Statement of Founding Principles and Objectives

At its founding in February 2001 the following ratepayers’ and residents’ associations joined together to form the Federation of North Toronto Residents’ Associations (FoNTRA)*:

  • ABC Residents’ Association
  • Avenue Road & Eglinton Community Association
  • Bedford Park Residents’ Association
  • Deer Park Ratepayers’ Group
  • Don Mills Residents Inc.
  • FoNTRA Associate Members-at-Large
  • Lawrence Park Ratepayers’ Association
  • Lawrence Park-Bayview Property Owners’ Association
  • Leaside Property Owners’ Association
  • Lytton Park Residents’ Organization Inc.
  • Moore Park Residents’ Association
  • North Hill District Home Owners’ Association
  • Oriole Park Association
  • Sherwood Park Residents’ Association
  • South Eglinton Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association
  • South Hill District Home Owners’ Association
  • Summerhill Residents’ Association
  • Tarragon Village Community Association
  • Teddington Park Residents’ Association
  • York Mills Ratepayers’ Association
  • York Mills Valley Association

The members of FoNTRA agree to work jointly to preserve and enhance the quality of life that makes our area such an enjoyable place to live, shop and work. FoNTRA will be dedicated to safeguarding the sustainability of our neighbourhoods that include all of our road systems. We are committed to holding members of our City and Provincial governments, including elected and non-elected officials, accountable to the residents in our neighbourhoods. We want to restore the belief and trust of our members in the fairness and democracy of Toronto’s political system, and to reverse the current feeling that the interests of others rank ahead of our own residents.

FoNTRA’s objectives include:

  • Working with the elected and non-elected members of the City, Provincial and, where appropriate, Federal governments as well as the media to ensure that public policies better reflect the taxation and the significant, longstanding volunteer and charitable contributions of our residents. We will be dedicated to ensuring that development, taxation and other policies are compatible with our neighbourhoods and the needs of our residents;
  • Standing together as FoNTRA to ensure that any property development and redevelopment is in keeping with the Official Plan, Zoning By-Laws and Secondary Plans irrespective of the local association area in which an application is made.
  • Placing developers and planners on notice that applications for new developments or redevelopments that significantly affect any part of our region affect all of our members. We will review and respond to them accordingly;
  • Working together to ensure genuine participation by our residents in the development of the new Official Plan and in the formulation of other new development policies affecting our area;
  • Promoting reforms to the City’s property tax system to reduce the serious inequities of the current taxation approach; and
  • Working with the media and our members to publicize undemocratic initiatives and other actions proposed or taken without accountability to residents by non-elected officials. We will work vigorously and diligently to reverse such actions that are harmful to the FoNTRA area’s quality of life and our residents’ interest in vibrant, liveable neighbourhoods.

* The 20 area residents’ associations and the FoNTRA Associate Members-at-Large comprised the 21 original member organizations of FoNTRA. In total, these associations represented over 125,000 residents within their boundaries. Today FoNTRA has over 30 members representing over 170,000 residents.