Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods
Communities Count. Civic Matters.
FUN Letter of Appreciation Hon. Kathryn McGarry, MPP Minister of TransportationEmail: km**********@*********la.org RE: Cancellation of Greater Toronto Area West Corridor Project The Federation of Urban Neighborhoods Ontario (FUN) applauds the Ontario government on its February 9, 2018 decision to accept the expert advisory panel’s recommendation that the proposed GTA West corridor is not the best … Read more
The Federation of Urban Neighborhoods strongly supports the expansion of the Greenbelt in the Outer Ring of the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH).
We also welcome the provincially led process underway to define the study area, and its focus to preserve important water features under pressure from urban development. We further hope that the ministry considers designating other watersheds not in the study area for similar protection.
The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods Ontario (FUN) includes residents’ associations in several urban communities in the GGH, who are aware of the importance, and sensitivity of the ecological assets of the region and the increasing pressures from a growing population.
AGM AGENDA
Welcome
Approval of Minutes of AGM held April 29, 2017
President’s Report
Financial Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2017
Ratification of Decisions taken by Executive Committee since last AGM
Election of Officers and Executive Committee for 2018/2019
Budget for 2018/2019
Confirmation of Membership Dues
Appointment of an auditor for 2019
Resident associations are concerned about maintaining and improving quality of life for all residents in our communities. This is critically important today as cities compete for growth. We are reminded of this with the race for the selection of a second HQ for Amazon. The competition is as much about quality of life, physical, social and economic equity, and healthy cities, as anything else. Having a well planned city that has views, landmarks, heritage, recreation opportunities, the ability to move safely and efficiently using alternative modes of transportation are all important.
The Federation of North Toronto Residents Associations, FoNTRA, wishes to express its comments on the above noted initiative, which was established under the 16-point Housing Action Plan with senior representation from the province, GTHA, municipalities, and the development and real estate industries1 but without any public input or engagement!
The Ontario government is about to make a big decision that will tell us a lot about what the future of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area will look like. The reason is that, according to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), the fate of the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the GTA West, AKA Highway 413, will be decided within the next 60 days.
The EA estimates the highway will cost $4 to $6 billion to construct, excluding the expense of land expropriation and ongoing highway maintenance.
Our organization was founded 17 years ago, in part, over the frustration felt by community and neighbourhood associations from across Ontario over the use of the OMB tribunals by the development industry to overturn local official plans and even provincial policies. This was accomplished by developers taking advantage of procedural changes over the years at the OMB: changes which favoured “expert” evidence that less well-funded respondents (and even some local authorities) lacked the money and resources to challenge…
For the last 5 years, elements of the development sector have invested significantly and intensively in mounting a multi-faceted communications campaign to undermine the Growth Plan and Greenbelt Plan. The campaign is comprised of:
– the commissioning and/or funding of reports and publications conveying incomplete, selective and/or inaccurate information;
– rhetorical opinion pieces released through various media, presentations and conferences; and,
– intensive lobbying of elected representatives and senior executives at both the provincial and municipal levels – relying on materials based on the reports/publications described above.
This Explanatory Note was written as a reader’s aid to Bill 2 and does not form part of the law. Bill 2 has been enacted as Chapter 22 of the Statutes of Ontario, 2016.
A number of amendments are made to the Election Finances Act. Among them:
1. Corporations and trade unions are prohibited from making contributions to parties, constituency associations, nomination contestants, candidates and leadership contestants. Contribution limits for individuals are reduced.
2. “Nomination contestants” — persons seeking to be endorsed as a party’s candidate in an electoral district — are brought within the Act, on and from July 1, 2017.
3. Quarterly allowances are made payable to registered parties and constituency associations.
4. The rules regarding loans and loan guarantees are made more restrictive….
While FoNTRA shares many of the key concerns regarding the current role and operation of the OMB put forward by advocates for the abolishment of the OMB or the removal of Toronto from its jurisdiction, it does not support these initiatives since the broader need for significant provincial planning reform is not being addressed by these moves. Furthermore, FoNTRA sees the right to appeal certain municipal decisions to an independent body as being of paramount importance in a public process that is to respect procedural fairness for all actors. Experience has shown that residents are regularly called upon to defend city policies and regulations when city council and/or planning staff fail to do so.