January 24th, 2023 · Comments Off on FORUM: Toronto has a homelessness crisis (Jan. 2023)
Governments must come together to address it
By Jessica Bell
On Dec. 8, I stood with Reverend Maggie Helwig, Bishop Andrew Asbil of the Archdiocese of Toronto, and over 100 local residents to observe the installation of a cage around the Panhandler Jesus statue outside the Church of Saint Stephen-in-the-Fields on College St.
This was a symbolic act designed to draw attention to a crisis just metres away—the city is threatening to evict the encampment outside St. Stephen’s. The cage was placed on the Jesus statue to draw attention to the city’s criminalization of homeless people.
Homelessness is a complex social issue that demands a coordinated response from all levels of government, agencies, institutions, and civil society. It requires a range of measures, from increasing social assistance rates to providing comprehensive mental health care to people who can’t cope. What we also know is, we’re not going to solve homelessness without finding permanent homes for people in need.
In Toronto in 2022 there’s far too few dignified, safe and affordable homes available. Shelters are at capacity most nights. There’s no permanent supportive housing available—this is housing that comes with mental health care, meals, and other services to help people who are struggling. Many of the hotels that were used by the city for temporary housing during the pandemic are ending their leases. The wait list for community housing—where people pay a maximum of one third of their income toward their rent—is over a decade long. With the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto at a record high of $2279, the private housing market is frankly hostile to low and moderate-income people.
In 2021, the auditor general said the Ford government “has no plan to reduce or prevent homelessness.” Since then, the government has cut more municipal funding to shelters, banned municipalities from collecting developer fees earmarked for affordable housing, and made it easier to evict tenants. The provincial government is making homelessness worse.
The vast majority of residents understand that ignoring, harassing, fining, confiscating belongings, and jailing unhoused people only makes life harder for people living hard lives. I understand this too.
Everyone should be able to live in a home they can afford and that meets their needs. That’s why we are calling on the government to release a plan to reduce and prevent homelessness this winter and end homelessness by 2025.
This plan should include buying, building, and financing the construction of affordable and supportive housing on public and private land, quickly assembling homes on parking lots, and expanding the scope of the Housing Now program which builds mixed-income housing near TTC stations. Funding for community housing needs to be increased, along with funding for shelters to provide emergency housing and mental health care. To help people find a home they can afford, social assistance rates need to be doubled, and strong rent controls must be implemented across Ontario in order to stabilize rent.
I want to recognize the hard work of residents in our area who are using their power to help people in need. Maggie Helwig and the team at St. Stephen’s are showing up for encampment residents. The staff and volunteers at the Scott Mission run a shelter while raising capital and operating funds to build 109 permanently affordable homes on their site. The Kensington Land Trust works with the city to buy up buildings to convert them into non-market community housing.
There are so many more people I could name. They deserve our support. They are an inspiration of what dedicated, kind, and empowered people can accomplish every day.
We are in a crisis, and all of us, especially governments, need to act accordingly. I take heart in knowing many of us already are.
Jessica Bell is the MPP for University-Rosedale and the Official Opposition’s Housing Critic. She can be reached at jbell@ndp.on.ca or 416-535-7206.
January 24th, 2023 · Comments Off on FROM THE ARCHIVES (Jan. 2023)
BEFORE: Pioneer Hotel, circa 1890. Northwest corner Bloor and Bathurst. Courtesy Toronto Public Library, The Baldwin CollectionNOW: Pizza Pizza, January 2023. Northwest corner Bloor and Bathurst. Brian Burchell/Gleaner News
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December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on ON THE COVER: A Ladies Hockey Team (Dec. 2022)
The University of Toronto in the early 20th century, as depicted by Brian McFarlane on the jacket sleeve of his book, “Proud Past, Bright Future: One Hundred Years of Canadian Women’s Hockey.” As this photograph taken as early as 1910 shows, Hockey has been enjoyed by both men and women for over a century.
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on NEWS: Wychwood library celebrated (Dec. 2022)
Historic building reopens with new features
Wychwood library’s original building keeps its old charm with modern improvements. HAILEY ALEXANDER/GLEANER NEWS
By Fox Oliver
On Oct. 3, community members gathered for a ceremony to celebrate the official reopening of the Wychwood Public Library following four years of renovation.
Ojibwe Elder Whabagoon offered songs, spoke of the importance of honouring your surroundings, and expressed her gratitude to those who made the renovation possible.
Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 12) commended Wychwood Library for being an important community hub for over 100 years and stressed the importance of libraries within the community, saying that “we (local politicians and community members) don’t only want to support libraries. We have to.”
The renovations, led by Shoalts and Zaback Architects, involved the preservation of the original library and the construction of a new addition which increased the size of the library from 6,381 square feet to 17,000 square feet.
The original library, built in 1916 with funds from the Carnegie Corporation, was designated a heritage property in 1976.
Wychwood Library in 1916.
Architect Gerry Shoalts believes the renovated library succeeds in delivering both a historic building and a contemporary one. Within the building, a modern skylight brightens the exposed walls of the original library. The refurbished great hall still gives an air of history while being outfitted with modern technology.
This isn’t the first time the Wychwood Branch has undergone renovations.
In 1978, Toronto architect Phillip H. Carter designed an addition which Shoalts and Zaback decided to demolish to make way for the new renovation. In 2019, project architect Eric Riddel said the decision to demolish was not taken lightly, but that the newly constructed space intends to draw in new library-goers and make them feel at home.
Prior to the completion of the renovations, library services manager Sarah Bradley said that Toronto Public Library’s (TPL’s) goals were “to see an accessible, flexible, welcoming, open space.” Improving “barrier-free access,” and creating unique areas for children, teens, adults, and the elderly were also some of the features that TPL prioritized. In community consultations before the renovations, community members expressed their wish for more spaces where they could escape to find peace and quiet.
The interactive KidsStop Early Literacy Centre, seniors’ area, quiet study rooms, accessible computers, and universal washrooms included in the renovated library all contribute to the library’s usability. They also demonstrate TPL’s ability to follow through with the community’s needs and their own goals. The library boasts a collection size of 34,500 books, as well as CDs, DVDs, computers, and printers.
An outdoor balcony, green roof, lounge seating, two fireplaces (which remain unlit for the safety of the books), and live edge tables made from Norway maple trees that were once beside the library are also new additions to the building. A glass exterior faces Bathurst Street and Melgund Road letting natural light into the “urban living room.”
The lawn on the east side of the library will reopen in the summer of 2023 as a lawn bowling green that will be used by the Wells Hill Lawn Bowling Club.
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Tranzac Holiday Gift Fair (Dec. 2022)
The Tranzac Club Holiday Gift Fair is back in full form this year every weekend from Dec 3 – 18. COURTESY SARAH GREENE
This year, the Tranzac Club is hosting their annual Holiday Gift Fair from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 292 Brunswick Avenue every weekend between Dec. 3 and Dec. 18. Every Sunday and Saturday leading up to Christmas Eve, the Tranzac fair will feature original gifts crafted by local artists and artisans. At this month-long market, there will be something for everyone.
Although the fair has been running since 2017 under its current name, this event is a long-standing tradition. Sarah Greene, who books events at the Tranzac and occasionally bartends at the club, says the Tranzac Holiday Gift Fair was known as the Artisans’ Gift Fair for about ten years. Prior to the Artisan’s Gift Fair, there was an annual craft fair dating back to the 90s. So, depending on how you look at it, this holiday market has been around for a long time.
Expect to see hand-knit clothing, children’s toys, bath and body care products, jewelry, ornaments, greeting cards, upcycled clothing, accessories, candles, and much more. The variety of items will change every day. Some of this year’s novel vendors include a tarot reader on Dec. 3, the Odyssey Box Studio on the weekend of Dec. 3, and Lyre Gallery on the weekend of Dec. 7. Sheileen’s Sweet Salutations and Grandma Betty’s Baking will sell delicious sweets while the Tranzac Club will have sandwiches, soup, tea, coffee, and beer for sale. Tranzac board members and volunteers will be running a Tranzac Vintage Flea & White Elephant Table each Saturday. “We’re also going to be joined by a vintage pop-up on Sunday, Dec. 4 in the Living Room,” said Greene.
This fair is cherished by many community members. “We get, on average, 400 or so visitors a day,” said Greene. Tranzac neighbours are excited to see their local holiday market return in full swing this year since the 2020 fair was cancelled and the 2021 fair operated on a smaller scale. There is no room for disappointment at this year’s long-awaited holiday fair. As Greene says, it’s “a really sweet holiday tradition that people look forward to.”
—Hailey Alexander/Gleaner News
Comments Off on CHATTER: Tranzac Holiday Gift Fair (Dec. 2022)Tags:Annex · News
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on CHATTER: Annex Art Centre’s Arty Market (Dec. 2022)
The Annex Art Centre is opening their Let it Snow Art & Craft Market on Dec. 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 1075 Bathurst St. in celebration of the festive season. Look forward to crossing some gifts off your holiday shopping list while enjoying warm apple cider and other treats with the friendly Annex community.
This two-day event offers unique items handcrafted by the Annex Art Centre’s artists and artisans. An array of beautiful home decor, ceramics, jewelry, and artist gift packs will be on display and available for purchase. Michele Morgan, art instructor and owner of the Annex Art Centre, is excited to share her jams as well as other host gifts.
“We look forward to the few days the market runs,” said Morgan. She sees this event as a wonderful opportunity to meet new and familiar faces in the neighbourhood.
Don’t miss your chance to share your holiday cheer with the Annex Art Centre before they close their arty market on Dec. 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. “Although we are a small space, we manage to fill it quite nicely with lots of goodies,” said Morgan, excited to see both new and familiar faces this year.
—Hailey Alexander/Gleaner New
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December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Dec. 2022)
Re: Grading our Greenspaces – Margaret Fairley Park
I always enjoy getting the Annex Gleaner and have appreciated your Grading our Greenspace for many years…good for the neighbourhood and good for the parks department.
So here are my two cents when it comes to Margaret Fairley Park. Having lived in the neighbourhood for years, I was glad when it was renovated/changed. There are lots of nice things about it; but, when you do your grades, please have a look at the furniture. The park furniture, looking rustic with old wood benches and tables, is certainly the most uncomfortable way to sit anywhere, for both children and adults; the proportions are terrible.
There’s no place comfortable to sit in the park, whether you’re an oldie like me, or a young parent, or even a child. Maybe someone likes this naturalistic “look” but it does not function well at all. Try sitting down at one of those tables and imagine you’re bringing some food or a drink.
This is just something Marisa and Hailey [authors of this year’s park reviews in the Gleaner] can take into consideration.
Thanks again for your wonderful community service.
—Michael Kerman
Comments Off on LETTER TO THE EDITOR (Dec. 2022)Tags:Annex · Opinion
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on EDITORIAL: Bill 23: A housing plan built on corruption (Dec. 2022)
Back in 2018, Doug Ford spoke his truth and it was caught on camera. The reaction to that video was so swift and forceful that the premier was forced to make a promise: he would never touch the Greenbelt, he said. If we’ve learned anything about Doug Ford since then, it’s that saying one thing and doing another is standard practice, and promises are meant to be broken. In breaking his promise on the Greenbelt, Ford is inflicting incomparable damage on this province that extends from the land to our trust in democratic systems.
Current plans to pave the Greenbelt come under the auspices of solving the housing crisis. Announced by housing minister, Steve Clarke, Bill 23 is tagged as the More Homes Built Faster Act. Never mind the fact that Ontario’s own Housing Affordability Task Force reported last February with the following clear and concise conclusion: a shortage of land isn’t the problem.
Despite this, more than 7000 acres of formerly protected land will be sacrificed to construct 50,000 new homes. The developers who bought the land back in 2018 will cash in while the province’s ability to combat climate change, manage watersheds, and protect wildlife will be greatly diminished.
Bill 23 does so much more than allow for homes to be built where they shouldn’t. Bill 3, the Strong Mayor Act, and Bill 39, the Better Municipal Governance Act, are companion laws to Bill 23. They allow the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa to adopt bylaws with the support of just one third of a council vote. This runs afoul of the fundamental tenet that legislation and bylaws should only be adopted by a 50 per cent plus majority and strips citizens of effective representation; it’s an affront to democracy in the name of a crisis.
Under the auspices of building more homes faster, provincial conservation authorities will lose their powers to comment on projects and be locked out of the process. Ford and his cronies will move as fast as they can to lay pavement—both for houses and the highway that no one wants but them.
Bill 23 also deprives municipalities of development fees needed to finance growth. According to a recent staff report, Toronto will lose $230 million a year due to Bill 23. That’s a 20 per cent reduction over current rates. That’s less money for sewers, roads, and new green spaces.
Ostensibly, Bill 23 is about giving us more roofs over our heads that we can afford. Yet the province has dropped the “affordable” requirement for new developments to a maximum of five per cent. Compare that to the Westbank redevelopment of Mirvish Village at Bathurst and Bloor where the affordable component will be 40 per cent. We can thank the federal government for that one.
Wealthy developers, meanwhile, will get wealthier. After Ford’s first mention of the Greenbelt back in 2018, a group of them purchased $278 million worth of Ontario farmland—but they didn’t need to justify their purpose with any claims about growing food.
The Ontario government should be answering questions about how it selected the choice 11 parcels of Greenbelt to be “liberated” for development. But they won’t, instead Premier Ford will keep hiding behind his majority.
Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreiner spoke about Bill 23 and said, “this all smells,” and it does—in fact it stinks, of corruption and greed at its worst.
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on FORUM: A fall economic statement from the Minister of Finance (Dec. 2022)
So far this year, our economic growth has been the strongest in the G7
By Chrystia Freeland
I know that it has felt like one thing after another since COVID first reached our shores. We turned the economy off, and then we turned it back on again. Vladimir Putin illegally invaded Ukraine. And now we are all dealing with the impacts of global inflation at the checkout counter and the gas pump.
Interest rates have been rising as the Bank of Canada steps in to tackle inflation. And that means our economy is slowing down. That is the case in Canada. That is the case in the United States. And that is the case in economies big and small around the world.
This is a challenging time for millions of Canadians. It is a challenging time for many of our neighbours here in Toronto, too. But while we cannot avoid the global economic slowdown, our economy is ready for it—and we have been ensuring that Canadians are prepared for it, too.
The major enhancements we have made to Canada’s social safety net since 2016 will be there for those who need them—including the Canada Child Benefit, the boosted Guaranteed Income Supplement, and enhanced Old Age Security. Critically, the benefits and pensions that so many Canadians count on are indexed to inflation.
And in the Fall Economic Statement I tabled in November, we introduced new measures to strengthen our social safety net and provide important inflation relief to the Canadians who need it most.
We are permanently eliminating interest on the federal portion of Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans. We are delivering dental care to make sure that families don’t need to choose between taking their child to the dentist and putting food on the table.
We are creating a new, quarterly Canada Workers Benefit to deliver advance payments to our lowest-paid—and often most essential—workers, providing up to a total of $2,400 to a couple working full time. This enhancement means the Canada Workers Benefit will now support 4.2 million Canadians who do very important jobs for very little money.
We are providing hundreds of dollars in new, targeted support to low-income renters who are struggling with the cost of housing. And for the Canadians who need it the most, we are doubling the GST Credit for the next six months. Hundreds of dollars have already started to arrive in the bank accounts of 11 million Canadian households to help them cope with higher prices.
We are providing targeted inflation relief because it’s the right thing to do. And we can do it because while we are compassionate, we are also responsible.
In fact, Canada has the lowest deficit and the lowest debt-to GDP ratio in the G7. A few hours after I tabled the Fall Economic Statement, Moody’s reaffirmed our AAA credit rating with a stable outlook. And in October alone, employment in Canada rose by 108,000 jobs—meaning there are 513,000 more Canadians working today than before COVID first hit.
Our economy is now 103 per cent the size it was before the pandemic. So far this year, our economic growth has been the strongest in the G7.
All of this shows that our pandemic spending worked. It means we are entering the global slowdown from a position of fundamental economic strength—with more Canadians employed, and with the fiscal firepower we need to respond to whatever the global economy may throw at us.
As we provide important support to the Canadians who need it most today, we are also looking forward—at how we can ensure our economy creates good jobs and prosperity in the years to come.
Which is why, in the Fall Economic Statement, one of our key pillars was a focus on growing Canada’s economy—on making investments that will encourage businesses to grow and create good jobs for Canadians right across the country.
We focused on that because we know the global economy is changing—and because we know that a changing global economy represents a generational economic opportunity for Canadian workers.
We believe this for two reasons. First, the global green transition is the most significant transformation since the Industrial Revolution. And here in Canada, we have a fortunate abundance of the goods and resources that will power that transformation. And second, since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, we have entered a period of friendshoring. Our allies and their leading businesses are moving to build their supply chains through democracies rather than dictatorships, and they are looking to Canada to provide them with the goods and resources they need.
That is why we have been working to make Canada a leader in electric vehicle manufacturing, and the democracy that is prepared to provide our allies with the critical minerals and energy they need.
That is why we are investing in innovation and in helping Canadian businesses take risks and grow in a net-zero world. That is why we are launching a new Canada Growth Fund that will help attract the billions of dollars in private capital required to fight climate change and create good jobs across industries here in Toronto and from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
That is why we are ensuring that Canadian workers have the skills they need to do good jobs, and why we are bringing to Canada more of the skilled workers that our growing country needs.
And that is why we are working to make housing more affordable and to build more of the homes that a growing economy requires—more of the homes that Toronto desperately needs.
Canadians are tough and the Canadian economy is resilient. And that is why we can all be confident we will get through this, just as we have got through so much over these past two and a half years.
The Fall Economic Statement was about helping our most vulnerable friends, family, and neighbours weather the challenges that the global economy is presenting at us. And it was about building a brighter future and an economy that works for everyone.
Chrystia Freeland is MP for University-Rosedale, Minister of Finance, and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada.
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on FORUM: Ford takes aim at democracy and the Greenbelt (Dec. 2022)
It’s power for power’s sake not about sound policy
By Jessica Bell
The Ford government’s Bill 39 is a direct attack on representative democracy. The bill bulldozes local decision-making so Doug Ford can wield more power while making it easier for his developer friends to get rich paving over the Greenbelt.
Bill 39 is a short and devastating document. Schedule 1 amends the City of Toronto Act to give the mayor the power to pass laws that align with provincial priorities with the support of just eight out of 24 councillors. The premier has yet to define its provincial priorities in regulation or law, but we can guess it will be about development, housing, and transit. This schedule is an attack on citizen power, the authority of our elected officials to represent us well, and majority rule, which is a basic tenant of representative democracy.
I walked down from Queen’s Park to city hall on the first day of city council. I, along with hundreds of others, watched Mayor Tory sitting entrenched in his corner seat, eyes forward, studiously avoiding the hundreds of citizens watching the proceedings. It astonishes me that Mayor Tory asked for this minority rule power under the pretense that he needs to address the housing crisis that has been made worse by his decisions over the past eight years. Really, this is all about power.
Schedule 2 permits development on an area of the Greenbelt called the Duffin Rouge Agricultural Preserve. Over 1300 acres in this area are owned by the De Gasperis Family, one of the PC party’s biggest donors. The De Gasperis family bought the land cheap when it was zoned for farmland. With the passage of Bill 39, the developers stand to make untold profit because the land will be zoned for development. Given the huge amount of money PC party donors stand to gain from Bill 39, we have asked the auditor general to investigate for corruption or conflict of interest. On the face of it, it stinks.
Schedule 3 gives the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing the authority to appoint regional council chairs in Niagara, Peel, and York, overriding municipal elections. This is all about reducing oversight over sprawl. Regional municipalities co-ordinate planning and development for a region; they get to decide what gets built and where, from homes and employment lands, to sewerage and roads. Giving Ford permission to appoint his yes people will make it easier for him to approve development on farmland.
For over 50 years, governments of all political stripes, from Bill Davis to Dalton McGuinty, worked to strengthen and expand the Greenbelt. They, like us, understood the economic, social and environmental value of preserving Ontario’s farmlands, forests, rivers, and wetlands.
Ford’s plan has nothing to do with solving the housing crisis. The government’s own Housing Affordability Taskforce stated that access to land is not limiting new housing supply. The taskforce called for ending exclusionary zoning, building more affordable missing middle homes, and increasing density on transit routes. These are “yes in my backyard” measures that I support, along with government investment in building affordable homes and supportive homes, and far stronger protections for renters.
It took thousands of years to secure representative democracy. It wasn’t given to us—our ancestors worked for it, agitated for it, and died for it. Torontonians and Ontarians: it’s time to work together to defend and strengthen our democracy again. Reach out if you want to get involved or want to tell our team what you’re working on.
Jessica Bell is MPP for University-Rosedale and the Housing Critic for the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park.
December 13th, 2022 · Comments Off on FORUM: Bill 23 is the province’s Big Lie (Dec. 2022)
Residents’ associations come together to condemn move
By the HVRA and the ARA
Bill 23, the provincial government’s promise to build 1.5 million homes by 2031 is nothing short of an early Christmas gift to developers.
There’s no guarantee homes will be built, there’s nothing to ensure they will be affordable, and there’s no help for renters.
Here’s what Doug Ford delivered on his pre-Christmas sleigh to his developer buddies:
the right to evict existing tenants with no obligation to take them back
the right to demolish buildings that are listed heritage unless the city designates them
the sole right to appeal planning decisions
relief from $200 million in city charges that currently ensure new residents have basics like sewer, water and parking spaces
a pass on making new buildings energy efficient which means Toronto won’t meet its climate change emergency targets
The province has even expanded the boundaries of some cities to allow for building and given a green light to pave over parts of the Greenbelt, an area the size of the City of Guelph.
Little wonder radio ads from the development industry are exultant. In return for this grab bag of blessings, developers are not required to deliver on anything.
They now say they will start building to serve newcomers and give people hope. Which newcomers and what hope? Without built-in social services and communities to support adjusting to Canadian life, this bill is promoting ghettos in the sprawl, serving only prosperous Canadians and rich immigrants who can afford their own transportation.
It’s scattershot legislation designed to rid the development industry of the perceived notion of price penalties, land frustrations, meddling neighbours, and interfering bureaucrats.
Last year in Toronto, the city reported 17,000 rental units built, with a further need for 40,000, including 18,000 deeply affordable. In the first six months of 2022, 1,436 rental units were started.
Where is the requirement that any of the proposed housing be rental, affordable, or deeply affordable? This is the housing that is required for students, low-income and fixed-income tenants, newcomers, and residents on the street.
The 2021 census showed that renters make up 48.1 per cent of the population of Toronto. According to Bullpen Research, average rents have increased by 27 per cent in the last year. A CBC home financial columnist tells her clients that the income needed to carry the average $2,474 rent on one-bedroom units in the open market in Toronto would now be more than $120,000. For cheaper accommodation, the Nov. 6, Rentals.ca website listed 15 units available between Dufferin Grove and Leslieville under $1500, and one at 230 square feet for $1475.
Until now, Toronto bylaws guaranteed that tenants displaced by development would receive a subsidy from landlords during construction and that they would have the right to return to the new building to a unit of the same size for the same rent.
A few days ago, the minister of municipal affairs removed similar protections from the Ottawa official plan to allow developers to evict and leave tenants to the mercies of the overheated rental market. Toronto will not be far behind.
The 130 tenants who will be displaced if the 145 St. George St. development is approved, will be hard-pressed to remain in Toronto, let alone return home once the new building is complete. This means Bill 23 will almost certainly reduce the lower income renter population—at least in the parts of the city of interest to developers. We will lose our residents. They will lose their homes, their communities, and us.
The bill further diminishes the capacity to create affordable rentals in new buildings even though cities can pass bylaws to create such housing. The changes in the city cannot require more than 5 per cent of affordable units in those areas. By comparison, the Mirvish Village development, which has become the poster child for progressive city building, has set aside 40 per cent of its 916 units as affordable, with contributions from the developer and CMHC.
The bill also acts on the chronic but unproved complaint that zoning appeals have stood in the way of development; however, the Ontario Land Tribunal reports that its caseload is down 50 per cent over the last four years, and that a minority of appeals were launched by individuals.
Where is the justification for taking away the rights of the public or interest groups to appeal when there are tens of thousands of units ready to be built?
Between 2016 and 2020, 140,848 residential units were approved but only 76,513 built—a completion rate of 54 per cent. Close to 600 units between 316 Bloor St. West and the Just Desserts site at 306-326 Davenport are stalled.
Three years later, the existing house form building at Just Desserts has been demolished and replaced by a surface parking lot. Are developers banking permissions and playing the market for better gains?
The province does not put up a dime to build the housing it says it wants.
Instead, it has put existing Toronto taxpayers on the hook for $200 million in lost revenue—fees that were charged to developers to pay for necessary upgrades to vital services like subways, water and sewage for new residents.
Likewise, parks and other infrastructure for the benefit of new and existing residents are now up to local taxpayers to finance. The only added rental in the amalgamated cities of Toronto from Bill 23 will be in scattered basement units and granny suites—and those will be up to individual property owners to finance.
Finally, 3,973 buildings in Toronto have heritage listing status which protects them from demolition for 90 days to allow time for Heritage Preservation Services to decide whether a time-consuming and exhaustive full heritage designation is warranted.
Under new rules, unless the city designates the property as a heritage site, present listings would expire in two years and the affected property would be exempt from heritage consideration for the next five years.
This bombshell of changes to planning and heritage was brought down without any hint or signal to the provincial electorate who voted only five months ago. It was introduced the day after a municipal election (instead of during the election when these ideas would have been hotly debated) and at a time when new councillors were still trying to find their new offices.
Bill 23 is an avalanche of random change. It is incoherent, seemingly vengeful, autocratic, and tailor-made for a single sector that does piecemeal violence to coherent city plans that have emerged after years of consultation; it rips asunder the democratic process.
We all agree sensibly-priced housing of all kinds is an urgent need. Our priorities are simple: we need to plan cities in considered ways and protect our most vulnerable.
The province needs to put money in the game and build the rental housing we need. There should be a full-scale public consultation process before Bill 23 becomes law.
Jointly submitted by Henry Wiercinski, vice chair, Annex Residents’ Association and Sue Dexter, board member, Harbord Village Residents’ Association.
Comments Off on FORUM: Bill 23 is the province’s Big Lie (Dec. 2022)Tags:Annex · Opinion
