Because EPRA is not-partisan we do not back one party or another. However, we willingly stake out our position on legislation in hopes that our representatives will hear our point of view.
Bills 23 and 109 (the strong mayor bill), now passed, pose us residents with serious challenges.
In the past, EPRA has allied with our City Councillor and our neighbours. We’ve negotiated with the city and developers about the shape of the new buildings all around us. Some are up already, others are in the works and a few, like the one we call “the wafer” (tall and thin at Orchard View on Yonge) are merely in the offing.
Amidst unstoppable development, these new Ontario bills have changed the rules of engagement for us residents. Furthermore, the strong mayor law (Bill 109) takes power away from our city councillors, which means we cannot as easily lean on them to represent our concerns.
What is Bill 23?
Essentially it does everything possible to make developers happy, including:
Shortening proposal-processing time:
The planning cycle has been compressed considerably from two years for approval to a mere 90 days! This means that the city will have virtually no time for public consultation. Developments will no longer come to community council for a first vote, which will silence us from voicing our concerns there. Once the final vote comes, it will be too late for our comments.
Furthermore, appeals before the OLT could inflict high costs on us RAs if we sign up as a party and then lose. If we are not a “party,” we can’t join mediation, which has long been our best tool for injecting good ideas for design and winning concessions from developers. All these changes, due to Bill 23, exclude us citizens from input about what our neighbourhood becomes.
Stripping protection for Heritage properties:
Some 4000 Toronto “listed” properties now on the Heritage waiting list are awaiting official inclusion on the Register. That process, for any building, requires careful studies and a comprehensive dossier. Registration, the mechanism that protects historical buildings and saves them from demolition, will be crippled because the city lacks the human resources to register all those threatened sites in the mere two years Bill 23 allots.
Eliminating development charges:
The province also stripped away development charges the city uses to pay for critical infrastructure – all the pipes, streets, and wires needed for the unprecedented growth in population. Toronto estimates that the city will lose about $2B over the next decade from this depleted revenue stream.
Limiting affordable housing:
Toronto had legislated a rising quota for the amount of affordable housing in any new tower, scheduling it to increase by stages. Bill 23 freezes the amount at the present 5%, and also reduces the duration of any cheaper leases from 99 years to 25. It also weakens protections for evicted tenants and does nothing to preserve our threatened stock of cheaper, old low-rise apartments, which developers often buy to demolish and replace with expensive high-rise dwellings.
Assaulting the Greenbelt:
As we’ve all heard, Bill 23 attacks the Greenbelt, where among other things, Toronto gets its water. Any change to the boundaries there would be a dangerous precedent.
We know this is a lot to take in. But remember, we are not without power as citizens. EPRA is not backing down and neither should you.
As citizens we must appeal to our politicians, engage in city politics, and ensure we have a civic government that pushes for lively democracy and good planning.
Here’s what you can do:
- Keep in close contact with our Councillor and ally, Mike Colle (councillor_colle8@toronto.ca) and let him know what you think.
- Reach out to our Provincial MPP, Robin Martin (robin.martin@pc.ola.org) and insist that she act on our behalf.
- Appeal to our Federal MP Marco Mendocino (marco.mendicino@parl.gc.ca) and urge him to increase and accelerate funding for affordable housing.
- Vote in the mayoral election on June 26.
To follow all these matters, we recommend the following sites and blogs:
The Alliance for a Liveable Ontario is new, and still forming. It is a “big tent” operation with feet planted both in cities and the countryside. ALO is keen on vital local democracy, and on ecological responsibility.
FoNTRA (The Federation of North Toronto Residents’ Association): the name is accurate but North Toronto is big, from Bloor to Steeles. This website is full of handy links and policy papers.
FoNTRA’s sister federation south of Bloor
Blogs
Ken Greenberg was Toronto’s Chief Planner in the 1990s. He has since had a hand in many of our most prominent urban projects, from the Bentway park to Regent Park’s renewal. Check out his website.
John Lorinc, a journalist at Spacing, is one of our city’s liveliest commentators on urban planning. He does not always agree with EPRA, but he is sharp and interesting. Here is a link to his blog.
Alex Bozikovic, on Twitter, is never dull. He is the Globe and Mail’s architecture critic. Here’s a link to his feed.
Edward Keenan of The Toronto Star, a good city-observer. Here is a link to his blog.
This is a key moment to exercise our influence. As the mayoral campaign heats up, listen carefully to the candidates. We will need a mayor who can help the city hold its own and work to preserve our precious democracy.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. If you have any further questions or comments, or need assistance with writing to our city, provincial and federal representatives, please reach out to EPRA.
Together, we can make a difference.
Eglinton Park Residents' Association 
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