Trees & tree removal — Thunder Bay, Ontario

Do I need a permit to cut down a tree?

In the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario, permit required: True; applies to private property: False; protected threshold: Any 'Public Tree': any Tree or Woody Shrub with trunk totally or partially on Municipal Property; 'Tree' defined as woody plant of species reaching 5+ metres at maturity; replacement required: Payment for the purchase and planting of two trees, of the minimum size and quality required by the Tree Planting Guidelines, to replace the Public Tree that is removed. Source: By-law 008-2005 - Tree By-law, verified 2026-08-29.

By-law 008-2005 - Tree By-law adopted bylaw
permit required True s. 6.01; s. 6.15
applies to private property False "public trees on municipal property" (by-law title); s. 1.01(s); s. 1.01(o)
protected threshold Any 'Public Tree': any Tree or Woody Shrub with trunk totally or partially on Municipal Property; 'Tree' defined as woody plant of species reaching 5+ metres at maturity s. 1.01(s); s. 1.01(v)
replacement required Payment for the purchase and planting of two trees, of the minimum size and quality required by the Tree Planting Guidelines, to replace the Public Tree that is removed s. 3.10(d)
boulevard trees Permit from Manager required to remove or affect any Public Tree on Highway (including boulevards); two replacement trees required s. 5.03; s. 3.10(d); s. 1.01(k)
scout note

Authorizes and regulates the planting, care, maintenance, protection, preservation and removal of Public Trees - any tree or woody shrub whose trunk is wholly or partly on municipal property - and commits the City to preserving rather than removing them wherever possible. Article Six makes it an offence to affect, damage, destroy or remove a Public Tree without the Manager's

Machine-readable: trees.json · Official website: https://www.thunderbay.ca · Last verified 2026-08-29 · Trees & tree removal in other municipalities