Official bodies for tree work in Canada
Official bodies and official schemes in Canada that matter to tree workers, grouped by what they do. Each row links to the body's own page.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here.
On this page
- Workplace safety regulators
- Workers' compensation and injury cover
- Licences for tree work and felling
- Pesticide licensing
- Plant health and biosecurity
- Plant disease and insect diagnostic labs
- Forestry and urban forestry
- Utility tree work and vegetation management
- Qualifications and apprenticeships
- Standards bodies
- Underground utility locate centres
- Emergency management and civil defence
- Business registration and company registries
- Tax offices
Workplace safety regulators
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), Acts and Regulations | Whole country | Federal agency page listing the 14 jurisdictions, each with its own occupational health and safety legislation. |
| Employment and Social Development Canada, Occupational Health and Safety Program | Whole country | Federal program that promotes safe workplaces in the federally regulated private sector, the federal public service, Crown corporations and First Nation Band Councils. |
| Government of Alberta, OHS Code Part 39 Tree Care Operations | Alberta | The part of Alberta's OHS Code written for tree care work, including work at height supported by the tree. |
| Government of Alberta, Occupational health and safety (OHS) | Alberta | Provincial OHS page covering compliance, investigations, legislation and approved training. |
| WorkSafeBC, OHS Regulation Part 8 (personal protective clothing and equipment) | British Columbia | The B.C. regulation part that says leg protective devices are worn by a worker operating a chain saw. |
| WorkSafeBC, Occupational Health & Safety | British Columbia | Provincial regulator that publishes the OHS Regulation and the OHS provisions of the Workers Compensation Act. |
| Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health | Manitoba | Provincial regulator that enforces the Workplace Safety and Health Act and its regulations. |
| WorkSafeNB, Safety Topics | New Brunswick | Provincial body with the OHS legislation guide and safety topics for employers. |
| Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Occupational Health & Safety Division | Newfoundland and Labrador | Provincial OHS division working on accident and illness prevention. |
| Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), safety inspections | Northwest Territories | Commission page on the Safety Act and OHS Regulations that employers must comply with and on what happens in a Safety Officer inspection; covers Northwest Territories and Nunavut. |
| Nova Scotia Labour, Skills and Immigration, Health and Safety | Nova Scotia | Provincial occupational health and safety branch that sets requirements, verifies compliance and enforces the OHS Act. |
| Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), reporting requirements | Nunavut | Commission page on employer notice of serious injury and dangerous occurrences under the Safety Act; covers Nunavut and Northwest Territories. |
| Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Workplace health and safety | Ontario | Provincial ministry page on workplace health and safety law, including notices of incidents and illness. |
| CNESST, Arboriculture et élagage (page in French) | Quebec | Provincial safety regulator page saying that from June 8, 2026 every pruning or arboriculture worker needs a qualification certificate. |
| Government of Saskatchewan, Safety in the Workplace | Saskatchewan | Provincial occupational health and safety page on standards, investigations, penalties and injury reporting. |
| WorkSafe Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan | Provincial injury prevention partnership of the compensation board and the labour ministry. |
| Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board, health and safety | Yukon | Territorial board health and safety section: roles and responsibilities, reporting a serious incident, inspections and investigations, and the right to refuse unsafe work. |
Workers' compensation and injury cover
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) | Whole country | National association whose Our Members page lists the workers' compensation board of every province and territory. |
| WCB Alberta, Report an injury: for employers | Alberta | Provincial workers' compensation board page on how and when employers report a worker injury. |
| WorkSafeBC, Report a workplace injury or disease | British Columbia | Provincial workers' compensation board; this page is where an injury or disease claim starts. |
| Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba | Manitoba | Provincial workers' compensation board; its home page leads to reporting a workplace injury. |
| WorkSafeNB | New Brunswick | Provincial workers' compensation board; its home page starts the claim for an injury or illness. |
| WorkplaceNL | Newfoundland and Labrador | Provincial workers' compensation board where employers register and report workplace injuries. |
| Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), report an injury | Northwest Territories | Commission page on employer incident and injury reporting within three business days; covers Northwest Territories and Nunavut. |
| Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia | Provincial workers' compensation board with pages on reporting an injury, claims and workplace safety. |
| Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), legislation | Nunavut | Commission page listing the workers' compensation and safety legislation that governs Nunavut and Northwest Territories. |
| WSIB Ontario, Report an injury or illness | Ontario | Provincial workplace insurance board that provides wage-loss benefits and medical coverage after a work injury. |
| Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island | Prince Edward Island | Provincial workers' compensation board with health and safety information and a claims service. |
| CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail) | Quebec | Provincial body whose site covers accidents and illnesses at work, recovery and return to work in Quebec. |
| Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Board | Saskatchewan | Provincial workers' compensation board; its page shows how a claim is filed after a work injury. |
| Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board | Yukon | Territorial board whose home page leads injured workers and employers reporting an injury to compensation and claims information. |
Licences for tree work and felling
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Gouvernement du Quebec, Certificat en arboriculture (ARBO) (page in French) | Quebec | Provincial qualification certificate that is mandatory for anyone doing arboriculture work for an employer in Quebec. |
Pesticide licensing
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Health Canada, Pest Management Regulatory Agency | Whole country | Federal pesticide agency that works with commercial pesticide users on their pest management needs. |
| Government of Alberta, Pesticide use and training | Alberta | Provincial page on pesticide applicator training, business registrations and special use approvals. |
| Province of British Columbia, Pesticide certification and training | British Columbia | Provincial page on pesticide applicator certification, with study materials, exams and recertification. |
| Province of British Columbia, Pesticide certification and training categories | British Columbia | Provincial list of certificate categories, including Landscape for gardens, ornamental plants, lawns and turf. |
| Manitoba Agriculture, Pesticide Applicator Licence | Manitoba | Provincial licence for commercial applicators of commercial or restricted class pesticides. |
| Government of New Brunswick, Pesticide applicator certificate | New Brunswick | Provincial certificate for handling a non-domestic pesticide: purchase, sale, storage, transport or use. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador Pesticide Control Section | Newfoundland and Labrador | Provincial section that regulates pesticides and their use. |
| Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change, Pesticide Applicator Certification | Nova Scotia | Provincial certification earned by passing exams before applying pesticides. |
| Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Pesticide licences and permits | Ontario | Provincial regulator of pesticide sale and use, with exterminator, operator and vendor licences. |
| Gouvernement du Quebec, Commercial pesticide application | Quebec | Provincial page: firms that sell or use commercial pesticides hold a permit and appliers hold a certificate. |
| Government of Saskatchewan, Pesticide Applicator Licence | Saskatchewan | Provincial licence for applying restricted or commercial class pesticides for hire or reward. |
Plant health and biosecurity
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Horticulture | Whole country | Federal horticulture page on policies and standards that prevent regulated pests entering and spreading in Canada, with a link to domestic plant protection measures. |
| Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Invasive pests and plants | Whole country | Federal plant health agency with pages on invasive insects, plants and diseases that spread into forests and parks. |
| Government of Alberta, Dutch elm disease | Alberta | Provincial page on Dutch elm disease, with the response plan that municipalities carry out. |
| Province of British Columbia, Plant health | British Columbia | Provincial agriculture ministry page on insect pests, plant diseases and invasive pests, with a Plant Health Laboratory. |
| Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Emerald ash borer | Ontario | Provincial ministry page on the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that kills ash trees. |
| Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Spongy moth | Ontario | Provincial page on the spongy moth, a forest defoliator and regulated pest. |
| Government of Saskatchewan, Dutch Elm Disease | Saskatchewan | Provincial forest health page on Dutch elm disease: its fungus, spread by elm bark beetles, and the ban on pruning elms from April 1 to August 31. |
Plant disease and insect diagnostic labs
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| The Centre for Plant Health (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) | Whole country | North Saanich lab on Vancouver Island, Canada's only post-entry quarantine, research and diagnostic facility for virus testing of fruit-bearing trees, grapevines and small fruit. |
| Alberta Plant Health Lab | Alberta | Provincial lab that supports the Alberta Agricultural Pests Act with diagnostic and surveillance services for plant pests. |
| Plant Health Laboratory (Province of British Columbia) | British Columbia | Provincial lab that diagnoses plant diseases, non-pathogenic disorders and insect pests affecting crops and plants grown in B.C. |
| Crop Diagnostic Services (Manitoba Agriculture) | Manitoba | Provincial Crop Diagnostic Lab in Winnipeg that identifies diseases, weeds and insects; trees and ornamentals count as non-agricultural samples and carry a per-sample fee. |
| Plant and Soil Health Diagnostics (Agriculture and Food Laboratory, University of Guelph) | Ontario | University lab with plant pathologists who diagnose plant disease by symptoms, culture and DNA methods; plant samples from outside Canada are not accepted. |
Forestry and urban forestry
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) | Whole country | Council of federal, provincial and territorial forest ministers that publishes forest pest assessments such as one on spongy moth. |
| Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service: forest insects and diseases | Whole country | Federal forest science service that researches, monitors and responds to forest insect and disease threats. |
| Government of Alberta, Forest health | Alberta | Provincial forestry page on monitoring and controlling forest insects and diseases. |
| Trees (City of Brampton) | Brampton, Ontario | City page with tree care tips and the Brampton One Million Trees program, which has a tree planting tracker map. |
| Province of British Columbia, Forest health | British Columbia | Provincial forest ministry page on forest insects, pathogens and aerial overview surveys. |
| Caring for our urban forest (The City of Calgary) | Calgary, Alberta | City page on protecting public trees and helping residents plant and look after trees on their own properties. |
| Forestry Outreach and Education (City of Hamilton) | Hamilton, Ontario | City forestry pages with community events and school presentations, linked to the street tree planting program and the urban forest strategy. |
| Forestry and environment (City of Mississauga) | Mississauga, Ontario | City services page for trees, invasive species and environmental sustainability, including reporting a dead or unhealthy tree. |
| Trees (Ville de Montreal) | Montreal, Quebec | City page on trees on private property and Montreal urban forest management practices. |
| Government of New Brunswick, Forest pests | New Brunswick | Provincial natural resources page on native and invasive forest insects and diseases. |
| Nova Scotia Natural Resources, Forestry | Nova Scotia | Provincial forestry page covering forest ecosystems, community forests and silviculture. |
| Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Forestry | Ontario | Provincial ministry page on managing the health of Ontario's Crown forests. |
| Gouvernement du Quebec, Forêts (page in French) | Quebec | Provincial forest page on managing and protecting public and private forests, with a Protection des forêts section on prevention, control and detection measures against fires, insects and diseases. |
| Government of Saskatchewan, Forest Health | Saskatchewan | Provincial forestry page on forest pests, with Dutch elm disease, emerald ash borer and mountain pine beetle sections. |
| Trees in Toronto (City of Toronto) | Toronto, Ontario | City page with a service request for planting, pruning or removal of a City tree, and the city canopy goal of 40 per cent by 2050. |
| Trees (City of Winnipeg) | Winnipeg, Manitoba | City page on the urban forest, with sections on planning, planting, and managing it through pruning and tree removals. |
Utility tree work and vegetation management
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), Powerline Safety | Ontario | Ontario electrical safety authority's powerline safety pages. |
Qualifications and apprenticeships
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| SkilledTradesBC, Arborist Technician | British Columbia | Provincial trades authority page for the Arborist Technician trade. |
| SkilledTradesBC, Climbing Arborist | British Columbia | Provincial trades authority page for the Climbing Arborist trade. |
| SkilledTradesBC, Utility Arborist | British Columbia | Provincial trades authority page for the Utility Arborist trade. |
| Skilled Trades Ontario, Arborist | Ontario | Provincial trades body page for the arborist Certificate of Qualification; the trade is non-compulsory. |
| Skilled Trades Ontario, Utility Arborist | Ontario | Provincial trades body page for the utility arborist trade near electrical apparatus. |
| Gouvernement du Quebec, Certificat en arboriculture (ARBO): apprentissage et examen (page in French) | Quebec | Same provincial page covers the apprenticeship programme, apprentice card, skills recognition and qualification exam. |
Standards bodies
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| CSA Group, Standards | Whole country | Not-for-profit standards organization that develops standards for public and private sectors. |
| Standards Council of Canada | Whole country | Federal body that accredits standards developers and approves National Standards of Canada; it does not write standards itself. |
Underground utility locate centres
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Click Before You Dig (Canadian Notification Centres Committee with the Canadian Common Ground Alliance) | Whole country | National portal that points to the underground locate centre of each province and territory. |
| Utility Safety Partners | Alberta | Alberta's one-call locate service and utility damage prevention body. |
| BC 1 Call | British Columbia | Free service that links excavators with owners of underground utilities in B.C. |
| Click Before You Dig Manitoba | Manitoba | Manitoba's underground facility screening and notification service. |
| Ontario Dig Authority (formerly Ontario One Call) | Ontario | Ontario's locate service for buried cables, pipes and wires. |
| Info-Excavation | Quebec | Quebec's free locate request service for digging and excavating (site in French with an English option). |
| Sask 1st Call | Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan's locate service with underground facility screening and notification. |
Emergency management and civil defence
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Get prepared (Government of Canada) | Whole country | Federal page on understanding local risks, making a household emergency plan and building an emergency kit. |
| Public Safety Canada, Emergency Management | Whole country | Federal page on how Public Safety Canada helps communities protect themselves from emergencies and disasters through national policies, plans and programs. |
| Alberta Emergency Management Agency | Alberta | Provincial agency that leads and oversees emergency and disaster prevention, preparedness and response. |
| Emergency management in B.C. (Province of British Columbia) | British Columbia | Provincial pages with information on emergency management in British Columbia. |
| Manitoba Emergency Management Organization | Manitoba | Provincial organization for emergency management, with disaster financial assistance information. |
| New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NBEMO) | New Brunswick | Provincial organization responsible for coordinating provincial emergency operations. |
| Nova Scotia Department of Emergency Management | Nova Scotia | Provincial department that coordinates disaster and emergency planning, preparedness, response and recovery. |
| Emergency management in Ontario | Ontario | Provincial page on how emergencies are managed in Ontario. |
| Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure du Québec | Quebec | Provincial ministry in charge of advising government on public safety, including civil security and fire safety. |
| Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) | Saskatchewan | Provincial agency that oversees emergency management, fire safety, wildfire management and 911 emergency dispatching. |
Business registration and company registries
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Corporations Canada | Whole country | Federal corporate regulator that offers what is needed to create and maintain a federal corporation. |
| Starting a business (Government of Canada) | Whole country | Federal page on the steps to consider before operating a business, including creating a federal corporation and registering for a business number. |
| Businesses and Incorporated Companies (Province of British Columbia) | British Columbia | Provincial page about the role and services of the corporate registry. |
| Companies Office (Entrepreneurship Manitoba) | Manitoba | Registers corporations and business names, and lets the public search the registry for trade names, locations, officers and directors. |
| Registry of Companies (Government Services) | Newfoundland and Labrador | Provincial Registry of Companies pages under Government Services, with sections on the registry and on amalgamations, revival and dissolution. |
| Corporate Registries (Department of Justice) | Northwest Territories | Territorial registries for NWT incorporations, extra-territorial registrations, co-operative associations, societies, business names, partnerships and limited partnerships. |
| Registry of Joint Stock Companies (Government of Nova Scotia) | Nova Scotia | Provincial registry page for searching business and non-profit information on file and for choosing a legal structure before registering. |
| Ontario Business Registry | Ontario | Provincial online registry where businesses and not-for-profits register, incorporate and update their information, with over 90 online transactions. |
| Corporate Registry (Information Services Corporation) | Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Corporate Registry page with an online application for submitting corporate filings. |
Tax offices
| Body | Covers | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) | Whole country | Federal agency that administers tax, benefits and related programs for the Government of Canada and most provinces and territories. |
| Tax information (Alberta.ca) | Alberta | Provincial overview of Alberta personal and business taxes and levies, with links to programs and services. |
| Provincial sales tax (PST) (Province of British Columbia) | British Columbia | Provincial page on PST for B.C. businesses, tax professionals, out of province businesses, real property contractors and consumers. |
| Taxation Division (Manitoba Finance) | Manitoba | Manitoba Department of Finance page on the taxes it administers, including retail sales tax, the health and post-secondary education levy and fuel tax. |
| Taxes (Finance and Treasury Board, New Brunswick) | New Brunswick | Provincial Finance page listing New Brunswick taxes, including harmonized sales tax, income tax and fuel taxes. |
| Taxes, Programs and Incentives (Finance) | Newfoundland and Labrador | Provincial Finance page on taxes, programs and incentives. |
| Ministry of Finance (Ontario) | Ontario | Provincial ministry page on tax and benefit programs it administers. |
| Taxes, Licensing and Reporting (Government of Saskatchewan) | Saskatchewan | Provincial business page on Saskatchewan tax, licensing registration, refunds, bulletins and tax incentives for corporations. |
Sources
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Acts and Regulations list, read October 6, 2026
- Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada, Our Members list, read October 6, 2026
- Click Before You Dig, national locate portal, read October 6, 2026
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, The Centre for Plant Health, read October 8, 2026
- Public Safety Canada, Provincial and Territorial Contacts for emergency management, read October 8, 2026
- Canada.ca, Get prepared, read October 8, 2026