The Relief Line subway is Toronto's top transit priority. The new subway is desperately needed to reduce overcrowding on the Yonge line, which already sees many of you waiting 3 or 4 trains just to get on at Midtown stations including Eglinton, Davisville and St. Clair. I am pleased that Council took an important step forward by voting [...]
Committee of Adjustment decisions on minor variances (generally related to single-family homes) will no longer be appealable to the Ontario Municipal Board. Instead, Toronto has now established its own Local Appeals Body. I hope that this is an important first step toward Toronto having greater freedom from the OMB. For more information, please see this Toronto Star article.
Also in last week's budget, the provincial government introduced a number of measures they hope will cool down Toronto's housing market. One of these measures is a 15% Non-Resident Speculation Tax (NRST) on non-Canadian citizens, non-permanent residents and non-Canadian corporations buying residential properties containing one to six units in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH). Other [...]
As a parent of a four year old daughter, I know how difficult it is to find quality daycare space in Toronto. Like many of you, I had to put Molly on a waiting list shortly after she was born to ensure she would even have a spot. That's why I was pleased that Council [...]
Over 20 community organizations including Scarborough Transit Action, TTC Riders, and Toronto Environmental Alliance have signed a letter to Premier Wynne and Environment Minister Murray requesting the province to require the City to undertake a comparative evaluation of the 1-stop Scarborough subway extension and the 7-stop LRT. The groups cited my motion to Council last month asking for a [...]
The longstanding issues with the province's 1991 rental loophole allowing unlimited increases have recently been exacerbated by landlords taking advantage of Toronto's overheated housing market by doubling rents in some cases. After a long campaign by the Federation of Metro Toronto Tenants Associations, ACORN, ACTO, my office and many others, I want to commend the provincial government for introducing [...]
I'm very concerned about how, while the mayor understandably calls on the Province for adequate funding for the significant transit and housing shortfalls in Toronto, I believe there have been decisions made at city hall that have not demonstrated thoughtful or competent management of these priorities from either a financial or social and urban planning policy perspective. [...]
On Thursday, June 1 from 4-8pm, I will be hosting my annual Community Environment Day. The event will take place in the parking lot of North Toronto Memorial Arena (174 Orchard View Blvd). Please drop off any unwanted art supplies, books, toys, and used sports equipment. Facilities will be available to dispose of computers and other hazardous household waste, or even [...]
On Monday, April 3 I will be co-hosting an unprecedented joint meeting(s) of the Tenant Issues Committee, which I Chair, and the Affordable Housing Committee with my colleague, Councillor Ana Bailao. Toronto's rental housing market has become increasingly unaffordable for many people. The challenges of finding and keeping a decent and affordable place to live are affecting people [...]
As many of you have heard by now, Council has opted to continue work toward a 1-stop extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway to the Scarborough Town Centre instead of a 2-line, 24-stop network. I wrote extensively about the options in my previous newsletter to you. It is unfortunate that, yet again, Council decided to not ask for relevant and important information [...]
