The Federation of North Toronto Residents’ Associations Incorporated (FoNTRA) is a not for profit organization now comprised of over 30 residents’ associations, located between Bloor Street, Sheppard Avenue, the Don Valley Parkway and Bathurst Street in the City of Toronto. We monitor, investigate and help solve urban planning issues, share best practices and represent common interests of our members with all levels of government.
Current Issues
FoNTRA cites grave concerns with Bill 23
On November 10th, 2022 the FoNTRA Board sent a Letter of Objection to the Standing Committee on Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy with copies to our local MPPs and councillors.
Bill 23 is omnibus legislation that seeks to make significant changes to municipal planning legislation throughout the province. Many residents, community and environmental organizations have begun to raise their concerns in a variety of public forum.
Bill 23: Consultation schedule is set
Fewer meetings held more quickly
While residents are struggling to understand the complexity of Bill 23, the province is moving quickly to fix wheels to their wagon.
All of this haste flies in the face of the best practices of consultation that provide a prescription of fairness required of all public bodies. See the details of these best practices (aka The Gunning Principles) below.
The consultation schedule for Bill 23 was released on October 31st.
More homes built faster, 2022 Act
The Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy will meet to consider Bill 23, An Act to amend various statutes, to revoke various regulations and to enact the Supporting Growth and Housing in York and Durham Regions Act, 2022.
Bill 23: Omnibus bill means that suddenly everything is at risk
Ford and his housing minister previewed the legislation in a Toronto Region Board of Trade event earlier on Tuesday. Ford said in his speech …
“Everyone’s dream is to have a little white picket fence. You know, when they put the key in the door, they know they’re building equity into it, they can do the little tweaks to their house and increase the value of it. That’s our goal.”
It is not yet clear how the proposed legislation will achieve this goal.
The legislation introduces a new concept definition called ‘attainable housing’ that seems to look very much like the old ‘market-based housing.’ This is precisely the outcome that the building industry is hoping for. Toronto has more than 230 cranes in-the-air providing mostly market-based housing … so we can expect more cranes on the horizon.
