November Council Highlights

Friends,

In the ongoing November City Council meeting which started yesterday, Council has voted to advance some transformative items.

The new housing report “Generational Transformation of Toronto’s Housing System to Urgently Build More Affordable Homes" responds to Toronto City Council’s direction to develop a plan to approve 25,000 new rent-controlled homes in addition to what was already planned. This plan the City’s total housing target to 65,000 new rent-controlled homes including a minimum of 41,000 affordable rental, 6,500 Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) homes and 17,500 rent-controlled market homes by 2030.

By approving this plan, Council and the Mayor have taken a leadership role in addressing the housing crisis through dedicating more City-owned land to create new affordable homes; accelerating the delivery of “housing ready” projects on City and not-for-profit owned land; streamlining and optimizing people, processes and technology to expedite approvals and housing delivery; and supporting the not-for-profit and co-op housing sectors.

Council also voted in favour of expanding Toronto Community Crisis Service as a City-wide program ensuring that all Torontonians can benefit from this 24/7, community-based, client-centered and trauma informed service to support non-emergency crisis calls. In its first year of operations the Toronto Community Crisis Service received 6,827 calls for service, with 78 per cent of calls transferred from 911 successfully resolved without police involvement. This program joins Toronto Fire, Paramedic and Police as the fourth municipal emergency service.

As part of the Shelter Infrastructure Plan and the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy Council authorized and directed staff to take a number steps to maintain existing agreements as well as procure new sites for respite spaces and shelter beds .

Council also voted on a number items to address the lack of shelter spaces as the system reaches a breaking point. Over the last few years, we have grappled with the rising demand for shelter spaces while facing significant financial constraints. Council adopted a report calling on the federal government to do their fair share in responding to this crisis, including matching the provincial increase of $6.67 million funding for the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit program and urgently funding and operationalizing federal sites such as armouries to provide emergency accommodations for refugees and asylum seekers.  

With the colder weather upon us, the urgency of the matter rises. I call on you to connect with your federal representatives to urge them to do their fair share and support the City's efforts to provide warmth and shelter for those seeking refuge.

Sincerely,

Gord


- Development Items at Toronto East York Community Council

          - 403 Keele Street and 48-50 Heintzman Street

          - 209 Mavety Street

          - 2760 Dundas Street West

- Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods - Survey deadline extension

- Micromobility - Public Survey

- Bloor West Bike Lanes and Complete Street Extension Update

- Callout for a basketball tournament at Masaryk Cowan Community Centre

- Reminder: Community meeting - Development Proposal for 1730 Bloor Street West

Toronto and East York Community Council

On November 15, 2023, TEYCC will be reviewing three items in Parkdale - High Park, details below. These items will be heard on November 15th after 10 AM.

You can register to speak or provide written comment through [email protected].

For further information on this or any other Ward 4 or city-related matter, go to www.gordperks.ca or contact my office at [email protected].

 

TE9.5: 403 Keele Street and 48-50 Heintzman Street - Zoning By-law Amendment Application - Decision Report - Approval

This application proposes to construct a new 11 storey mixed-use building with 280 rental dwellings units and 265 square metres of commercial space at grade. One level of underground parking with a total of 23 parking spaces is also proposed.

Following a review of the application and a community meeting, City Planning Staff recommend approval of the application as the proposal is consistent with the pattern and scale of redevelopment in the area and represents appropriate intensification.

The full report is available on-line at https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-240425.pdf.

At this time, I will be supporting staff's recommendation to approve this application.

 

TE9.6: 209 Mavety Street - Zoning By-law Amendment Application - Decision Report - Approval

This application proposes to amend the Zoning By-law to permit a Community Health Centre at 209 Mavety Street through an interior retrofit and renovation of the existing building. The Four Village Community Health Centre is a not-for-profit organization that delivers a range of health services and health promotion programs to residents living in Toronto West such as the Roncesvalles, Swansea, Bloor West, and the Junction Area communities. The services and programs offered by the organization focus on the needs of seniors, newcomers, families with children, and youth.

City Planning Staff recommend approval of the application as the proposal will facilitate the establishment of a community health centre that will encourage the adaptive reuse of an existing building, generate job opportunities, and provide important health services and programs to the community.

The full report is available on-line at https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-240309.pdf.

At this time, I will be supporting staff's recommendation to approve this application.

 

TE9.4: 2760 Dundas Street West - Zoning By-law Amendment Application - Decision Report.

The Rezoning Application proposes a new 6 storey mixed-use building at 2760 Dundas Street West (formerly The Peacock Hotel) with 28 dwelling units and 114 square metres of commercial space at grade.

This Staff Report reviews and recommends approval of the application to amend the Zoning By-law based on the following Planning decision: the mixed-use building is an appropriate scale for the site, fits within the existing and planned context and is an example of high quality design that will set a positive precedent for future development in the area.

The Staff Report is available to review at: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2023/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-240427.pdf

Further, information submitted to the City by the applicant is available for your review under on the City's Application Information Centre at:  https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/application-information-centre/#location=&lat=&lng=  .

Following a review of the staff report and two community meetings, I will be recommending approval of the staff report.


Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods: Survey deadline extended

The Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods: Major Streets Study is conducting consultations on its proposal report with outreach to members of the public, residents' associations, industry, City divisions, and other stakeholders.

The consultation period has been extended to December 14, 2023, to continue to engage with and hear from as many people as possible. Survey available at toronto.ca/major streets .

Details on the Major Streets Study:

The report proposes official plan and zoning by-law amendments to permit townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings city-wide, in Neighbourhoods, along Map 3 Major Streets. These have been posted to the City's website at toronto.ca/major streets

The amendments propose to permit townhouses and small-scale apartment buildings on all properties, along major streets, designated Neighbourhoods across the city and set out built form criteria in policy and zoning. The proposals contribute to the 2023 Housing Action Plan goals to remove exclusionary zoning and to increase housing opportunities in a range of housing forms.


Micromobility Public Survey - deadline December 13

Micromobility describes small, compact, low-speed vehicles that are lighter weight than cars, which can include bicycles, cargo bikes/trikes, folding bikes, electric two, three, or four-wheeled cycles, urban mobility vehicles (i.e. small, one-person e-cars), e-mopeds, electric kick-scooters (e-scooters), and more.

The City of Toronto is seeking public feedback on the use of micromobility, e.g. bikes, e-bikes and other small vehicles. The results from this survey will be used to develop a city-wide strategy for micromobility, including what new forms might be allowed in future. The survey will be open until December 13, 2023.


Update 10: Bloor West Bike Lanes and Complete Street Extension - Nov 8/23

This email is to provide an update on phase 1 of the installation of the Bloor West Bike Lanes and Complete Street Extension from Runnymede Road to Aberfoyle Crescent. Installation of phase 1 began the week of September 11, 2023. Initial installation is planned for completion in December 2023, with upgrades planned for 2024 and beyond. 

*Please note that the traffic study, monitoring strategy and final roll plans have been posted on the webpage, toronto.ca/BloorWest   

Work scheduled for November 8th to 10th: 

  • Continued installation of concrete curbs, flex post bollards and planter boxes between South Kingsway and Runnymede Road.
  • Continued installation of flex post bollards between Prince Edward Road and South Kingsway.
  • Installation of remaining signage to support the complete street design.

Work scheduled for the week of November 13th, 2023: 

  • Installation of pavement markings for bus stops along the corridor, and the westbound bus lane between Armadale Avenue and Jane Street.
  • Installation of painted curb extensions at some unsignalized intersections.
  • Installation of remaining curbs and flex post bollards between Aberfoyle Crescent and Runnymede Road.
  • Ongoing signage installation and adjustments along the corridor to support the complete street design.

Work scheduled in the rest of November 2023: 

  • Installation of painted curb extensions and all remaining pavement markings between Runnymede Road and Aberfoyle Crescent.

*Work will take place both during the day and at night and is scheduled to avoid conflicts with other construction in the roadway. The work scheduled is dependent on weather conditions. 

For more project details, please visit: Toronto.ca/BloorWest 


Masaryk Cowan CRC Tournament of Champions - deadline November 16


Community Meeting to discuss development proposal at 1730 Bloor Street West

The property owners of 1730 Bloor St West, current site of strip mall and 7-11, is holding an Online Community Meeting to share preliminary plans for a 25-storey mixed-use development on this site.

Online Community Meeting Details:

Tuesday, November 14th, 6:30pm - 8:00 pm

Link to Join: bit.ly/1730bloor

Meeting ID: 835 2892 2909

Telephone Dial-in: (647) 558-0588

The meeting will be an opportunity to review a presentation as well as to ask questions and provide comments.

Councillor Perks and City Planning staff will be in attendance.

Further details are available on the attached flyer. As always, please feel free to contact Councillor Perks' Office if you have ward 4 or city-related questions or concerns.

Latest posts

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  

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  

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  

Take action

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