCA made a presentation and explained that floods are the most frequent natural hazard in Canada. One of the key functions of conservation authorities is to undertake watershed-based programs to protect people and property from flooding.

The north section of King is in the LSRCA watershed while the southern section is part of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

In 2026 the LSRCA will conduct a Flood Audit to identify resources needed and support a plan for flood management and floodplain mapping throughout the watershed which will require financial commitments from municipalities. They will work with municipalities to identify priority areas and work strategically to update floodplain throughout the watershed based on mapping age, frequency of use, priorities requested by municipalities.

The province provides conservation authorities with flood standards which define regulatory floodplains using severe storm events. In the Schomberg Special Policy area that standard is Hurricane Hazel from October 1954. The red areas on the map show where flooding would be expected should a Hurricane Hazel type event happen again. Ordinarily, provincial development would not be permitted in this area because of the extent of flooding, but the province allows municipalities to apply for Special Policy Areas in recognition that communities have historically existed in the flood plain. The LSRCA helps municipalities with these applications by providing technical information, floodplain models as well as review development applications and permits in the policy area.

It's possible that the 2026 Flood Audit will reveal changes to the floodplain area. The review will consider updated information on the terrain, rainfall data, changes to provincial regulations and will use updated modelling and technology.

Parks & Forestry Master Plan

The Master Plan focuses on planning for growth, improving efficiency, and ensuring long-term financial and operational sustainability, while maintaining service levels and equitable access to parks, trails, and recreation facilities as the Township grows to approximately 40,900 residents by 2036.

Parkland Supply & Planning

• Maintain existing parkland service level targets (hectares per 1,000 residents) and prioritize closing current service gaps, especially for Community and Neighbourhood Parks.

• Secure an additional 3.65 hectares (9.02 acres) of active parkland by 2036 through land acquisition or reclassification of existing open spaces.

• Prioritize cash-in-lieu of parkland in areas of intensification, paired with a strategic approach to acquiring appropriately sized and well-located parks.

• Develop a parkland acquisition and access strategy, including reclassification of existing open spaces and use of alternative public access lands.

• Establish a policy framework for Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), including when they can count toward parkland dedication and how they are secured and designed.

• Explore acquisition of undevelopable natural areas (e.g., stormwater ponds) for conservation and trail linkages, without credit toward parkland dedication.

• Reconsider the acceptance of small parkettes (<1 ha) that limit active programming.

• Introduce tree canopy targets and low-maintenance/environmental area targets across all park types.

• Promote consolidation of parks and sports facilities into multi-use activity hubs for better programming and operational efficiency.

Facilities, Amenities & Levels of Service

• Maintain population-based standards of provision for major facilities, validated through utilization tracking.

• Plan for new facilities by 2036, including: - 3 ball diamonds - 3 soccer fields (priority on lit and artificial turf)

  - 2 tennis courts

  - 1 pickleball court

  - 2 basketball courts

  - 1 splash pad

• Adopt a community-based standard for skateparks and maintain an 800-metre walkability standard for playground access.

• Explore lit fields and courts to extend usable hours and improve capacity.

• Where formal sports fields are not feasible, incorporate large flexible open spaces for informal and practice use.

• Investigate a full-size artificial turf multi-use field, with potential infrastructure for a future air-supported dome.

Site-Specific Priorities

• Ansnorveldt Park: Relocate the junior softball diamond from Nobleton Lions Park.

• Osin Park: Reconstruct the junior softball diamond.

• Zancor Centre: Assess outdoor programming needs before proceeding; explore expansion opportunities with Seneca College.

• Nobleton Lions Community Park: Implement the approved Master Plan, including a splash pad/seasonal rink, pickleball courts, and field relocations.

• Memorial Park: Undertake a master planning/design study addressing courts, fields, access, parking, storage, and potential land acquisition/disposition.

• Consider relocation of soccer at Wellesley Park to align with neighbourhood planning.

Financial Sustainability & Cost Recovery

• Conduct a full review of true operating costs for all recreation assets and services, including overhead and indirect costs.

• Benchmark King Township against comparable municipalities on spending, cost recovery, staffing models, and user fees.

• Assess operating impacts of all new or replacement facilities, balancing capital costs with long-term operating obligations.

• Develop an annual financial sustainability strategy, structured as a rolling three-year operational plan.

• Prepare a business plan for the Parks & Forestry Nursery, coordinated with the future Joint Operations Centre.

Trails Master Plan

The Trails Master Plan lays out a phased, long-term strategy to expand and connect King Township’s trail network over the next 20+ years. The emphasis is on regional connectivity, environmental sensitivity, landowner collaboration, and multi-use trails, including specific accommodation for equestrian use where appropriate.

Short-Term Priorities (1–3 Years)

• Focus: fixing gaps, repairing damage, and improving wayfinding

• Repair erosion-damaged trail sections, particularly along 7th Concession, in partnership with the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

• Establish key local connections in and around Nobleton, including links to Cold Creek Conservation Area and future trails north of the community.

• Create a Bolton Tract trailhead and connection using unopened road allowances.

• Rationalize trails in Happy Valley Forest by closing redundant routes, restoring damaged landscapes, and creating a sustainable, signed equestrian trail system.

• Improve signage and wayfinding where trails use road allowances or shared corridors.

Medium-Term Priorities (4–7 Years)

• Focus: community-level expansion and strategic links

• Expand the trail network in King City (northeast area), including connections to Seneca lands.

• Develop a Schomberg–Pottageville connection using Township-owned lands and unopened road allowances where possible.

• Continue landowner engagement to establish alignments and protect environmentally sensitive areas.

Long-Term Vision (8+ Years)

• Focus: regional trail backbone and inter-municipal connections

• Build a continuous north–south and east–west trail spine linking: Nobleton, King City, Happy Valley, Kettleby, Schomberg, and Pottageville

• Major natural assets such as Oak Ridges Trail, Cold Creek Conservation Area, Happy Valley Forest, Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve, and Humber Source Woods

• Use hydro corridors and unopened road allowances as preferred alignments to minimize environmental and property impacts.

• Establish cross-municipal trail connections to Caledon, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Newmarket, and East Gwillimbury.

• Provide major linkages across barriers such as Highway 400, including on-road segments where necessary.

• Create formal trail links (including bridges) where informal connections already exist.

The Trails Master Plan positions King Township as a regional trail connector, gradually building a continuous, environmentally responsible, and multi-use trail network that links communities, conservation areas, and neighbouring municipalities—while addressing immediate maintenance issues and long-standing connectivity gaps first.

The recommendations in both Master Plans will be implemented through a phased, multi-year funding and work-planning process. While the Master Plans establish a 10-year planning horizon, only near-term priorities will proceed initially. Each recommendation will be translated into a project plan by staff, with responsibilities assigned to the appropriate division. Items that require capital funding, such as new parks, will be brought forward through the annual capital budget process, where detailed project lists are reviewed and approved by Council, with many projects dependent on development charge (DC) funding. Other initiatives, including policy updates, studies, or work that can be delivered in-house or through partnerships, may advance more quickly and be tracked through departmental business plans, work plans, and Council reporting. This flexible approach allows the Township to act opportunistically when funding, partnerships, or locations become available, while ensuring all recommendations are formally captured, monitored, and advanced through established budget and governance processes.

New Business

• February 24th is the Schomberg Community Skate

• Councillor Schaefer has been on council for 16 years and announced that she will not run for re-election in 2026. There is no comparison to any other job. No comparison to the satisfaction of meeting the need of a resident, and no comparison to the frustration and disappointment of failing to do so. There is no comparison to making policy decisions which are the foundation for King's evolution over the next 20 years.

• Sign-up for Team King in the Southlake Run.

• Staff were asked to report back to council with a review of the fence bylaw. The current fence bylaw does not allow front year fences to exceed 4ft in height with an open concept or 3ft with a closed concept.