NEWS

Ontario raises foreign-buyers tax on home purchases to 20 percent

House for sale - Oshawa

The Ontario government has made changes effective March 30, 2022, to the non-resident speculation tax, as part of the action plan on housing. The intent is to increase supply for Ontario residents and discourage foreign speculators looking to turn a quick profit.

  • The tax for foreign homebuyers has been increased to 20 percent. 
  • A loophole has been closed that allowed foreign students and workers to get a tax rebate on real estate purchases.
  • Rebates and other exemptions will still be available for students and workers who become permanent residents of Canada.
  • The tax has been expanded to cover all residential properties across the province.

413 will facilitate massive, destructive sprawl

Holland Marsh over Bradford - aerial view

The proposed Highway 413 will facilitate massive, destructive urban sprawl unless it is stopped.

There is increasing opposition from many individuals and organizations who are gravely concerned about the impacts of this proposed highway. Those concerned include public health, municipal, business, agricultural, environmental and community groups.

Highway 413 alone would be devastating. It would slice through the Greenbelt and destroy over 800 hectares of class 1 and 2 farmland, impact 220 wetlands covering 130 hectares, impact or remove 680 hectares of wildlife habitat including forest, wetland and meadows and create crossings of 85 rivers and streams – including the Humber and Credit River Valleys. Over 1000 hectares of land identified as important for wildlife movement will be removed or intersected.*

Groups launch lawsuit over feds refusal to do Environmental Impact study of Bradford Bypass

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Bradford Bypass sign

On March 14, 2022, seven environmental and community organizations filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault. The lawsuit challenges the Minister’s failure to designate the Bradford Bypass highway project for a federal impact assessment.

The organizations previously made two requests for a federal impact assessment on the proposed Bradford Bypass (or Holland Marsh Highway), which would cut through the Greenbelt, the Holland Marsh provincially significant wetland, and the headwater rivers at the south end of the Lake Simcoe watershed. The federal government turned down both requests. The lawsuit challenges the government’s decision to turn down the second request.

Boards and Bylaws

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ONCA webinar

Special Webinar on ONCA Changes – Feb. 16, 2022

Ontario’s Not-for-profit Corporations Act (ONCA) was proclaimed on October 19th, 2021. Nonprofits have 3 years to update their bylaws and letters patent to comply with ONCA. This webinar, featuring Benjamin Miller from CLEO, was hosted by the Federation of North Toronto Residents’ Associations (FoNTRA) in conjunction with the Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods. It will walk you through what is new in the ONCA, steps nonprofits need to take to transition to the ONCA, and how CLEO’s free resources can help you create ONCA compliant bylaws from scratch or adapt your current bylaws.

Watch the Webinar

 

Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force

Markham suburbs

The Ontario government struck this task force in December 2021, and the final Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force Report was delivered to the Minister of Housing at the end of January 2022. The members of the Task Force and their biographies are detailed in Appendix A of the Report.

A goal was set for Ontario to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years to address the supply shortage.

The Report details 55 Recommendations:

Southern Ontario Growth Conference

Oakville, Ontario

Your voice needs to be heard. Get access to resources to help.

Many municipalities are trying to understand how to best integrate climate change into their municipal decision-making process, such as in the development of their official plan. Because plans for growth and infrastructure have far-reaching impacts on climate change, municipalities are seeking additional guidance to better understand how to integrate into practice various, seemingly competing, priorities.

With official plans currently being finalized, the goal of this conference is to lift up the voices of experts, organizations, individuals and community groups that may not readily have the ear of elected officials and municipal planners.

Proposed Bradford Bypass Project

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Ontario highway

RE: Proposed Bradford Bypass Project

We wish to advise you of our strong opposition to this project, a four lane 400 series highway, misnamed as the Bradford Bypass. In May 2021, Minister Wilkinson made a determination that the Bradford Bypass Project did not warrant designation under the federal Impact Assessment Act. The reasons for the decision, are specified in the Minister’s Response on the Designation Request for the Bradford Bypass Project.

While these are undoubtably valid reasons, we feel strongly that this project deserves a similar calibre study as the Highway 413 project.

GTA West Corridor Highway (Highway 413)

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Highway 10, Caledon, ON

This is to advise you that the Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods has serious concerns with the proposal to proceed with the Highway 413. It represents the start of what is in essence a whole new 400 series highway system north of Toronto that we believe will have major negative implications for the residents of the Town of Caledon. 

Our concerns can be summarized as follows:

  1. The highway, if built, would encourage and facilitate an unprecedented level of urban sprawl in the GTA, which would destroy important green spaces and prime farmland.
  2. People who live along the highway route (your residents) will suffer health impacts.
  3. Commuters will see diminishing benefits from the highway (due to induced demand). And in any case the pandemic has drastically changed our commuting patterns.
  4. It will incur a significant cost to taxpayers which will be borne by the Provincial Government alone (the Federal Government has indicated it will NOT cost-share).

Pre-Budget Consultations – January 2022

house model with stacks of coins

FUN recognizes the significant fiscal challenges facing the Government of Ontario, especially in light of the continuing Pandemic. We also believe that investing in and maintaining physical and social and health infrastructure, all the while addressing the Climate Emergency are critical to the future wellbeing of all Ontario residents. However, we are choosing to focus at this time on the growing Housing Market and Housing Affordability issue and offer a recommendation for inclusion in the Spring 2022 Ontario Budget.

We are all aware that Housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable in all urban areas of Ontario, especially Toronto. We are concerned however that the Government of Ontario is not effectively addressing the issue. The core issue is the rampant speculation in the housing market.

Lake Simcoe Protection Plan

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Lake Simcoe ice

The Made in Ontario Environment Plan commits the province to: “Build on previous successes and continue to implement the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan to protect and restore important natural areas and features of the lake.” It is the Christmas wish of the 28 signatory groups to this letter that you honour that promise.

In early 2019, the year the statutory review of the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan was to commence, the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition launched the Protect Our Plan (POP) campaign, promoting the importance of the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. The Province hosted a survey, an online consultation and an online science forum in early 2020. The list of extensive consultation, education, and engagement conducted by the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition is available at Rescue Lake Simcoe.