The Planning Act in Ontario stipulates that municipalities must hold public meetings when considering certain planning decisions, including zoning by-law amendments. This often involves posting notices at the site and making the meeting details publicly accessible. The failure to follow these requirements can undermine the legitimacy of the decision-making process, especially if it affects public participation rights.
On November 4th, the following complaint was submitted to the Ontario Ombudsman:
Please provide a short summary of your complaint:
Please refer to TE17.8 - 985 Woodbine Avenue and 2078, 2086, 2100, 2102 and 2106 Danforth Avenue - Zoning By-law Amendment and Rental Housing Demolition Applications - Decision
Report - Approval
Zoning By-Law Amendment 2024.TE17.8
In 2019, Choice Properties REIT (Loblaws) proposal for two towers was originally submitted in 2019. It was for a 15-storey tower at the NE corner of Woodbine Avenue and Danforth Avenue and a 10 Storey tower at the SW corner of Strathmore
Blvd and Cedarvale Avenue. On May 23, 2019 a community consultation meeting was held.
In late 2023, Choice Properties REIT (Loblaws) submitted a revised proposal, changing the height for the Woodbine Danforth to a 35-Storey tall building.
In early 2024 Signs were posted on each of Woodbine Ave, Danforth Ave, Strathmore Blvd and Cedarvale Ave stating
PUBLIC MEETING Public meeting information will be posted on this sign when available.
No PUBLIC MEETING information was ever posted on the signs.
After many attempts to find out when the Public Meeting will be held including: a visit, phone call and email to Brad Bradford’s constituency office, I received an email stating the meeting was held May 6, 2024, only residents within 250
meters of the site were invited, and to address my concerns to the Senior Planner.
After attempts to contact the senior planner went unanswered, I emailed the Mayors office twice. Mayor’s office responded promptly each time. Finally I received
a call from the Senior Planner, Steven Barber. Steven provide me a link to the Webex.
The recording of the meeting can be found here: Webex of Invitation Only meeting
The private meeting was held on May 6, 2024. The community was not advised of the meeting.
The Webex recording of the meeting was also not available to the community.
At the October 24th, Toronto East York Community Council meeting, I raised the concern, and asked for a public community consultation meeting before Community Council votes on the item.
Community Council Meeting Video
1:19 My presentation explaining that the City did not advise the community of the Community Consultation meeting to discuss the change from in height from 15 Storey to 35 Storey.
1:25:22, Councilor Paula Fletcher stated: "I'm just going to clarify because I will ask planning, I don't know how long these Webex's are kept, that she would clarify with Planning how long the Webex recordings are kept? You've looked for and you
couldn't find the Webex meeting online?"
My reply: "That's right, I guarantee you no-one can find it if they're not sent the link."
1:25:34 Councilor Paula Fletcher: "I will ask the Planners."
1:50:37 Councilor Paula Fletcher: "I said I would ask this for the Debutante, he said he could not find the meeting. Can somebody from Planning confirm if it is up on the web or do you take those down, whats the status of the consultation meeting for an active application?
1:50:54 Senior Planner Steven Barber: "Through the Chair, I don't believe the recording is published on the website, um, It's available through me, that's how the debutante who spoke earlier saw it"
1:50:55 Councilor Paula Fletcher: "Sorry, I couldn't hear your answer. Its available through you?"
1:51:29 Councilor Paula Fletcher to me: "OK, you saw it, but it's not posted with the meetings? Is that a Planning decision that you can't link? ...Is that a Planning policy that they're not posted or is it a website issue that you can't have that much
content up there on the Planning website?"
1:51:55 Director Planning and Housing Carly Bowman: "Through the Chair, there was a report considered by Planning and Housing Committee this summer that looks at opportunities to further enhance our community consultation processes, the
Webex meetings are made available through notice issued to the community one can access online. In terms of accessing content online after the fact, that needs to be requested from the planner.
There is no way for the community to know of this May 6, 2024 meeting because it was not posted on the four signs surrounding the proposed building site
and it is not posted in the Toronto.ca planning website which still only shows the 2019 meeting.
Community Meetings, Hearings and Public Input
Date: May 23, 2019 Time:7:00pm
Location: Hope United Church 2550 DANFORTH AVE
The Toronto.ca website still does not show the May 6, 2024 consultation meeting.
Check for yourself here:
Planning-Development Folder
This was approved at Toronto East York Community Council without my neigbourhood knowing about it because the meeting was private. It is on the Agenda for the final approval at the November 13th City Council Meeting.
The Ombudsman should also investigate what motivated high ranking city officials (Elected and Salaried) to not holding a public consultation meeting to fast track approval of the Choice Properties REIT (Loblaws) proposal.