Category: NEWS - Page 13 - Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods

Proposed Changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe

Published on: August 1, 2020 | Last Updated on: October 14, 2020

cycling through park on former brownfields

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on ERO 019-1680, the proposed changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (“Growth Plan”) and ERO 019-1679, the Lands Needs Assessment Methodology (“methodology”).

The Growth Plan is a unique land-use planning framework that proposes to balance urban growth with protection of the natural environment and farmland within the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH)…

According to the Growth Plan, these “valuable assets must be wisely protected and managed as part of planning for future growth.”

We, the 63 undersigned organizations, believe both proposals, if implemented, would cause significant adverse effects on the GGH.

President’s Report – June 20, 2020

Published on: June 20, 2020 | Last Updated on: June 7, 2021

The key message I bring today is that events of this year, since COVID 19, continue to demand the critical role of residents associations at the local level, and federations of residents associations, especially at the provincial level, to address policy issues. The mantra “municipalities are a creature of the province” is not only the law but is being actively practiced by the elected government.

What are these issues we are dealing with? Here are examples:

Bill 108 regulations
Set rates for the new community benefit charge (CBC) which will produce less funding than before for public realm and public services needed as a result of development.

Tenant legislation – Bill 184 – The Protecting Tenants, Strengthening Community Housing Act, 2020
Of which it has been said that “tenant protection (in the new legislation) begins and ends with the title”.

Provincial Policy Statement 2020

Published on: April 11, 2020 | Last Updated on: October 6, 2020

The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods responded to the request for comments on the proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) in the fall of 2019. Almost 500 responses were received and a summary of the comments and results of the consultant on the decision are available at the Environmental Registry of Ontario.

Growth Plan Amendments: FoNTRA Letter to Ontario Government

Published on: January 29, 2020 | Last Updated on: October 11, 2020

According to the government, the “proposed changes address implementation challenges with the Plan that were identified by the municipal and development sectors and other stakeholders” and “are intended to provide greater flexibility and address barriers to building homes, creating jobs, attracting investments and putting in place the right infrastructure while protecting the environment.” We note for the record that FoNTRA, as one of the most significant stakeholder organization in the Province representing the interests of residents, had not been consulted.

Queen’s Park Report November 2019

Published on: November 22, 2019 | Last Updated on: October 7, 2020

The Province, through Bill 108, More Homes, More Choice Act, 2019, introduced sweeping changes across 13 statutes, including the Planning Act and the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal Act, 2017, with the stated intention of cutting red tape, reducing costs, and increasing the supply of housing in Ontario. Although Bill 108 was passed on June 6, 2019, the vast majority of the amendments are presently not yet in effect.

On September 3, 2019, the Province proclaimed into force key amendments to the Planning Act and the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal Act, 2017 that in essence return the development process and the planning appeals regime back to where they were before the reforms introduced by the previous Government. These changes include:

Queen’s Park Report – October 2019

Published on: October 22, 2019 | Last Updated on: October 7, 2020

The Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) is a consolidated statement of the government’s policies on land use planning. It applies province-wide and provides provincial policy direction on key land use planning issues that affect communities. The government held a 90 day consultation period which closed October 21 2019, during which they sought feedback on proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement. The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods submitted comments as follows:

2019 Annual General Meeting Notice

Published on: April 23, 2019 | Last Updated on: October 5, 2020

Saturday, May 25, 2019, 2 to 4 p.m.
Kensington Apartments
21 Dale Avenue
6th Floor Board Room
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1K3

AGENDA
Welcome
Approval of Minutes of AGM held October 27, 2018
President’s Report Treasurer’s Report Budget for 2019/2020
Ratification of Decisions taken by Executive Committee since last AGM
Appointment of an auditor for 2019
Confirmation of Membership Dues
Election of Officers and Executive Committee for 2019/2020

Local Planning Appeal Support Centre Has Been Closed

Published on: March 14, 2019 | Last Updated on: October 3, 2020

The Ford government is closing a provincial agency that gives legal assistance to residents battling development changes in their local municipality.

The Local Planning Appeal Support Centre was created just last year as part of the Wynne government’s reforms to the former Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), a body long criticized for favouring developers in its decisions about zoning.

The High Costs of Sprawl

Published on: March 4, 2019 | Last Updated on: October 5, 2020

The Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), Canada’s largest urban region, will undergo a profound change as it grows to accommodate an anticipated 4.4 million new residents by 2041, making it home to nearly 13.5 million people.

The decisions we make about how to accommodate this growth will determine what types of communities we live in, how much time we spend stuck in traffic, the quality of the air we breathe and whether our farmland and forests continue to provide us with food and habitat for our unique wildlife. There’s no question that new housing will be needed. The question is what form it will take.

Cancellation of the Local Planning Appeal Support Centre

Published on: March 3, 2019 | Last Updated on: September 23, 2020

Less than one year into its operation, the Province has announced that the Local Planning Appeal Support Centre (LPASC) is being shut.

LPASC was launched in April 2018 to help people understand and navigate the land use planning and appeal process in Ontario. The LPASC Act, 2017 mandated the establishment and administration of a cost-effective and efficient system for providing support services, and to establish criteria for determining the eligibility of persons to receive the support. The LPASC has until June 30, 2019 to wind down the business. Effective immediately, LPASC will no longer be accepting new requests for professional services from the public.

The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods (Ontario) has sent the following letter to the Ontario Government protesting this action.