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Planning and Housing Committee Highlights!

Friends,

The City continues to move forward on increasing Toronto’s housing supply.  At Planning and Housing Committee yesterday, we considered several items to accommodate further growth. You can review the full agenda here.

In particular, I want to highlight two staff reports fulfilling key deliverables under the City’s agreement for federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) funding:

  • Low-Rise Sixplexes

A staff report on Expanding Permissions in Neighbourhoods for Low-Rise Sixplexes recommends zoning amendments to permit multiplexes with five and six dwelling units in detached residential buildings (also referred to as “fiveplexes” and “sixplexes”) in low-rise residential neighbourhoods city-wide.

  • Apartment Infill

A staff report on Apartment Infill recommends zoning amendments to enable additional housing on existing apartment sites city-wide by permitting townhouses on sites zoned Residential Apartment Commercial, and by conversion of underutilized common spaces into residential dwelling units. 

It also recommends new permissions to enable deep energy retrofits of existing apartment buildings, which will contribute to Toronto’s housing supply through the preservation of existing and aging housing stock.

Expanding multiplex permissions and enabling additional housing on existing apartment sites is an important step towards increasing housing options for Torontonians. It facilitates the development of housing forms available to a wider spectrum of household compositions at various life stages and incomes, supporting aging in place and multi-generational families living together in the same neighbourhood.

These expanded permissions also support the City in fully accessing $471.1 million in HAF funding to accelerate the delivery of new homes.

Committee adopted both these items, and they now move forward for City Council consideration on June 25-27.

I look forward to the discussion at City Council, and will continue to advocate for broadening the range of housing options available to Torontonians.

Sincerely,

 

In This Week's Newsletter

City Wide Updates 

  • City Planning Public Meeting on June 24
  • Become a member of the TTC's Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit
  • Community Consultation for  Growing Space for Trees, Infill Housing and "Iceberg Homes"
  • Bike Share Toronto brings back Bike For Free Day
  • Join Gerstein Crisis Centre for their SafeTALK workshop
  • Toronto Public Markets Week is June 15 to 21

Ward 4

  • Subway Closure - Jane to Keele stations – Saturday, June 14, 2025
  • Sunnyside Outdoor Pool is Open This Weekend!
  • Parkdale Developments Walking Tour
  • TRCA Celebrate the Humber Tour - June 14

City Wide

Public Meeting to bring City's Official Plan to consistency with Provincial Planning Statement

The Provincial Planning Statement 2024 (PPS 2024) Consistency Exercise is an initiative to review the City’s Official Plan and recommend Official Plan Amendments to bring the Official Plan into consistency with the PPS 2024. The Provincial Planning Statement 2024 (opens in new window) came into effect on October 20, 2024.

Register (opens in new window) for our virtual Public Meeting on June 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. to hear about proposed changes to the Official Plan to ensure consistency with the Provincial Planning Statement 2024 (PPS 2024), including:

  1. Archaeological Resources Protection – Protecting areas with archaeological significance and making sure they are properly safeguarded.
  2. Heritage Protection and Conservation – Protecting important built and cultural heritage sites, which may include buildings or areas such as parks or neighbourhoods that hold cultural or historical significance.
  3. Employment Areas and Land Use Compatibility – Reviewing employment areas policies to ensure they remain compatible with nearby residential or sensitive areas, while allowing businesses to continue operating effectively and supporting the local economy over time.
  4. Growth Forecasts – Reviewing population and employment growth forecasts to guide future planning and development.

For more information about this initiatives, please visit the project webpage.

Help Shape the Future of Accessible Transit in Toronto

The TTC is looking for new members to join its Advisory Committee on Accessible Transit (ACAT). This group plays a central role in advising the TTC Board and staff, ensuring our transit services are inclusive and responsive to the needs of all.

ACAT members contribute their expertise in various ways, including:

  • Evaluating accessibility features of new buses, streetcars, subway trains, and stations
  • Shaping eligibility criteria and policies for Wheel-Trans and Family of Services
  • Providing insights on TTC operations and construction projects
  • Supporting the training of TTC Operators and Customer Service Agents (CSAs) in accessible services

Applicants must:

  • Use conventional TTC services and/or Wheel-Trans
  • Have a disability, be a senior, and/or demonstrate knowledge/interest in accessible transit issues
  • Be available for meetings during business hours and able to volunteer approximately seven hours per week during regular business hours
  • Be passionate about or advocate for issues and services impacting those with visible and non-visible disabilities as well as those from diverse backgrounds
  • Possess familiarity with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the Ontario Human Rights Code, and related accessibility standards
  • Embrace a commitment to being a lifelong learner, staying informed about the latest developments in accessible transit

The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.

Complete the online form or visit www.ttc.ca/acat to learn more and for other ways to apply.

Community Consultation for  Growing Space for Trees, Infill Housing and "Iceberg Homes"

The City of Toronto’s City Planning Division is continuing consulting on proposals to better protect and enhance Toronto’s tree canopy while supporting infill housing development in neighbourhoods and also addressing concerns about the impacts of “iceberg homes”.

What is being proposed?

We are proposing amendments to Toronto’s Official Plan Chapter 4 policies in Section 4.1, Neighbourhoods, and Section 4.2, Apartment Neighbourhoods. We are also proposing changes to City-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013 that address the definition of soft landscaping and landscaping and updating below ground requirements in low-rise residential zones.

How to learn more and provide input:

We are holding two in-person public open houses and two virtual meetings to review the proposed changes and to provide an opportunity for stakeholder input:

In-person open houses:

  • Monday June 23, 4pm – 7pm (staff presentation at 6:15pm). Annette Street Public Library - Auditorium, 145 Annette Street, Toronto, ON, M6P 1P3
  • Wednesday June 25, 4pm – 7pm (staff presentation at 6:15pm). North District Public Library – Main Floor Meeting Room, 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto, ON, M4R 1B9

Virtual Meetings:

  • Thursday June 26, noon -1pm.

Register at: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a12e9fd5-df5a-4204-a4ff-66d09aed3aa9@f0bc8ec6-9ed8-4d0c-9189-411ad949cc65

  • Friday, June 27, noon – 1pm

Register at: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/592f9915-d4be-4f1d-9aab-92be5ebe3b7e@f0bc8ec6-9ed8-4d0c-9189-411ad949cc65

Bike For Free Day

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, Tangerine Bank and the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) are offering an easy and affordable way to explore the city with the return of Bike For Free Day.

Riders can enjoy unlimited 90-minute rides on June 14. Free rides can be accessed through the Bike Share Toronto App by selecting the Free Day Pass option and following the prompts. The 24 hours will begin when the Free Day Pass is activated and applies to both classic and e-bikes.

To participate in Bike for Free Day, download the BST app, select the Free Day Pass option by following the prompts, then visit your closest Bike Share Toronto station to start riding!

Join Gerstein Crisis Centre for their SafeTALK workshop

Toronto Public Markets Week is June 15 to 21

Public Markets Week is Sunday, June 15 to Saturday, June 21 – a city-wide spotlight on Toronto’s more than 160 public markets, which support more than 3,000 urban and rural entrepreneurs. From farmers’ markets to flea markets, Indigenous-led specialty markets and community fresh food markets, these spaces are vital hubs of entrepreneurship, innovation and local resilience. The city's new public markets webpage makes it easy to find a public market near you. Learn more City of Toronto Public Markets and full event details at marketcityTO event page

Ward 4 

Subway Closure - Jane to Keele stations – Saturday, June 14, 2025

Subway service on Line 2 between Jane and Keele stations will be replaced by shuttle buses on Saturday, June 14 for planned track work. TTC staff will be available to assist customers.

Runnymede and High Park stations will be closed during these times. All other subway stations will remain open for customers to purchase or load a PRESTO card, PRESTO Ticket and connect to surface routes.   

Extra Wheel-Trans buses will operate between Jane and Keele stations for any customer requiring assistance.

To confirm the status of elevators and escalators throughout the system, contact the TTC lift line at: 416-539-5438 (LIFT) for real-time information on any outages.  

Sunnyside Outdoor Pool is open this weekend

Get ready to dive in! Fifteen City pools are set to open early for the season starting on Saturday, June 14 including Sunnyside Outdoor Pool. All other outdoor swimming pools will open on a partial schedule starting on Saturday, June 21. The full schedule will begin on Friday, June 27. Find more information about pool locations and schedule on the City’s Swimming & Water Play webpage

Parkdale Developments Walking Tour

PARKDALE DEVELOPMENTS WALKING TOUR

 Sunday, June 22nd

 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm + social

Meet us at the Parkdale Amphitheatre (Queen and Dufferin, north west corner)!

With over 4,000 new units proposed across 20 sites in #Parkdale, this tour invites you to witness the scale of expansion, question the mix of condos, rentals, and affordable housing, celebrate Parkdale’s layered history, and take part in the living ecosystem of change.

View the map online

Join Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Celebrate the Humber 2025!  

Join for a day of exploration, education, and community along the Humber River! Celebrate the rich history, ecological significance, and cultural heritage of the river at Étienne Brulé Park on Saturday, June 14, 2025. 

Date/Time:     Saturday, June 14, 2025, 10 AM to 3 PM

Location:         Etienne Brulé Park,10 Catherine St, Toronto

Parking:           Limited parking is available onsite.             

Attire:               This is a rain or shine outdoor event, please dress for the weather, and wear flat, comfortable footwear as grounds may be uneven.  

Why Attend? 

🤝 Join a guided tour 

🥾Hike along self-guided trails 

💡Engage with Interactive educational booths 

🎣 Participate in a Learn-to-Fish session 

💧Discover why the Humber is a Canadian Heritage River 

Mark your calendars and learn more at https://trca.ca/conservation/watershed-management/humber-river/celebrate-the-humber/  

#TRCACelebrateTheHumber #CelebrateTheHumber #HumberRiver #CanadianHeritageRiver 

Latest posts

Update on the 2299 Dundas St West Men’s Shelter

Friends,

As part of the George Street Revitalization (GSR) project, the City continues to relocate existing shelter programs to new and enhanced facilities across Toronto. The 2299 Dundas St. W. Men’s Shelter will create a safe space for 80 men experiencing homelessness. This program will provide case management to assist clients in securing permanent housing and access to onsite healthcare and mental health supports, including a Managed Alcohol Program. The anticipated construction completion date for this shelter is Winter 2026.

The shelter will be staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week and offer specialized programs that will provide health and housing support to help residents improve their health and move toward permanent housing.

Services and features of the shelter will include:
• Onsite healthcare, including personal support workers, nursing, medication support, and access to an in-house physician.
• Access to health services, including a Managed Alcohol Program (MAP) and the Annex Infirmary program which provides short-term medical observation, care, and recovery support to clients experiencing health challenges.
• Case management to support clients secure permanent and supportive housing.
• Mental health services and referrals to a wide range of additional community supports

Shelters in our city provide essential support to individuals in immediate housing crisis, act as a stepping stone to permanent housing, reduce reliance on other high-cost services (e.g emergency rooms), and bring people indoors, by providing an alternative to sleeping in parks, sidewalks, or transit shelters.

If you are interested in supporting the shelter, through the offer of programs that benefit shelter residents, participating in community events or partnerships, or donating goods, please email [email protected].

There will be a community event to welcome the shelter to the neighbourhood once construction is completed. Updates will continue to be shared as the project progresses on the City’s webpage at toronto.ca/2299dundas.

If you would like to receive future updates, ask a question or share an idea, you can reach the project team at [email protected] .

 

Sincerely,

Gord

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • TRCA Flood Safety Information
  • CultureLink Career Workshop
  • Grassy Narrows River Run Rally Save the Date

Ward 4 news

  • Pat Capponi Parkette Opening Event
  • Toronto East York Community Council
    • 1464 King Street West and 10 to 12 Maynard Avenue
    • 1497 and 1501 Queen Street West and 89 and 91 Beaty Avenue
    • 1 & 3 Close Ave & 78 Springhurst Ave
    • 1730 Bloor Street West
    • 2273, 2277 and 2279 Bloor Street West
    • 34 to 50 Southport Street
    • Renaming Close-Springhurst Parkette in Honour of Diane Rajaram
    • Transportation Items
      • CNE Traffic and Parking Regulations
      • King Street Construction
      • Armadale and Mayfield - All-Way Stop
      • Traffic Calming Various Streets
      • St. John's Road - Additional Speed Humps
  • Parkdale Parking Restrictions during FIFA  

Expansion of Ontario’s Deposit Return Program

Friends,

On June 10, 2026, the Infrastructure and Environment Committee voted in favour of urging the Ontario government to immediately implement a deposit-return program for non-alcoholic beverage containers.

Currently, Ontario operates a successful deposit return system for alcohol, seeing an average of 75 percent of all empties returned to Beer Stores each year. The deposit return provides a consumer incentive to consciously recycle. This system must be expanded to include all beverage containers.

Ontario is one of Canada’s only provinces without a deposit-return program for non-alcoholic beverages. As a result, Ontario has the lowest beverage container recovery rate in Canada—at roughly 50% of containers being recycled. Other provinces such as Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia have an expanded deposit return program and see recovery rates 50% higher than Ontario. The Ontario government proposed expanding the deposit return program to include non-alcoholic containers in 2023 but has yet to do so.

The City of Toronto will join the Peel Region, the City of Waterloo, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative in urging the Ontario government to immediately implement a deposit-return program for non-alcoholic beverage containers.

The IEC Committee received a letter of support from the Canadian Beverage Association to expand the Deposit Return Program as the current mixed recycling system is inefficient, resulting in higher cost for producers with worse outcomes.

You can hear my comments on the matter at the IEC meeting here: https://youtu.be/73ZTlD1yDIU

As we push for ways to be more sustainable, I encourage you to participate in the Plastic Free July challenge, a global campaign encouraging individuals and communities to cut down on single use plastics throughout the month of July.  We can use this movement to make incremental changes in individual habits but also to mobilize as a community to influence our governments and businesses to adopt sustainable practices.

 

Sincerely,

Gord

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • FIFA Related Nighttime Waste Collection Changes

Ward 4 news

  • Sorauren Construction Progress Update – June 18,2026  
  • Swansea Town Hall: Clean Indoor Air Toronto
  • Summer Fest - Baby Point Gates BIACommunity Environment Day - June 27
  • Community Environment Day - June 27
  • Parkside Live: A Summer Music Series
  • Taste of the Junction 2026
  • Parkdale Parking Restrictions during FIFA  

Landmark funding deal to build more rental homes

Friends,

This week at City Council we adopted a landmark funding deal in which $1.5 billion in funding will be provided to the City of Toronto to reduce development charges in partnership with the provincial and federal governments. The full City Council agenda can be reviewed here: City Council - Meeting 42 - TMMIS

The City can now reduce its residential development charges by 40 to 60 per cent for the next three years, and use this funding to pay for major infrastructure projects including our road network, water infrastructure, and enhanced transit capacity to support a growing population.  These reductions will apply across the board for residential development. Deeper development charge discounts (60 per cent) will be offered to units with two or more bedrooms, to help incentivize building more housing for families.

At a time when our housing market has slowed down, these development charge reductions will help make projects more financially viable, build more of the kind of housing we need, and make homes more affordable for residents. It will also help generate an estimated 143,000 jobs through construction and related industries.

This funding deal was inspired by the City’s successful Purpose-Built Rental Housing Incentives program.

The first phase of the program, launched in fall 2024 with more than $1.2 billion in financial contributions from the City of Toronto, supported more than 8,000 rental homes, including more than 2,000 affordable homes.

Building on that success, with the greater financial stability provided through the $1.5 billion in federal and provincial infrastructure funding, the City of Toronto is now in a position to launch a new phase of Purpose-Built Rental Incentives.

The second phase of the program will support up to 10,000 new rental homes, including a minimum of 2,000 affordable rental homes. We will prioritize shovel-ready projects and City staff will review and approve applications on a rolling basis over the coming weeks and months.

We are proving as a city that there is a crucial role for government to steer development towards building housing that Torontonians can afford to live in.  In doing so as a municipal government, we are influencing other orders of government to invest in Toronto with us.

 

Sincerely,

Gord

In This Week's Newsletter

City-Wide News

  • Celebrate Canada Day
  • Pride Weekend
  • Outdoor Swimming Pools
  • FIFA Related Nighttime Waste Collection Changes

Ward 4 news

  • Toronto East York Community Council
    • 1464 King Street West and 10 to 12 Maynard Avenue
    • 1497 and 1501 Queen Street West and 89 and 91 Beaty Avenue
    • 1 & 3 Close Ave & 78 Springhurst Ave
    • 1730 Bloor Street West
    • 2273, 2277 and 2279 Bloor Street West
    • 34 to 50 Southport Street
    • Renaming Close-Springhurst Parkette in Honour of Diane Rajaram
    • Transportation Items
  • Sorauren Ave Construction Update
  • Celebration of Compassion at Roncesvalles United Church
  • Celebrate Around the World on Roncy in Roncesvalles Village!
  • Swansea Town Hall: Clean Indoor Air Toronto
  • Summer Fest - Baby Point Gates BIA Community Environment Day - June 27
  • Community Environment Day - June 27
  • Parkside Live: A Summer Music Series
  • Taste of the Junction 2026
  • Parkdale Parking Restrictions during FIFA  
More — Read Our Weekly Newsletter

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Phone: 416-392-7919
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Toronto, ON M5H 2N2