Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP)

The Thornhill SNAP aligns municipal objectives with resident interests and fulfills Action 5.1.3 in Green Directions Vaughan 2019. The program aims to identify innovative solutions to community risks and challenges.

To find out ways to get involved, get in touch with the SNAP team or learn more about the Thornhill SNAP, visit the project website at trca.ca/snap-thornhill.

Upcoming Events and Programs

Bike Month Bonanza

Date: Sunday, June 8, rain or shine

Location: Garnet A. Williams Community Centre (501 Clark Ave. W.)

Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

This drop-in event is free and offers a fun-filled day of family-friendly activities that promote active transportation and cycling safety. Come out to enjoy:

• guided bike rides at 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.: routes vary in length and will start and end at the Garnet A. Williams Community Centre – bring your own helmet! Registration is recommended as spaces are limited. If we can, we will accommodate drop-ins.
• FREE e-bike and e-scooter test rides
• complimentary smoothies blended by a pedal bike
• cycling educational materials
• bike safety checks
• food trucks on-site
• vendor booths
• cycling-themed crafts
• raffles
• and so much more!

Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required.

Garden planting and maintenance events

1. York Hill Park Rain Garden (330 York Hill Blvd.) 

Date: June 11

Time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Registration is encouraged, but not required.

2. Oakbank Pond Pollinator Garden (250 Centre St.)

Date: June 18

Time: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Registration is encouraged, but not required.

Home Flood Protection Workshop POSTPONED

In collaboration with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the City is hosting a free workshop for residents to teach them how to protect their homes from flooding.

NEW date and time coming soon.

During this session, residents will learn about the impact flooding can have on their homes and how they can reduce the risk of at-home floods. It will cover strategies like rainwater management, insurance considerations, basement flood protection features, and other key practices that help keep water out and get it out fast.

The workshop is being delivered by AET Group- an environmental consultancy with extensive experience in residential flood risk assessment.

Home Retrofit Pilot

The City and TRCA want to help homeowners improve their homes’ energy efficiency and climate resilience through the Thornhill SNAP Home Retrofit Pilot. 

If you’re a homeowner in the Thornhill SNAP area – located east of Bathurst Street, west of Yonge Street, north of Steeles Avenue and south of Highway 407 – you may qualify for:

• free home retrofit coaching
• up to $3,800 in rebates for energy-saving and climate-friendly home upgrades such as:
  • air sealing
  • backwater valve, heat pump or rain barrel installation
  • eco-landscaping
  • window or door replacement
  • and more

Apply today! Spaces are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis – applicants must meet eligibility requirements. Full details, including what to expect and how to apply, are available online in the Thornhill SNAP Participant Guide (PDF). If you are feeling unsure about taking the leap and need more information, free consultations are also being offered through the Climate Ready Homes Program and can be booked online.

Thornhill Action Plan

Council approved the Thornhill SNAP Action Plan in September 2021. The Action Plan is based on technical objectives, planned municipal projects and resident priorities and it provides recommendations for climate change and sustainability actions on both private property and in the public realm.

Through community engagement, five motivating themes and three integrated action areas were identified. Each integrated action area has its own design principles and proposed actions. The action areas include:

1. Connected Places, People and Ecosystems
2. Residential Retrofits
3. Greening and Humanization of Commercial and Institutional Properties and Multi-Unit Residential Buildings (MURBs)

Signature Projects

Within the Connected Places, People and Ecosystems action area, there are three public realm signature projects. Concept plans for these projects are linked below. Over the next 5 years, the SNAP Team will work with the community and City staff to create detailed designs and implement these projects.

1. York Hill Park Revitilization
2. Gallanough Park Revitilization
3. Complete Streets

These signature projects align with City initiatives - Active Together Master Plan, Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, Parks Redevelopment Strategy, Green Directions Vaughan 2019, Term of Council Strategic Priorities – and build on community needs and environmental objectives, and are tied to capital infrastructure projects.

Action Plan Development

The SNAP team launched the action planning process with a neighbourhood workshop on Sunday, January 26, 2020 to hear from community members first-hand about what makes their neighbourhood special and how they envision its future. The objective of the workshop was to bring community and partners together to explore the past, present and future of Thornhill, identify shared neighbourhood objectives and motivating themes and identify project ideas.

To co-develop the Action Plan, the SNAP team launched an engagement strategy that occurred between June - September 2020 and included the following:

• two virtual open house sessions
• three virtual workshops to begin visioning for each of the signature projects
• one-on-one meetings with various community stakeholders and organizations
• one virtual volunteer capacity building meeting
• one meeting with three First Nation groups
• mailed out survey
• newsletter and email exchange
• online public comments on the draft action plan

Completed Green Infrastructure and Community Engagement Projects

In addition to the initiatives listed below, the SNAP team has worked with community partners to deliver a variety of events in the neighbourhood. 

Clark Avenue Pollinator Way

Secured funding through the Canadian Wildlife Federation to create a Clark Avenue Pollinator Way project. Two pollinator gardens were seeded in April 2025, at Breaky Parkette and Rebbetzin Judy Traub Parkette. Interpretive signage will also be installed.

Gallanough Park Revitalization

Community needs and ideas from SNAP consultation were incorporated into the design of Gallanough Park, and SNAP financially assisted with the implementation of two game tables on the Resource Library patio. SNAP also purchased 13 games for the Gallanough Resource Library to lend out, for playing on the new game tables.

121 Centre Street Orchard

Planted three heritage variety apple trees at J.E.H MacDonald House to recreate the historic orchard that once existed on the property and installed interpretive signage about the orchard

York Hill Park Rain Garden

The community helped plant a rain garden in York Hill Park, to alleviate standing water after a rainfall. The rain garden is the first installation of a large Environmental Learning Zone that will be designed and installed in the park.

York Hill District Park Tree Planting Project

With the help of 8 IKEA Canada volunteers, 165 trees and shrubs were planted at York Hill Park in September 2022. The project is part of the larger Environmental Learning Zone that will be established in the southern area of the park.

Oakbank Pond Pollinator Garden

With the help of 13 community volunteers, a native pollinator garden was planted at Oakbank Pond Park in September 2021, and educational signage was installed in the garden, and along the boardwalk.

Hefhill Park Tree Planting

With the help of 10 community volunteers, 125 trees and shrubs were planted at Hefhill Park in September 2021.

These projects were made possible by support from Tree Canada, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and York Region.

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