Toronto City Council Expresses Concern About Provincial Bill 97

In previous newsletters, I have written about my concerns with Provincial Bill 109 – More Homes for Everyone Act and Provincial Bill 23 – More Homes Built Faster Act. On April 6, 2023, the Provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Hon. Steve Clark, tabled Bill 97 – Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act.
 

Bill 97 is the latest Provincial housing policy that undermines local decision-making for the City of Toronto. In a report to the Planning and Housing Committee on May 17, City Planning outlined the sweeping impacts the Bill will have on how growth planning is carried out in our city and across the province.

As part of Bill 97, the Provincial government plans to integrate the Provincial Policy Statement and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe into a single Provincial Planning Statement. The proposed repeal of the Growth Plan will treat Toronto generally the same as any other part of the Province, despite the fact that we are home to 70% of Ontarians and play a critical role as the country's economic engine. City staff warn that abandoning the Growth Plan could increase planning costs for all levels of government, resulting in environmentally unsustainable development, and risk the loss of economically vital employment lands.

Additionally, Bill 97 proposes to freeze 74 Provincial development fees – which municipalities use to provide the necessary infrastructure and services to support growing populations – at current levels. In Toronto, these fees are used to maintain roads, build sewer and water infrastructure, construct community facilities, and much more. The Province also plans to move forward with regulations that override municipal rental replacement by-laws, which could allow developers to provide smaller replacement units.
 

Bill 97 received Royal Assent on June 8, 2023, however the new Provincial Planning Statement remains in the proposal stage. At the June meeting, City Council voted to express our concern to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on the general direction taken in the proposed Provincial Planning Statement, as recommended by the Chief Planner.

The stakeholder consultation period for the Provincial Planning Statement remains open until August 4, 2023. Residents can submit comments on the proposed policies to the Provincial Land Use Plans Branch here or by email to: growthplanning@ontario.ca. I would also encourage you to share your concerns with Minister Clark at Steve.Clark@pc.ola.org, as well as with your local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP).