A Toronto developer is paying the price for cutting down 40 mature trees in an affluent North York neighbourhood without the city's permission, but the local councillor is calling the penalty "a slap on the wrist." The city says after the first phase of an investigation, Format Group has paid $155,064 to remediate the impact of cutting down the trees at 103 and 108 Bayview Ridge. An order to comply was issued by the city for the replanting of 200 trees on the sites to replace the mature trees that were lost. The city says it will continue its investigation into a Toronto developer cutting down 40 mature trees. But with limited space for new trees, the city is likely to retain much of the money to plant trees elsewhere.

Source: CBC News October 19, 2016 20:48 UTC