Bill 17 – FUN responds

Construction signs on street in downtown Toronto

Our overriding concern is the undue haste with which this legislation is proceeding, without scrutiny or opportunity for public input at Standing Committee. Regardless of the intent or content of the legislation this is undemocratic and wrong.

Municipalities have a legislated responsibility to protect public health and environmental wellbeing. Restricting their ability to exercise those duties will not protect Ontario or build housing faster.

The proposed changes will only reduce the quality of new housing and communities and expose Ontarian residents to greater environmental risks. We are a democratic society, and this bill would add several measures to make us otherwise.

Doug Ford’s controversial Bill 5: Here’s what you need to know

Trees in standing water with more trees and greenery in background on sunny spring day.

The most significant legislation from Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives since winning their third straight majority is a sweeping bill that Premier Doug Ford says will protect the economy from tariffs but which critics say will gut environmental protection. 

The PCs are framing the bill as an urgent response to the economic threats posed by U.S. President Donald Trump and his tariffs. Critics are calling that a pretext to loosen oversight of how companies operate in Ontario.

Concerns are coming not just from Ford’s usual opponents — such as First Nations leaders and environmental groups — but also from organizations as varied as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the Toronto Zoo.

TOWN HALL – Elbows Up Urban Ontario

Our Annual General Meeting was a success with the approval of ONCA compliant bylaws and the election of a new Board for the coming year.

Our Annual General Meeting was followed by a Town Hall presentation by Sandford Borins, an Emeritus Professor from the University of Toronto. His presentation was ‘Elbows Up – Urban Ontario’

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND TOWN HALL

Woman sitting at laptop in zoom meeting

We invited all interested members of community resident organizations to attend the Annual General Meeting and the Town Hall session. Any number of representatives from your organization may attend these events.

Ford government to appeal injunction blocking Toronto bike lane removals

Cyclist in bike lane at edge of road with truck and 4-storey building in background

Doug Ford says the provincial government will appeal the Ontario Superior Court’s decision to grant an injunction that blocks the removal of several bike lanes in Toronto. “But those bike lanes are coming out one way or another,” Ford said at a press conference in Mississauga Wednesday morning “We’re appealing it, because judges should not determine items like bike lanes.”

Ford Government’s Bill 5 is its latest “Trump like” assault on the environment and democracy

White flower (trillium) with green leaves on forest floor with brown leaves.

On April 17, 2025 the Ford Government quietly tabled the omnibus Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. While the bill introduces some added authority to restrict foreign ownership/investment in government procurement of things like electricity generation and mining claims/mines, the guts of the bill include
a full-on attack on vulnerable species; and a new authoritarian “override power” of all environmental and other provincial/municipal laws.

As Ontario’s rich farmland is parceled out for development, these farmers are ensuring their legacy continues — forever

Rural road with apple orchards on both sides under a stormy winter sky

Across Ontario, in the face of development pressures and a growing belief that government is doing little to protect high-quality farmland, an increasing number of farmers are looking for ways to take farmland protection into their own hands through the use of farmland easement agreements added to the title of the land as a way to both protect it and ensure it remains agricultural.

How Did This Suburb Figure Out Mass Transit?

Red and grey bus in front of brick building with clock tower (Brampton City Hall)

We don’t have to wait until all our suburbs are rebuilt to become European-style walkable utopias; it’s possible to get people out of their cars in a matter of months simply by running buses more frequently.

Ontario Place sewer plan an environmental disaster

polluted water flowing from sewage pipe into lake

We are writing in opposition to the Ontario Government’s combined sewer overflow work (CSO) at 955 Lakeshore Boulevard West (Ontario Place) that has the clear potential to spread polluted water, including sewer run off, into the West Channel around West Island at Ontario Place and the planned ‘new beach’.

Combined overflow outlets run counter to herculean efforts to clean up Lake Ontario: the discharge will pollute a heavily used part of the waterfront.