Item - 2026.TE33.10

The Toronto and East York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council adopt Official Plan Amendment 914 substantially in accordance with the recommended Official Plan Amendment included as Attachment 11 to the report (May 11, 2026) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the recommended Official Plan Amendment as may be required.

3. City Council identify the properties listed in Attachment 7 to the report (May 11, 2026) from the Director, Community Planning, Toronto and East York District as having cultural heritage value or interest, as identified through the Liberty Village Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director, Development Review to apply the recommended Official Plan Amendment in the evaluation of all current and new development applications within the Official Plan Amendment area.

5.  City Council direct the Executive Director, Development Review to circulate all development applications in Liberty Village to:

a.  the school boards and to continue discussions with the school boards on the provision of a public school in future development, whether on private or public lands, to serve the growing population of Liberty Village; and

b.  Canada Post and to continue discussions with Canada Post on providing a co-located post/package service within the boundaries of Liberty Village, and explore partnerships with other mail and delivery service providers, where appropriate.

6.  City Council request the Mayor, as part of the Budget process, to direct that any Community Benefits Charges collected from development applications within Liberty Village that are not in-kind contributions be allocated towards funding a future community recreation centre or similar public facility in Liberty Village.

7.  City Council request the Toronto Public Library Board of Directors to request that the City Librarian, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO,  to further investigate the feasibility of providing a neighbourhood-sized public library in Liberty Village in future development, whether on private or public lands or co-located with other public facilities.

8.  City Council request that the General Manager, Children’s Services, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, to further investigate the feasibility of providing public, non-profit childcare facilities in Liberty Village in future development, whether on private or public lands or co-located with other public facilities.

9.  City Council direct the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to provide an update on a plan, including a financial strategy, to advance a new community recreation centre within Liberty Village as part of the forthcoming Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan and Financial Strategy in 2027 on the lands of Lamport Stadium Park or other locations in Liberty Village.

10.  City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, supported by relevant divisions, to assess options for installing dog-friendly landscaping, in accordance with the City’s Pet Friendly Design Guidelines and Best Practices for New Multi-Unit Buildings on the City’s rights-of-way in Liberty Village.

11.  City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to include in the future Liberty Village urban design guidelines a section on pet-friendly landscaping that is specific to Liberty Village.

12.  City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, and the General Manager, Parks and Recreation, to investigate and provide options on bringing back the Liberty Village Farmers’ Market as part of the Public Markets Action Plan and to facilitate connections with community partners and local stakeholders with interest in activating such spaces.

13.  City Council request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to continue discussions with Infrastructure Ontario to encourage the delivery of community services including, but not limited to, public educational facilities, a library branch, a childcare facility, a community kitchen, or a community hub that includes some combination of these and other services, within the Exhibition GO Transit-Oriented Community development.

14.  City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, as well as any other relevant divisions, to provide an update to the Liberty Village Traffic Action Plan; in addition to providing an update on the action items already outlined in the Traffic Action Report, the report should also include:

a.  consideration of the feasibility of pedestrian-only streets closed to local traffic on streets such as Atlantic Avenue;

b.  an update on providing cycling infrastructure in Liberty Village, in alignment with the City’s Cycling Network Plan;

c.  an update on the removal of boulevard parking and sidewalk installation/improvements, as well as the timing for installation;

d.  a re-assessment on the feasibility of removing on-street parking in Liberty Village;

e.  an update on improvements to utility boxes and the implementation of public art on the Liberty Village Pedestrian Bridge as well as an updated and improved maintenance plan;

f.  an update on Liberty New Street, including an updated timeline for construction and operation, to include cycling infrastructure and information on options for dog-friendly infrastructure;

g.  an update on missing sidewalk installation in Liberty Village and improved pedestrian experience with the goal of improving connectedness and safety in the neighbourhood;

h. an update on options to pursue interim sidewalk installation to address missing sidewalk portions in Liberty Village, modelled off of improvements on Liberty Street set for installation in June 2026, further to options identified in Item 2026.TE28.28: Sidewalk Network in Liberty Village - Missing Links; and

i.  an update on providing improved and safer sidewalks, drainage, streetscaping and boulevards, and beautification on East Liberty Street in alignment with improvements completed at 65-85 East Liberty Street, and considering interim options such as mulch installation.

15. City Council request the City Manager to request the Province of Ontario provide an updated response on the prior 2024 City Council request for the Province to pursue and fund all Smart Track stations, including at King/Liberty Station, as soon as possible to improve transit and relieve congestion.

16. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, to report back to City Council on current transit ridership on the 63 Ossington Bus serving Liberty Village, and any projected ridership impacts and reductions in travel time from providing increased service frequency, transit priority measures, and an express bus option to transport residents more quickly through the neighbourhood and reduce congestion.

17. City Council request the Executive Director, Development Review together with the various and relevant divisions and agencies, to report back on Recommendations 5 to 16 above to the Toronto and East York Community Council by first quarter of 2027.

18. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in collaboration with relevant divisions, to pursue an arts and cultural space strategy specific to Liberty Village and report back to the Economic and Community Development Committee through the 2027 annual report of the Culture Connects Plan.

19. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks and Recreation to provide an update on the latest plan for drainage, landscaping and beautification for Bill Johnston Park and report back to Toronto East York Community Council in the second quarter of 2027.

The Toronto and East York Community Council directed the General Manager, Transportation Services to report directly to the June 24, 25 and 26, 2026 meeting of City Council with an update on maintenance plan and schedule of cleaning for the King/Liberty Pedestrian Bridge, as well as updated plans for maintenance, cleaning, waste collection and monitoring during the FIFA World Cup to proactively address cleanliness and safety concerns.

The Toronto and East York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on May 28, 2026 and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This report recommends a new Official Plan Amendment (OPA) within the Garrison Common North Secondary Plan that provides a vision for Liberty Village’s growth into a transit-oriented complete community with both housing and employment opportunities, consistent with Provincial directives and the City’s Official Plan.

The OPA’s vision seeks to remedy some of the current issues within Liberty Village such as traffic congestion and ensuring community amenities are provided commensurate with growth. The OPA’s policies also reflect the Council-adopted Liberty Village Public Realm Strategy, requiring that new developments increase the tree canopy and soft landscaping in the area and expand the public road network of Liberty Village.

The recommended OPA proposes the following:

- A balanced and feasible approach to both residential and non-residential growth;

- Require affordable housing in both condominium and purpose-built rental projects;

- Conserve and highlight heritage resources, ensuring that the historic character of Liberty Village is carried forward with growth;

- New public streets and requiring development to provide wider, landscaped sidewalks;

- Identify locations for new parks, open spaces, and midblock connections;

- Strongly discourage travel through private vehicle, seeking to reduce residential parking spaces in new development, while prioritizing transit-use and active transportation;

- Requiring that new development implement transportation demand management measures and designate on-site and off-street pick-up and drop-off areas;

- Encourage cycling infrastructure within and surrounding Liberty Village, wherever feasible;

- Identify community services and facilities that are needed in Liberty Village and begin directing public and private funding to these public facilities;

- Provide policies that shape built form to appropriately mitigate impacts on parks and the public realm and limit impacts to light, view, and privacy; and

- Strongly encourage sustainability practices and building design to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve building resiliency, and encourage a circular economy.

The policies provided in the recommended OPA require that each development within the study area contribute to the achievement of this complete community of live, work and play. The recommended OPA is a result of a robust engagement process with the community, landowners, the BIA, and other local stakeholders as well as the findings in various background reports on heritage, community services and facilities, economic development, and municipal services.

At its meeting on April 27, 2026 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB43.7 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (April 14, 2026) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report summarizes the findings of the Liberty Village Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment (CHRA) prepared by Heritage Planning staff and requests that the Toronto Preservation Board endorse the list of properties identified within the CHRA as having cultural heritage value.

On December 13, 2023, City Council accepted a settlement which resulted in the conversion and re-designation of lands in Liberty Village west of Hanna Avenue from Core Employment Areas to Regeneration Areas. In the Summer of 2024, the Liberty For All Planning Study (www.toronto.ca/libertyforall) was initiated to establish a comprehensive planning framework for Liberty Village and to set out a long-term vision for the achievement of a complete community centered around transit investment.

The Liberty Village CHRA was initiated as an integral component of the Liberty For All Planning Study.

The CHRA presents an understanding of the Liberty Village CHRA study area as an evolved cultural heritage landscape, comprising a significant area of industrial production, economic activity, and labour activism spanning the mid-nineteenth century to the present. The character of the area is evident in the range of cultural heritage resources, including the late-19th to mid-20th century industrial buildings and complexes that have been adaptively reused, remnant rail spurs, extant smokestacks and courtyard spaces within building complexes and mid-block connections which created permeability through the large blocks to facilitate the movement and storage of raw materials and manufactured goods.

The CHRA makes recommendations intended to conserve, interpret and commemorate the evolved Liberty Village cultural heritage landscape. Recommendations include the identification of 22 properties with cultural heritage value, the retention of extant rail spurs, smokestacks, and courtyards, and the creative commemoration and interpretation of the area’s labour history in the public realm. A final recommendation supports the consideration of opportunities to advance truth and reconciliation within new development and public realm design to reflect the values and heritage of Indigenous communities, where supported through consultation with Indigenous communities.

The final report for the Liberty For All Planning Study will be considered by Toronto and East York Community Council and City Council. The findings from the CHRA have informed and guided the development of site and area specific policies, ensuring that heritage considerations are meaningfully integrated. Furthermore, the staff report will recommend that City Council identify the properties listed in Attachment 2 as having cultural heritage value or interest, as identified through the Liberty Village Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment study.