Agenda

This meeting of City Council will be conducted with Members participating in person and remotely and the proceedings of City Council will be conducted publicly.

Notice to people writing to Council: The City of Toronto Act, 2006, and the City of Toronto Municipal Code authorize the City of Toronto to collect any personal information in your communication or presentation to City Council or its committees. The City collects this information to enable it to make informed decisions on the relevant issue(s). If you are submitting letters, faxes, e-mails, presentations or other communications to the City, you should be aware that your name and the fact that you communicated with the City will become part of the public record and will appear on the City’s website. The City will also make your communication and any personal information in it - such as your postal address, telephone number or e-mail address - available to the public, unless you expressly request the City to remove it.

Closed Meeting Requirements: If Council wants to meet in closed session (privately), a Member of Council must place a motion to do so and give the reason why Council has to meet privately (City of Toronto Act, 2006).

December 12, 2024

toronto.ca/council

This agenda and any supplementary materials submitted to the City Clerk can be found online at www.toronto.ca/council. Visit the website for access to all agendas, reports, decisions and minutes of City Council and its committees.

- O Canada

- Moment of Silence

City Council will confirm the Minutes from the regular meeting held on November 13 and 14, 2024.

Report of the Executive Committee from Meeting 19 on December 10, 2024

Submitted by Mayor Olivia Chow, Chair

Report of the Audit Committee from Meeting 7 on December 9, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Stephen Holyday, Chair

Report of the Board of Health from Meeting 18 on November 18, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Chris Moise, Chair

Report of the Board of Health from Special Meeting 19 on December 9, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Chris Moise, Chair

Report of the Civic Appointments Committee from Meeting 20 on November 21, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Lily Cheng, Chair

Report of the Corporations Nominating Panel from Meeting 15 on December 6, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Paula Fletcher, Chair

Report of the Economic and Community Development Committee from Meeting 17 on November 26, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Alejandra Bravo, Chair

Report of the General Government Committee from Meeting 18 on November 20, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Paul Ainslie, Chair

Report of the Infrastructure and Environment Committee from Meeting 18 on November 27, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Jennifer McKelvie, Chair

Report of the Planning and Housing Committee from Meeting 17 on December 5, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Gord Perks, Chair

Report of the Etobicoke York Community Council from Meeting 18 on December 2, 2024

Submitted by Councillor Stephen Holyday, Chair

Report of the North York Community Council from Meeting 19 on December 3, 2024 

Submitted by Councillor James Pasternak, Chair

Report of the Scarborough Community Council from Meeting 18 on December 6, 2024 

Submitted by Councillor Paul Ainslie, Chair  

Report of the Toronto and East York Community Council from Meeting 18 on December 4, 2024 

Submitted by Councillor Chris Moise, Chair

New Business and Business Previously Requested submitted by City Officials.

Members of Council will declare interests under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

Members of Council may file petitions.

Various presentations and announcements will be made at the City Council meeting.

City Council will review the Order Paper.

Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6, York Centre, has submitted the following Administrative Inquiry:

I am submitting this Administrative Inquiry under Municipal Code S27-7.11 to obtain information, updates and details of actions taken since May 2024 when Council asked the City Manager to develop an “action plan” to protect places of worship, faith based schools and day cares and faith based institutions and other vulnerable institutions.

On May 23, 2024, Toronto City Council in a 13-11 vote adopted the following motion (2024.MM18.16):

1. City Council request the City Manager, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to develop an action plan to recognize that Torontonians are able to practice their faith and access their place of worship free of intimidation and harassment; and are able to freely exercise their protected Charter rights to freedom of assembly, religion and expression and convey the action plan directly to relevant participating bodies including Municipal Licensing and Standards and the Toronto Police Service Board.

This debate and motion was in response to the growing inciteful incidents and protests that have threatened religious communities and vulnerable institutions. The motion above was adopted instead of a more prescriptive motion asking for city staff to bring draft by laws to protect vulnerable religious institutions, commonly known as “bubble zones.” Whether statute or by law, “bubble zones” keep protests a safe distance from vulnerable institutions, such as places of worship. Since October 7, 2023, the cost of policing anti-Israel protests is around $20 million. The anarchy has resulted in the doubling of 911 response times and have hurt businesses due to illegal street blocking and calls for discriminatory boycotts. These protests have damaged Toronto’s international reputation as a safe place to live and invest. For example, these groups sabotaged a state dinner in Toronto for the visiting Prime Minister of Italy and the Prime Minister of Canada.  

It has now been 6 months since MM18.16 was passed and 13 months since the original motion (MM11.37) asking staff for a road map for “community safety zones” (aka Bubble zones) was adopted by Council. The threats to vulnerable institutions continues. On July 31, 2024, an angry mob reached the doors of Pride of Israel while a community commemoration event was taking place. On August 18, 2024, the Friends of Jesus Christ Church needed a massive police presence to keep protestors away from a peaceful event. On October 10, 2024 a mosque at Kennedy Road and Lawrence Avenue east was threatened when an individual entered chanting racist threats during prayers. On October 12, 2024, Bais Chaya Mushka, a Jewish girl’s school had shots fired through its front window for the second time. On November 3, 2024, worshippers at the Hindu Sabha Temple in Brampton were attacked by protestors. Earlier this year a violent protest took place at the Beth Avraham Yoseph synagogue in Vaughan, where protesters told supporters of the synagogue to “Go Back to Europe” These incidents are alarming for the whole region and have damaged Toronto as a safe place for all faiths.

In an apparent response to the Council direction of May 23, 2024, what looks like a “draft” “action plan” was sent to the Toronto Police Services Board for discussion. The Board debated the item and then moved receipt, which means it might go no further.  There is growing urgency for Council to review and debate the “Action Plan.” Please respond to the following.

1. When will Toronto City Council be presented with a final “action plan” to assist in protecting places of worship and vulnerable faith based institutions in Toronto?

2. Has the Office of Emergency Management been convened or consulted to help build the action plan and provide guidance on how best to ensure safety and civility in Toronto since October 7, 2023.

3. The “action plan” motion asks that Municipal Licensing and Standards be involved. Does Municipal Licensing and Standards have a plan developed with Toronto Police Service that will enforce Toronto’s by laws and at the same time keep by law officers safe?

4. Toronto Police Service have been taking on the responsibility for ensuring the protection of both federal and provincial sites and infrastructure. Has the City Manager and/or Police Services approached the other levels of government to assist with protection of critical infrastructure that is not municipal in nature?

5. Has the City of Toronto received comments and suggestions from the Toronto Police Service board or other members of the force about how best to address the growing unrest on the streets of Toronto?

Councillor Jon Burnside, Ward 16, Don Valley East, has submitted the following Administrative Inquiry:

I am submitting this Administrative Inquiry under Municipal Code S27-7.11 for the December 17, 2024 meeting of City Council.

I am requesting the following information from the City Manager, relating to the costs of Toronto Fire Services operations for Toronto Island:

1. Average cost per incident, city-wide, in 2023.

2. Average cost per incident for Toronto Islands in 2023.

3. Average cost per incident for Toronto Islands during the off-peak period in 2023.

4. Average cost per incident for Toronto Islands during the peak period in 2023.

The City Solicitor recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the recommendations contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to this report.

2. City Council authorize the public release of the confidential recommendations contained in Confidential Attachment 1 and Confidential Appendices A, B, and C to this report from the City Solicitor, if adopted by City Council.

3. City Council direct that all other information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to this report from the City Solicitor is to remain confidential at the discretion of the City Solicitor, as it contains advice which is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

In late 2015 and 2016, the Applicant applied to amend the Official Plan and City of North York Zoning Bylaw 7625 and for Site Plan Approval for the site at 4800 Yonge Street to permit redevelopment for a mixed use building of 49 storeys (160 metres) comprising of 497 dwelling units, a five storey base including retail and office uses and a five-level underground parking garage with 318 parking spaces.

The Applicant appealed the Applications to the Ontario Municipal Board (now known as the Ontario Land Tribunal) due to City Council's failure to make a decision within the prescribed time period.

On February 26, 2019, City Council accepted a Settlement Offer to resolve the Appeals.  The Ontario Land Tribunal approved the site-specific Official Plan Amendment, Zoning By-Law Amendment and Site Plan Application in principle, and the final order approving the Official Plan Amendment 462 and Zoning By-law 1113-2020 (Local Planning Appeal Tribunal) was issued by the Tribunal in 2020.  The final order on the site plan appeal is still outstanding, and the site plan appeal is active before the Tribunal.

The City Solicitor requires further direction.  This matter is urgent and should not be deferred.

There is no financial impact arising from the adoption of the Confidential Recommendations beyond what has already been approved in the current year's budget.

The Executive Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council, as the sole Shareholder, request the Board of Directors of Toronto Community Housing Corporation to direct the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Community Housing Corporation to work with the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services to advance housing development projects under the City's Public Developer Model, including providing development and construction management services and acting as a development partner and housing provider for projects on City lands, as well as continuing to undertake the development and redevelopment of their own lands in alignment with the City's housing priorities and housing targets as set in the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan and revised in Item EX9.3 adopted by City Council in November 2023.

2. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services to negotiate and execute a Master Service Agreement between the City of Toronto and Toronto Community Housing Corporation to support Recommendation 1 above, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

3. City Council request the Board of Directors of CreateTO to direct the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO to continue to bring forward potential housing sites and opportunities to the City of Toronto, for consideration and decision, and advance work on housing opportunities at the direction of the City.

4. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services and the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services to negotiate and execute a Master Service Agreement between the City of Toronto and CreateTO to support Recommendation 3 above, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services and the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

Toronto continues to face an unprecedented housing affordability crisis across the housing continuum, with a lack of deeply affordable and supportive homes for those with low-incomes, and high rents affecting middle-income earners who aspire to live and work in the city.

In Fall 2023, City Council adopted two key reports related to housing delivery:

- Item EX9.3, which set the stage for the generational change to transform and strengthen Toronto’s housing system and expedite delivery of the HousingTO and Housing Action Plan targets.

- Item EX10.2, which aligned the mandates of CreateTO and Toronto Community Housing (TCHC) and directed these organizations to work with the City on the delivery of the City's housing plans and targets, including new and explicit language on expectations and scope for greater alignment.

This report outlines additional steps to advance the City’s role as a Public Developer and supporter of partner projects, by bringing a singular focus to City-led and supported housing development, and strengthening coordination between the City, CreateTO and TCHC to achieve the City's affordable rental housing goals. Specifically, the City will increase its capacity to lead housing development, by establishing a Housing Development Office, reporting to the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, that will focus exclusively on advancing and accelerating the delivery of housing on City-led and City-supported sites. The City targets having a leader in place to lead the Office by Q2 2025, following a formal, competitive recruitment process.

Through this new Office, the City will either lead projects directly or leverage TCHC and CreateTO on a project-by-project basis, based on each organization’s unique expertise and best practices. Staff are recommending updated direction to both organizations, followed by a negotiated Master Service Agreement with the City for each respectively. While work is underway to establish the new Housing Development Office, it is critical that housing projects continue to move forward under the current project leadership structure to ensure no delay in the delivery of housing.

The Executive Committee recommends that:  

Next Phase of Waterfront Revitalization

1. City Council endorse projects as outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (December 5, 2024) from the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services as the first set of priorities for the Next Phase of Waterfront Revitalization, subject to satisfactory cost-sharing being provided by the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada, and City Council direct the City Manager or their designate to report back on these projects through the 2025 Budget process and through planned 2025 reports on the Ookwemin Minising Business and Implementation Plan and Quayside.

2. City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services or their designate, in consultation with the relevant Divisions and subject to approval of required budgets, to negotiate, enter into and execute agreements with the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, provincial or federal organizations and any other private party, including amendments and renewals, to implement the projects outlined in Attachment 1 to the report (December 5, 2024) from the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

3. City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services or their designate, in consultation with the relevant Divisions, to negotiate, enter into and execute project delivery agreements with Waterfront Toronto, including amendments and renewals, for projects that have funding provided under a Council approved budget, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

4. City Council approve an extension to the Waterfront Toronto mandate substantially on the terms and conditions contained in Attachment 2 to the report (December 5, 2024) from the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, and City Council request the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to provide their support for these terms and conditions.

5. City Council request that the Government of Ontario introduce the necessary bills to enact required legislative amendments and obtain all necessary approvals as soon as possible to give effect to Recommendation 4 above.

6. City Council affirm the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation (Waterfront Toronto) as the revitalization lead for Ookwemin Minising, subject to tri-government funding.

7. City Council direct the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services, in consultation with the Director, Waterfront Secretariat, to report back on an update of the 2006 Memorandum of Understanding between the City-Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO, now under CreateTO) and Waterfront Toronto, in collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO and the Chief Executive Officer, Waterfront Toronto.

Interim Bus Lanes on Queens Quay East

8. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services, in collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission, to report to City Council by the second quarter of 2025 on recommendations for interim bus lane implementation along Queens Quay East between Bay Street and Parliament Street.

Port Lands Flood Protection

9. City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services or their designate to negotiate and execute an amended tri-government Contribution Agreement for the Port Lands Flood Protection project and any associated project delivery agreements with Waterfront Toronto, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor, to extend the substantial completion date of the Port Lands Flood Protection project to September 30, 2025 and make other amendments as described in Attachment 3 to the report (December 5, 2024) from the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services.

10. City Council authorize the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services or their designate, to negotiate and execute any subsequent amendments to the tri-government Contribution Agreement for the Port Lands Flood Protection project and any associated delivery agreements with Waterfront Toronto as may be required, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth Services and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor, provided that such changes can be accommodated within existing approved budgets.

In 2022 City Council approved, in principle, a Next Phase of Waterfront Revitalization and directed City staff to pursue discussions with provincial and federal staff, and report back on intergovernmental discussions.

This report provides an update on those discussions and recommends that City Council endorse a first set of projects for the Next Phase, contingent on tri-government funding and necessary agreements. Subject to approvals, these projects will help advance complete communities in Ookwemin Minising (formerly referred to as Villiers Island) and Quayside, and continue the successful tri-government partnership in delivering waterfront revitalization.

This report also recommends that City Council direct City staff to report back on these projects in the first half of 2025, including through the budget process; authorize City staff to negotiate and execute necessary agreements; affirm Waterfront Toronto as the revitalization lead for Ookwemin Minising; and endorse a mandate extension for Waterfront Toronto to support implementation.

In addition to the Next Phase of Revitalization, this report provides an update on Port Lands Flood Protection (PLFP) and recommends technical amendments to the tri-government PLFP contribution agreement and the PLFP Parks and Public Realm delivery agreement with Waterfront Toronto.

The Next Phase - A First Set of Projects

A first set of priority projects, which, if approved and collectively funded by all governments, will deliver vital public infrastructure over the next five to seven years to enable future development of housing, parks and public realm, and to advance planning for new destinations and attractions on the waterfront.

City staff recommend the following projects, with an order of magnitude estimate of $900-975 million, be considered for funding by all three orders of government. This prioritization is based on a business case completed by Waterfront Toronto and a one-year due diligence exercise conducted with government staff:

-Ookwemin Minising enabling infrastructure;

-Quayside enabling infrastructure;

-The completion of Biidaasige Park (the northwest portion, which was previously referred to as Promontory Park North) and a program of early activation ('meanwhile uses') on adjacent future development lands;

-A study of waterfront destinations and attractions; and

-Funding envelopes to advance the Marine Use Strategy and wider waterfront initiatives.

Ookwemin Minising enabling infrastructure is anticipated to enable the future development of approximately 4,500 new total housing units on Blocks 3, 7, 8, 12 and 16, with a Council approved target of 30 percent of residential gross floor area (GFA) allocated to affordable rental housing (See Figure 5). Additional funding will be required to secure the affordable housing when specific plans are determined. In Quayside, funding for the enabling infrastructure gap will help enable the approximately 4,700 proposed total housing units in both Phases 1 and 2, of which 869 will be affordable rental housing.

Government due diligence continues on affordable housing and transit, which could represent a second set of projects for the Next Phase. Affordable housing discussions for Quayside are ongoing with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) regarding project financing. For Ookwemin Minising, City Council's 30 percent affordable housing target on public lands, including equity contributions, will be addressed through a detailed business and implementation plan and site-specific funding plans as implementation proceeds. On transit, active discussions continue regarding the Waterfront East Light Rail Transit (Waterfront East LRT) project and possible phasing opportunities.

City staff will provide City Council with updates on the funding approach, tri-government funding commitments, and cost sharing through the following reports planned for the first half of 2025:

-Ookwemin Minising Business and Implementation Plan (including updates on enabling infrastructure and completing Biidaasige Park);

-Advancing Affordable Housing Outcomes in Quayside - Phase 1; and,

-Waterfront East LRT Update.

Building on the First Two Phases of Tri-Government Partnership

Since 2001, over $2.9 billion in public investments have transformed Toronto's central waterfront. This revitalization effort has been supported by all three orders of government with leadership from Waterfront Toronto in partnership with agencies such as CreateTO, Infrastructure Ontario, and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). Public funding provided over two phases (2001 and 2016) has delivered significant results:

-Almost 4,400 new homes on Waterfront Toronto supported sites which is a part of the over 9,600 units developed overall in the Lower Yonge, East Bayfront and West Don Lands precincts;

-58.5 hectares (144.6 acres) of new or improved public parks and public realm;

-Over 28,000 construction jobs through development; and,

-Nearly $10 billion in private sector development.

Revitalized neighbourhoods such as the West Don Lands and East Bayfront serve as a model for complete communities. As PLFP nears completion, these achievements will grow, supporting long-term resilience and new opportunities for growth.

Endorsement of the first set of projects for the Next Phase, as recommended in this report, will advance the priorities for each of the three orders of government and help to ensure that the phased approach to waterfront revitalization continues. It will represent a significant step forward in realizing the broader effort of waterfront revitalization, which, over 50+ years, is expected to result in housing for over 100,000 people and create space for approximately 50,000 jobs in the central waterfront east, including the Port Lands. This unique opportunity exists because approximately 70% of Ookwemin Minising is owned or co-owned by the City via CreateTO and via Waterfront Toronto, there is a proven tri-government delivery model, and ambitious standards are in place for designing and delivering complete and sustainable communities.

Central to all of the projects for the Next Phase is a City commitment to meaningful engagement with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to reflect their histories, knowledge, and aspirations in all aspects of the waterfront’s transformation, and to foster opportunities for economic and cultural participation.

This opportunity requires firm commitments from all orders of government. As noted earlier, focused discussions on available funding are ongoing and will be reported on by City staff through various reports in the first half of 2025. Federal and provincial funding is subject to political decision-making and approvals, which are still pending. The City is prepared to prioritize funding of its one-third share of funding commitment, subject to cost sharing commitments from other orders of government.

Waterfront Toronto's Mandate

To enable implementation of the Next Phase, City staff recommend that City Council endorse an extension to the length of the mandate of Waterfront Toronto (legally known as the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation) from 2028 to 2035, with an option for a further extension to 2040 subject to a government review of the organization. Tri-government staff have noted that a mandate extension is important, however formal decision making and approvals are still pending. Accordingly, it is recommended that City Council request federal and provincial support for this mandate extension, and request the Government of Ontario to introduce the necessary legislation (and other approvals) required to put this mandate extension into effect as soon as possible.

A mandate extension for Waterfront Toronto of this length would align with the timeline to implement the first set of projects noted above (including enabling the first set of blocks on Ookwemin Minising), allow for uninterrupted implementation of projects underway such as Quayside, and provide the tri-government corporation with the operational certainty needed to move forward. It would strengthen the capacity of Waterfront Toronto to lead complex, multi-year revitalization efforts. The proposed extension follows a background study on waterfront revitalization that was completed by the City with the assistance of provincial and federal partners in 2020, with findings reported to City Council in 2021.

Discussions also continue between CreateTO, Waterfront Toronto, and the City on respective roles and responsibilities and the collaborative approach to be taken to unlock land on Ookwemin Minising for new housing. Staff from all parties agree that subject to tri-government funding, Waterfront Toronto should be the revitalization lead for Ookwemin Minising. This would occur in close collaboration, and in alignment with, the City and CreateTO. This report recommends that City Council affirm Waterfront Toronto as the revitalization lead for Ookwemin Minising, and direct City staff to report back with a recommended update to the 2006 City-Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO, now under CreateTO)-Waterfront Toronto Memorandum of Understanding to reflect a renewed partnership.

Central Waterfront East Transit

The full-vision Waterfront East LRT project is essential for Toronto’s growth, to accommodate the existing and planned density of housing, commercial uses, and regional destinations. Expanding transit continues to be an active discussion amongst all three governments. Discussions to date have acknowledged the importance of transit to serve the fast-growing neighbourhoods of the eastern waterfront and have noted that opportunities should be explored to phase and expedite transit service to the area.

To inform funding decisions regarding higher-order transit on the eastern waterfront, additional due diligence and discussions are required among the City, the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada. Key topics include further work on costing and phasing, cost sharing possibilities, and potential funding sources. Staff are targeting a report back on the Waterfront East LRT project in early 2025. Updates on transit funding discussions will be provided in future Waterfront East LRT reports.

Immediate Interim Transit Improvements

As an immediate step to address urgent challenges, City staff in collaboration with TTC staff recommend that City Council direct staff to report back on interim bus lane implementation along Queens Quay East from Bay Street to Parliament Street in the second quarter of 2025. The interim bus lanes are not a replacement for higher-order transit. They are intended to address immediate challenges along the eastern waterfront related to bus travel times. Current delays are having a material impact on the East Bayfront community which is home to a rapidly growing resident population, businesses, and visitors including students attending local post-secondary institutions.

Work Ahead

It is important to note that while City staff recommend City Council approval of a first set of projects for the Next Phase, intergovernmental funding still needs to be confirmed following further discussion and approvals. Subject to City Council and other government approvals, City staff, government partners, and Waterfront Toronto will continue to advance project implementation, refine cash flows, and determine funding contributions. Updates will be provided in the upcoming 2025 Budget process and in planned reports on the Ookwemin Minising Business and Implementation Plan, Quayside and Waterfront East LRT in the first half of 2025.

The Executive Committee  recommends that:  

1. City Council receive the report (November 25, 2024) from the Deputy City Manager, Development and Growth for information.

In 2022 City Council approved, in principle, a Next Phase of Waterfront Revitalization and directed staff to report back with the results of intergovernmental discussions.

Staff of the three orders of government have been working with Waterfront Toronto and partners on opportunities to advance complete communities in a third phase of waterfront revitalization. Discussions are active and ongoing.

Staff will be in a position to provide a supplementary staff report for the December 10, 2024 meeting of Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee recommends that:   

1. City Council request the City Manager to initiate a communications and intergovernmental campaign focusing on raising the floor for gig workers, including Vehicle-for-Hire drivers, ensuring they are able to make a living wage.

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (November 26, 2024) from the City Solicitor remain confidential in its entirety, as it contains advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

On February 29th, 2024, Executive Committee adopted EX12.1 - Vehicle-for-Hire and Private Transportation Industries Update Request, requesting staff to analyze driver wages in the vehicle-for-hire industry, which includes taxicabs, limousines and private transportation companies.

A team of researchers specializing in research and analysis of the vehicle-for-hire industry in Toronto and internationally, consisting of Dr. Mischa Young from the Université de l’Ontario Français and Dr. Steven Farber and Dr. Mashrur Rahman from the University of Toronto, were retained to complete an assessment of the vehicle-for-hire industry to inform Council about the current state of driver wages. This academic study is supplemented by information about wages and incomes received during public consultations directly from drivers, companies and other stakeholders.

The researchers found that the median PTC driver gross earnings was $33.52 per hour in 2023 and $33.18 per hour in 2024 for every engaged hour of work, which includes the time between when a driver accepts a trip request and drops the passenger off. When accounting for all time spent logged onto a platform, including times where there is no passenger, the median driver gross earnings were $25.23 per hour in 2023 and $22.46 per hour in 2024.

The researchers also calculated driver expenses, including fuel, insurance, depreciation, maintenance, repairs, financing, fees and taxes and found that after expenses are accounted for, the median driver net earnings were $15.31 per hour in 2023 and $15.34 per hour in 2024 when accounting only for engaged time, and $7.94 per hour in 2023 and $5.97 per hour in 2024 when accounting for all time spent on the platform. Due to a lack of taxicab trip data provided to the City, the researchers were unable to conduct a similar data-driven study of taxicab and limousine driver wages.

Wages and employment standards are regulated by the Ontario government through legislation such as the Employment Standards Act and the Digital Platform Workers' Rights Act. This report summarizes this legislation and provides context about their applicability to drivers in the vehicle for hire industry.

This report is supplementary to the report from the Executive Director of Municipal Licensing and Standards entitled "Analysis of Drivers Wages in the Vehicle-for-Hire Industry" dated November 26, 2024 (the "Drivers Wages Report"). This report provides legal advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Board of Directors of the Toronto Transit Commission to direct the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission to provide an interim report to the Board in the first quarter of 2025 on relevant information to inform the City's public consultation on the land requirements and a final report to the Board in fourth quarter of 2025 on the completed analysis of Scarborough Rapid Transit Line 3 infrastructure and land requirements, and the assets no longer required for transit operation purposes. 

2. City Council endorse in principle to substantively remove the Scarborough Rapid Transit Line 3 infrastructure no longer required for transit operations so the corridor lands may be considered for future uses.

3. City Council direct the City Manager, in conjunction with appropriate City divisions and agencies, to report back to City Council in the fourth quarter of 2025 on next steps for the Scarborough Rapid Transit Line 3 infrastructure, after the completion of necessary technical studies and detailed legal analysis, including final scope, recommended approach for infrastructure removal which prioritizes lands of third-party owners, identifying any portion of the elevated infrastructure that could remain for future uses and estimated capital costs.

4. City Council direct the City Manager, in conjunction with appropriate City divisions and agencies, to report back in the fourth quarter of 2025 with a plan for a 'future use' analysis of the surplus Scarborough Rapid Transit Line 3 corridor land, including a strategy to undertake public consultations in 2026, with consideration for local Scarborough needs and integrating opportunities for transit, active mobility, trails, parks, privately owned publicly-accessible spaces, cultural installations and commemoration of the decommissioned Scarborough Rapid Transit into a connected corridor.

5. City Council direct the City Manager to engage the Federal and Provincial Governments and related agencies such as Infrastructure Ontario, Metrolinx and the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, as well as the University of Toronto Scarborough on partnerships and funding opportunities for required studies, planning and execution of infrastructure removal and future uses of the corridor.

The Executive Committee recessed its public session to meet in closed session to consider this item as it relates to the receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege.

This report responds to City Council's request from March 2024 to assess scope, feasibility, costs, risks, and key considerations regarding the adaptive reuse of the right-of-way, infrastructure, and station assets which comprise the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) decommissioned Scarborough Rapid Transit Line 3 (SRT). This request was made through Member Motions MM16.7 and MM16.29.

In July 2023, the SRT ceased operation and rapid bus replacement service was implemented. The Scarborough Subway Extension is planned for completion in 2030, extending the Bloor-Danforth Line 2 east and north into Scarborough. The TTC is currently converting the at-grade portion of the SRT line between Kennedy and Ellesmere stations, to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, which is planned to be operational by 2027.

Based on TTC's completed review and analysis, the 2.5-kilometre SRT guideway located between Ellesmere Station and one hundred metres east of McCowan Station at Grangeway Avenue, is no longer required for transit uses. Most of this portion of the SRT is elevated infrastructure except for an area located north of Ellesmere Station which includes a small portion at-grade and below-grade as it changes to an east-west orientation. As per Municipal Code Chapter 279, the TTC holds real estate and infrastructure assets for the purpose of a transportation system and therefore assets no longer required for transit operations are declared surplus.

Following direction from City Council regarding the preliminary feasibility assessment of adaptive re-use of the SRT infrastructure, staff across relevant City divisions and agencies completed the following:    

- a full review by the TTC of current and future operational requirements;

- an initial ownership analysis and legal review of easements and agreements with third-party landowners;

- an assessment of current developments, secondary plans, parks and other local requirements, and future development opportunities; and,

- a high-level estimate of the cost of required due diligence and technical studies.

Initial assessments indicate that adaptive reuse of the elevated guideway infrastructure presents legal risk that needs to be addressed, short-term and long-term capital expenditures, and implementation complexity overall. Specifically:

- the City does not have complete property ownership of the SRT corridor;

- the City has legal obligations to third-party landowners on portions of the SRT corridor including permission for restricted use to only transit operations; requirements to maintain infrastructure in good repair; and requirements to restore lands within one or two years once the transit system ceases operations, which was in July 2023;

- unfunded capital costs to undertake due diligence, retain third-party lands, redevelopment planning, and asset lifecycle requirements of aging infrastructure;

- the capital coordination of large projects in Scarborough Centre (i.e., Scarborough Subway Extension, Transit Oriented Developments, housing developments); and,

- overall redevelopment limitations of the narrow corridor.

Given these constraints, City staff recommend the SRT transit infrastructure be considered for substantive removal and derisked (i.e., addressing financial, legal, and asset lifecycle issues). The City can then review the true scope of the SRT corridor with appropriate visioning or 'future use' studies, and with dedicated capital budget. There may be city building opportunities by maintaining portions of the SRT corridor and exploring new connected land uses based on local Scarborough needs, and partnerships with active adjacent developments. These potential city building opportunities require deeper study such as transportation connections (i.e., active mobility, trails), parks, privately-owned publicly accessible spaces, and commemoration of the SRT.   

To move forward, the City should prioritize the following actions: 

- undertake a detailed legal review and title search of the SRT corridor to confirm ownership, and initiate discussions on current legal agreements;  

- undertake required technical studies, including analyzing scope, options, and cost estimates for the removal of SRT infrastructure to help determine next steps;

- confirm accountability for the structure’s maintenance, safety, and security during and after technical analysis and any future phases; and,

- plan a 'future use' study of the SRT corridor and a strategy for public consultation.

It is recommended the adaptive re-use of the SRT be pursued in a 'stage gate' process. This would enable City Council to fully understand scope, cost, risks, and timing of each step forward considering the City's financial constraints. Stage gates are as follows:

- approval to proceed with required legal and technical work to advance infrastructure removal;

- report back in Q4 2025 with final scope, recommended approach for infrastructure removal, identify portions that could remain, any new land rights required, estimated capital cost for next steps, plus a plan for a 'future use' analysis and strategy for public consultations; and,

- report back in 2026, with results of a public consultation and options for future uses of the SRT corridor.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Manager to facilitate Toronto’s membership in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and negotiate and enter into any agreements required while retaining its direct government to government relationships and its ability to enter into direct intergovernmental agreements, subject to the adoption of the 2025 Budget.

2. City Council request the Mayor to include fees for membership in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in the 2025 Operating Budget submission, estimated at $160,000 for 2025.

The Executive Committee requested the City Clerk to canvass Members of Council for their interest in serving on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Board of Directors, and to report the results of the canvass to the December 16, 2024 meeting of the Striking Committee.

This report addresses the intergovernmental and financial considerations of Toronto rejoining the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). This report recommends that the City join AMO to reinforce Toronto's role as a leader in the municipal sector, and support Toronto's interest in fiscal sustainability, knowledge sharing and municipal collaboration.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council approve the 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Interim Operating Spending Authorities totalling $7.352 billion as detailed by City Program and Agency in Appendix 1 to the report (November 25, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

The purpose of this report is to establish interim spending authorities in 2025 for City Programs and Agencies before the final adoption of the 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Operating and Capital Budget and Plan. The interim spending authority will allow Programs and Agencies to continue to deliver current services, meet existing contractual commitments, and continue work on previously approved capital projects until such time as the 2025 budgets are adopted. The 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Operating and Capital Budgets are expected to be adopted in February of 2025.

It should be noted that no funding for new or enhanced services or new capital projects, which are subject to budget adoption, are included in the recommended 2025 Interim Spending Authorities contained in this report.

The 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Interim Operating Spending Authorities total $7.352 billion. The 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Interim Capital Spending Authorities total $3.280 billion, including previously approved debenture financing of $0.645 billion.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt:

a. effective January 1, 2025, an interim 3.75 percent rate increase to the combined water and wastewater consumption rates (paid on or before the due date) charged to metered consumers as shown below and in Appendix A to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Toronto Water;

b. effective January 1, 2025, an interim increase of 3.75 percent to the water and wastewater consumption rates (paid on or before the due date) charged to flat rate consumers, as set out in Appendix A to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Toronto Water; and

c. effective January 1, 2025, the water and wastewater interim service fees, as set out in Appendix B to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Toronto Water.

2. City Council adopt, with respect to assistance for low-income seniors and low-income disabled persons:

a. effective January 1, 2025, the interim water rebate for eligible low-income seniors and low-income disabled persons be set at a rate of $1.4062 per cubic metre, representing a 30 percent reduction from the Block 1 rate (paid on or before the due date).

3. With regards to the City’s transition from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Transfer of Review Program to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ new Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval application process for municipal wastewater collection and stormwater management systems (collectively, the “CLI ECAs”), City Council:

a. adopt effective on the Issue Date for CLI ECA Number: 010-W601, being the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval for the City's Sanitary Sewage Collection System and for CLI ECA Number: 010-S701, being the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval for the City's Stormwater Management System, Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix D, Schedule 3, Wastewater Services be amended to include the proposed new wastewater service fees for the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals as set out in Appendix C attached to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Toronto Water, which shall be adjusted annually for inflation (“CLI ECA Fees”);

b. adopt effective on such date as mutually agreed to by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the General Manager, Toronto Water, Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, Appendix D, Schedule 3, Wastewater Services be amended to delete in their entirety items 21, 22 and 23, related to the City’s fees under the Transfer of Review Program, as set out in Appendix B to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Toronto Water;

c. authorize the General Manager, Toronto Water to refund any Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval Fee in full, subject to the following conditions:

i. an application under the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval is cancelled or withdrawn by an applicant in writing to the City within five business days of the date of receipt of the application by the City;

ii. the fee was paid by the applicant and received by the City; and

iii. a refund request is made by the applicant in writing; and

d. authorize the General Manager, Toronto Water to negotiate, enter into and execute a mutual termination agreement with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, or such other document(s) as may be required, to terminate the City’s participation in the Transfer of Review Program and, specifically, to terminate the City’s agreement with the Province, as represented by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, dated October 3, 2018, and to address any issues related to the City’s transition from the Transfer of Review Program to the Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approvals, on such terms and conditions as are acceptable to the General Manager, Toronto Water, and in a form acceptable to the City Solicitor.

4. City Council authorize that the necessary amendments be made to Municipal Code Chapter 441 - Fees and Charges, Municipal Code, Chapter 849 - Water and Sewage Services and Utility Bill, and any other necessary Municipal Code Chapters as may be required, to give effect to City Council's decision.

5. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce any necessary Bills required to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, including stylistic, format and organization, minor modifications, technical amendments or By-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor, the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Toronto Water.

This report recommends the adoption by City Council of 2025 interim water and wastewater consumption rates and service fees as set out in this report. The adoption of these interim rates and fees is requested in advance of the 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Operating and Capital Budgets in order to establish these rates and fees and provide City staff with the necessary authority to implement them effective January 1, 2025. The recommended interim rates are established to meet Toronto Water operating and budget requirements which will be considered through the 2025 Operating and Capital Budget process ("2025 Budget Process"). These rates may be amended by City Council when the 2025 Rate supported Operating and Capital Budgets are adopted, which is expected in the first quarter of 2025.

Accordingly, this report recommends, effective January 1, 2025, an interim 3.75 percent water and wastewater consumption rate increase and inflationary and cost recovery increases for certain existing water and wastewater service fees, reflecting the cost of providing these services.

This report also recommends the establishment of proposed new fees to recover the City's costs related to the administration and review of applications in respect of pre-authorized wastewater and stormwater infrastructure alterations under the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks ("MECP") new Consolidated Linear Infrastructure Environmental Compliance Approval application process for municipal wastewater collection and stormwater management systems (“CLI ECAs”).  It is further recommended that these new fees be effective on the issue date by the MECP of the CLI ECAs to the City (anticipated later in 2025), and that the City’s current TOR Program fees be deleted effective on such date as mutually agreed to by the MECP and the General Manager, Toronto Water as part of the City’s transition from the TOR Program to the CLI ECAs. 

This report also provides additional information on water consumption, as well as further details on the recommended interim 2025 water and wastewater consumption rates and service fees.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt, effective January 1, 2025, the interim Solid Waste Management Services Rates and Fees as summarized by customer group in Appendix A to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services and detailed in Solid Waste Management Services Municipal Code Chapter 441 in Appendix B to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

2. City Council authorize that the necessary amendments be made to the Municipal Code Chapter 441 – Fees and Charges, and any other necessary Municipal Code Chapters as may be required to give effect to City Council's decision.

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce any necessary Bills required to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary refinements, including stylistic, format and organization, as may be identified by the City Solicitor, the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services.

4. City Council direct that all the interim rates, fees and charges set out in Appendix A to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, adopted by City Council in Recommendations 1 and 2 above, continue in full force and effect until such time as they are amended or repealed by City Council.

5.  City Council request the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to deliver a public education campaign and promote the seniors rebate program to encourage residents to switch to a smaller size bin to realize savings on their solid waste bills.

This report recommends the adoption by City Council of interim 2025 Solid Waste Management Services (SWMS) Rates and Fees as set out in this report. The adoption of these interim rates and fees is requested in advance of the 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Operating and Capital Budgets to establish these interim rates and fees and provide City staff with the necessary authority to implement them effective January 1, 2025.

City Council may amend the interim rates when the 2025 Tax and Rate Supported Operating and Capital Budget is approved, which is expected in February 2025.

This report recommends an interim 3.75 percent increase in SWMS rates and fees effective January 1, 2025. The recommended increase, shown in Table 1 below by customer grouping, will allow Solid Waste Management Services to maintain all current service levels and address future capital needs.

Table 1: Interim Solid Waste Management Services Rates and Fees effective January 1, 2025 

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council receive the report (November 25, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for information.

The purpose of this report is to provide the following information:

1. Performance of the Funds for the six month period ending June 30, 2024

2. General Market Update and Benchmark Performance

3. Compliance to the Council adopted City of Toronto Investment Policy

The City's General Group of Funds (General Fund) hold the working capital and amounts designated for the City's reserves and reserve funds. The General Fund is comprised of two pools of investments: (a) the Short Term Fund (liquidity funds managed internally), and (b) the Long Term Fund (funds not immediately required managed by the Toronto Investment Board). The General Fund had a book return of 4.8 per cent and generated $247.6 million for the six months ending June 30, 2023. 

As a result of the pandemic, the General Fund has held a larger position in the Short Term Fund (STF) to enhance the liquidity and to generally lower the overall risk (risk management).  On average, the Short Term Fund, including the short-term investments of the Long Term Fund (LTF), was about 59 per cent of the overall General Fund in 2024 compared to 48 per cent from the pre-pandemic level in 2019. This higher weighting in the Short Term Fund provided significant protection, as well as increased returns as short-term rates moved higher in recent years.

Staff re-assessed the City's liquidity position in late 2023 and advised the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (CFO&T) that excess funds within the Short Term Fund were available for longer term investment. At that time, a plan was set for $2 billion to be transferred from STF to the LTF in four quarterly installments during 2024. After the transfer STF including short term investments of the LTF is forecasted to be approximately 42 per cent of the total General Fund, returning to pre-pandemic liquidity level.

The City's Sinking Fund portfolio is separate from the General Fund and holds the investment funds for future debt repayments. For the six months ending June 30, 2024, the Sinking Fund portfolio had a book return of 3.8 per cent and generated $97.4 million in income.

Since January 1, 2018, the City's long-term investments (Long Term Fund and Sinking Fund) have been managed by the Toronto Investment Board (Board) under a Council adopted Investment Policy which is based on the prudent investor standard. Investment portfolios of different asset classes have been progressively phased in to make use of the broader range of investments that have become available. Although, the potential for volatility in total returns over the short-term investment horizon still exist, the overall portfolio risk has been reduced through asset mix diversification. The overall risk-adjusted total returns over the long-term investment horizon are expected to be higher.

The Board currently provides oversight of four external fixed income managers, four external global equity managers and two real asset managers that invest the long-term investments. As at June 30, 2024, approximately 90 per cent of both the Sinking Fund and the Long Term Fund were managed by external investment managers.  Both fixed income and equity investment asset classes are fully funded in accordance with the target asset mix in the Investment Policy with 70 per cent allocated to fixed income and 20 per cent to global equities. The Board completed contract negotiations with two real asset managers in the first half of 2024 with funding to commence in the second half of the year. Adding real assets to the current investment portfolios will enhance the overall portfolios' risk-adjusted investment return and align with the Council approved policy target asset mix.

The Toronto Investment Board has contracted a third-party data provider in order to monitor and report on the high-level Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) attributes of the City's long-term investment portfolios. This investment fund-level ESG reporting process will complement the existing corporate-level ESG performance report. At the end of June 2024, the City's long-term investment portfolios score was "A" and is aligned with the selected market benchmark as depicted in the investment policy.

For the year 2023 and first six months of 2024, all funds managed are compliant with the Investment Policy. The City's auditor, KPMG LLP, performed the Investment Policy compliance audit during the second half of 2024 and no issues were noted.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council approve in-year budget adjustments to the 2024-2033 Approved Capital Budget and Plan, as well as reallocations of funding sources for prior Approved Capital Budgets, as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report (November 25, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

The purpose of this report is to provide City Council with the City of Toronto capital spending for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2024, as well as the projected 2024 year-end expenditures. Furthermore, this report seeks Council's approval for in-year budget adjustments to previous approved Capital Budget and Plan as outlined in Appendix 3 of this report.

Table 1 below summarizes the City's 2024 actual capital expenditures compared with the 2024 Approved Capital Budget for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2024, and the projected expenditures by year-end, December 31, 2024.

Table 1: Capital Variance Summary 

The City's actual capital spending for the first nine months of 2024 totals $2.765 billion, or 43.4 percent of the 2024 Approved Capital Budget. This is in line with the experience from the previous year. The projected year-end spending rate of 75.3 percent, based on projections from City Programs and Agencies, closely aligns with last year’s forecast for the same reporting period. Capital spending will continue to be monitored, with updates to be provided in the year-end variance report to reflect annual expenditures.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council approve the budget adjustments and any associated complement changes detailed in Appendix D to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to amend the 2024 Approved Operating Budget, with no impact on the Net Operating Budget of the City, as well as recommended expenditure authority as detailed in Appendix E to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

2.  City Council increase the 2024 Operating Budget for Toronto Public Health by $2,600,246 gross, $0 net, fully funded by the Public Health Reserve Fund (XR1108) for the purpose of providing one-time funding to new school communities who applied for and met the eligibility criteria for Student Nutrition Programs but did not receive funding as the 2024 Student Nutrition Program budget was fully committed to pre-existing programs; this one-time funding will allow the new school communities to deliver a Student Nutrition Program from January to June 2025.

3.  City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health to enter into agreements and other suitable arrangements, on behalf of the City of Toronto, for the transfer of funds to the Angel Foundation for Learning ($789,217) and the Toronto Foundation for Student Success ($1,811,029) for the purpose of administering the 2024 Student Nutrition Program municipal funds ($2,600,246) to eligible new school communities who applied for and met the eligibility criteria for Student Nutrition Programs but did not receive funding as the 2024 Student Nutrition Program budget was fully committed to pre-existing programs, on terms satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

The purpose of this report is to provide City Council with the Operating Variance for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, as well as projections to the year-end, December 31, 2024. This report also requests City Council's approval for amendments to the 2024 Approved Operating Budget that have no impact on the City's Net Budget.

The following table summarizes the year-to-date financial position and year-end projections for the City's Tax-Supported Operations as of September 30, 2024.

Table 1: Tax-Supported Operating Variance Summary 

As detailed in Table 1 above, for the nine-month period, Tax-Supported Operations experienced a favourable net variance of $511.6 million. A favourable net variance is projected at year-end of $107.5 million. These figures are adjusted for Toronto Building, City Planning, which have surplus allocated to reserves by legislation or reserve draws if a deficit is experienced. It is important to note that the financial information presented is as of September 30, which is a snapshot in time and the year-end projection is based on current and expected future activities as known and anticipated as at September 30, 2024.

The funding provided by the New Deal struck with the Province of Ontario makes significant contributions towards transit and shelter related services. To date, $300.0 million has been received for Subway and Transit Safety, Recovery and Sustainable Operations, $200.0 million for Shelters and Homelessness, and $6.9 million related to operating costs of the Gardner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, which are all reflected in the City’s year-to-date results.

The City continues to advocate to the Federal government for ongoing funding for the refugee claimants in the City’s shelter system. Included in the 2024 Operating Budget, Toronto Shelter and Support Services has a budgeted recovery of $250 million in the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) funding. Projection to year-end indicates that the actual costs for refugee claimants in 2024 will increase above $250 million in 2024 due to ongoing refugee arrivals. The City has submitted claims for expenses incurred through September 30, 2024, and will submit reimbursement claims for the final year-end actuals costs. As of today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has provided the City with $47.6 million in reimbursements for expenses incurred in the first quarter of 2024.

Rate-Supported Programs:

Rate-Supported Programs reported a favourable year-to-date net variance of $29.7 million. At year-end, Rate-Supported Programs are projecting a favourable variance of $38.0 million.         

Table 2: Rate-Supported Operating Variance Summary 

The favourable year-to-date variance and year-end projection are driven by all three programs: Toronto Water, Toronto Parking Authority and Solid Waste.

Rate-Supported Programs are funded entirely by user fees that are used to pay for the services provided and the infrastructure to deliver them. Solid Waste Management Services and Toronto Water’s respective year-end surpluses, if any, must be transferred to the Waste Management Reserve Fund and the Wastewater and Water Stabilization Reserves respectively, to finance capital investments and ongoing capital repairs and maintenance.  Toronto Parking Authority surplus is split 75% to the City, with the remaining 25% reinvested in capital projects related to Toronto Parking Authority, consistent with the approved Income Sharing Agreement.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council receive the City of Toronto Reserve and Reserve Fund Balances as at September 30, 2024 as set out in the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for information.

2. City Council direct that $211.1 million of funding in the “Tax Rate Stabilizing Reserve” for bridge funding temporarily held in that reserve as part of the enhanced multi-year budget strategy be transferred to the “Budget Bridging and Balancing Reserve Fund’ consistent with the strategy outlined in the 2024 Budget process.

This report summarizes the activities of the City of Toronto’s (City) Reserves and Reserve Fund balances for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.

Reserves and Reserve Funds established by Toronto City Council (Council) are key to support the financial management and operations of the City, and to minimize annual tax rate fluctuations. The funds help offset future capital needs, obligations such as employee expenses, fiscal pressures from ongoing programs, unforeseen costs, and revenue shortfalls.

Reserves and Reserve Funds balances as at September 30, 2024 totaled $5,857.7 million, an increase of $566.0 million from December 31, 2023 ($5,291.7 million). This net increase is the result of deliberate contributions for capital investments in housing, transit, capital infrastructure, and vehicle and equipment replacement as authorized by Council. The majority of the City's reserve and reserve fund balances ($5,647.3 million, or 96.4 percent) are committed to future Council directed activities that include capital and operating expenditures and rate-based activities.

There are total commitments and obligations of $15.721 billion against the $5,647.3 million balance in committed reserves, consistent with the approved 10-Year Capital Plan.  These commitments and obligations are nearly 3 times greater than the current reserve and reserve fund balances, requiring continued reserve contributions to support planned expenditures.

The remaining reserve and reserve fund balance of $210.4 million, or 3.6 percent of total reserves and reserve funds, is uncommitted and available to respond to various unanticipated costs, stabilize funding sources, including the tax base, or for emergency purposes such as extreme weather events.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct that the 2021 and 2022 operating surpluses totalling $450,458 from six Arenas (George Bell, William H. Bolton, McCormick, Forest Hill, Ted Reeve, North Toronto [2021] and North Toronto [2022]) be payable to the City of Toronto and be used, in part, to fund the operating deficit of $115,361 for Moss Park Arena, resulting in a net operating surplus of $335,097 prior to the contribution to the Arena Boards of Management Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Reserve (XQ1705), as illustrated in Appendix A to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

2. City Council direct the excess of the actual operating net surplus balance of $335,097 over the 2021 and 2022 budget equating to $324,937, be allocated to the Arena Boards of Management Vehicle and Equipment Replacement Reserve (XQ1705) and the remaining $10,160, be retained by the City as illustrated in Appendix A to the report (November 26, 2024)  from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

On an annual basis, the City of Toronto receives the audited financial statements from eight Arena Boards of Management (Arenas). The audited financial statements assist the City to determine whether additional operating subsidy payments need to be provided to or clawed back from the Arenas to settle their operating deficits or surpluses. City staff report annually on the Arenas' operating surpluses and deficits once the respective Boards financial statements have been audited and approved by Council. The audited financial statements are based on the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) requirements for government not-for-profit entities while the operating deficits or surpluses align with the modified cash basis of accounting.

This report recommends the settlement of seven of the Arenas' operating surpluses and deficits based on their audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022, with operating surpluses payable to the City and operating deficits funded by the City upon Council’s approval.

This report also recommends the settlement of North Toronto Arena's operating surplus based on the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, with operating surplus payable to the City upon Council's approval. When City staff prepared the Arena Boards settlement for the fiscal year ended on December 31, 2021, the 2021 audited financial statements for North Toronto were not readily available to be included as part of the settlement process.

The 2020, 2021 and 2022 audited financial statements for Leaside Memorial Community Gardens Arena will be presented in a separate report for consideration and approval in first quarter of 2025.

While normally the prior year-end settlement reports for both Association of Community Centres and Arena Boards are submitted together to City Council in the following year, the 2022 settlement report for Arena Boards was delayed due to delays in completing the 2022 audits. City staff will present the 2023 Settlement Reports for both Association of Community Centres and Arena Boards at the first opportunity to the City Council for consideration and approval once the 2023 audit is completed.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend the Social Procurement Policy, as set out in Attachment 1 to the revised report (December 6, 2024) from the Chief Procurement Officer, effective January 1, 2025.

2. City Council direct the Chief Procurement Officer to continue divisional, business and community engagement, in consultation with the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, and report back to the Executive Committee by the fourth quarter of 2026 on the results of this engagement and with recommendations for additional enhancements for the Social Procurement Policy and Program.

3. City Council direct the Chief Procurement Officer, in consultation with the City Solicitor, the City Clerk, the Chief People Officer and the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to identify the legal, privacy and information management requirements, and equity considerations that would allow for the collection, storage and use of disaggregated socio-demographic data from individuals in relation to the City's Social Procurement Policy and Program and report back to the Executive Committee by the fourth quarter of 2026 with recommendations.

The purpose of this report is to outline the results of a review of the Social Procurement Program (the "Program") and recommend policy and program improvements. The report summarizes Program output data from 2017 to 2023 to assess the Program's success at meeting its two primary objectives: supporting workforce development and advancing supply chain diversity.

The Program was implemented in 2017 by the Purchasing and Materials Management Division (PMMD), with support from the Social Development, Finance & Administration Division (SDFA), to leverage the City's purchasing power to achieve wider social, economic and workforce development objectives, specifically:

-Supporting inclusive economic development by improving access to the City's supply chain for people from Indigenous, Black, and Equity-deserving communities;

-Leveraging meaningful training and employment opportunities for people experiencing economic disadvantage, including those belonging to Indigenous, Black, and Equity-deserving communities; and

-Shifting the City's procurement culture towards supporting the City's social and equity goals.

In 2021, City Council requested a five-year review of the Program, and instructed staff to report back on successes and opportunities for improvements. As a result of the review, this report recommends:

-Conducting additional business and community engagement, to further develop recommendations from the review findings, particularly with respect to workforce development;

-Identifying the legal, privacy, and information management requirements and equity considerations, in alignment with the City’s Data for Equity Strategy and Guidelines, that would allow for the collection, storage and use of disaggregated socio-demographic data from individuals in relation to the City's Social Procurement Policy and Program; and,

-Amending the Social Procurement Policy to:

-Prioritize commitments in the Reconciliation Action Plan and Confronting Anti-Black Racism Action Plan for supply chain diversity;

-Expand social procurement beyond supplier certification;

-Define Social Enterprises separately from Diverse Suppliers; and,

-Improve clarity.

Program enhancements are proceeding under the Chief Procurement Officer’s authority, including publishing a public social procurement dashboard and updating solicitation templates to clarify requirements, particularly around workforce development target-setting.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, in consultation with the Chief Procurement Officer and the Procurement Advisory Circle, to work to accelerate the work plan where possible.

At its meeting on May 10, 11 and 12, 2023, City Council directed the Chief Procurement Officer to co-develop an Indigenous Procurement Strategy with Indigenous businesses and communities and present to City Council on progress towards developing the Strategy no later than the third quarter of 2024. This report provides an update on this work.

Purchasing and Materials Management Division (PMMD) was approved through the 2023 Operating Budget process to hire a Policy Development Officer dedicated to co-developing the Indigenous Procurement Strategy with Indigenous businesses and communities. The recruitment was completed and the position was filled in April 2024. Since that time, PMMD has developed a work plan to guide the co-development of a First Nations, Inuit and Métis Procurement Policy (this is an updated working title reflective of work to-date).

Since PMMD has never engaged with the Indigenous community, the goal for 2024 has been to build relationships and to foster connections with Indigenous partners, agencies and businesses. PMMD has completed two engagement sessions with First Nations, Inuit and Métis businesses, one session with Indigenous agencies and partners, and one planning session to complete the Terms of Reference for an Advisory Circle. The first meeting of the Advisory Circle is planned in December. PMMD also sponsored three community conferences on First Nations, Inuit and Métis economic development.

2025 will be a year of engagement, and national engagement with Indigenous businesses, agencies and partners is being planned. The policy will be drafted in 2026, with the goal of circulating to Indigenous businesses, agencies and partners in 2027 for feedback and revisions. In 2028, the policy will be presented to City Council for approval, followed by implementation and monitoring, and an education campaign for both businesses and staff.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council advise the Board of Directors of TO Live and direct the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to oversee the implementation of the 2024-2033 Capital Budget and Plan as well as future capital plans in alignment with the Capital Prioritization Framework on behalf of TO Live, which includes the planning, design, procurement, and execution of state of good repair projects, capital improvements, net zero, accessibility and other facility-related projects for the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Meridian Hall, and Meridian Arts Centre, in consultation with the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live, the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

2. City Council request the Board of Directors of TO Live to update the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, on formal commitments for additional non-city funding no later than June 30, 2025.

3. Should the Board of Directors of TO Live secure a commitment for additional external funding, City Council direct the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live, to adjust and align the scope of state of good repair projects and future capital plans, as appropriate, wherein the additional funds shall be directed towards fulfilling outcomes identified in the community consultations outlined in the report (September 6, 2024) from the President and Chief Executive Officer, TO Live on St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts Redevelopment Project.

4. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to undertake consultations with Toronto theatre and other performing arts organizations who are current or prospective users of the performance spaces at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in order to support the work of Corporate Real Estate Management in undertaking capital improvements to the facility.

This report responds to City Council’s request (Item EX17.17) for the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, to report back to the Executive Committee on the enhanced State of Good Repair (SOGR) plan for the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts (STLC). Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM) and Financial Planning Division (FPD) provided advice to TO Live on its 10-year enhanced SOGR plan for the STLC, to ensure the plan followed industry standard construction and SOGR planning and program management including a reasonable projected spend over the 10-year planning horizon based on ability to execute the required SOGR projects.

The enhanced SOGR plan outlined in this report and provided to TO Live uses the 2024 STLC building condition assessment (BCA) as a baseline to ensure the facility meets health and safety, legislative requirements, the City’s accessibility standards and aligns with the Transform TO strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. The enhanced SOGR plan will not fund any non-critical enhancements to the building. 

CREM will continue to partner with TO Live and the Executive Director, FPD to ensure the STLC SOGR program is planned and delivered in alignment with industry standards and the BCA. This includes the proper phasing of the SOGR program to allow adequate planning and design phases in a complex real estate asset such as the STLC. Projected spend through subsequent years should also reflect realistic and executable construction plans that minimizes disruption and enables TO Live to remain operational during construction where possible.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the Executive Director, Social Development and Finance Administration, and City Librarian, Toronto Public Library to negotiate a nominal land lease (the "Land Lease") between the City (as landlord), and Community Music Schools of Toronto (the "Tenant"), for the part of the property municipally known as 1785 Finch Avenue West, as outlined on Appendix C (the "Leased Premises") to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, substantially on the major terms and conditions set out in Appendix A to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and on such other or amended terms and conditions as may be deemed appropriate by the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, or their designate, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the City Librarian, Toronto Public Library to negotiate a licence agreement (the "Licence Agreement") with the Tenant, for nominal consideration, in relation to the Leased Premises for the purposes of construction staging, and any other purposes deemed appropriate by the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and on such terms and conditions as deemed appropriate by the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, or their designate, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

3. City Council authorize each of the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and the Director, Real Estate Services severally to execute and deliver the Land Lease, the Licence Agreement and any related documents contemplated thereunder on behalf of the City.

4. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, or their designate, to administer and manage the Land Lease and the Licence Agreement, including the provision of any consents, approvals, waivers, notices and notices of termination, provided that the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management may, at any time, refer consideration of such matters to City Council for its determination and direction.

5. City Council consent to the Toronto Public Library Board's decision dated June 19, 2023 to transfer the property known municipally as 1785 Finch Avenue West (the "Property") to the City and direct staff to take all steps necessary to comply with the City's real estate disposal process set out in Chapter 213, Sale of Real Property of the City of Toronto Municipal Code.

6. City Council forward the Item to the Toronto Public Library Board for information.

This report seeks authority for the City, as landlord, to enter into a nominal lease agreement (the "Land Lease") with Community Music Schools of Toronto (the "Tenant") in respect of a portion of the property at 1785 Finch Avenue West (the "Leased Premises"), to design, build, finance, and operate a new not-for-profit music school. The Leased Premises is a portion of the current parking surface, along with an unused loading dock area, of the site of Toronto Public Library's ("TPL") York Woods Branch ("York Woods Library").

With City Council endorsement and direction to explore the feasibility of building a music school next to York Woods Library, City staff now recommend advancing this site for the proposed new music school which will serve the Jane Finch community. The TPL Board supports the proposed Land Lease to the Tenant. Social Development, Finance, and Administration and Economic Development and Culture have advised on the community consultation process, by engaging with a third-party consultant and the Tenant. Additionally, the proposed development of the music school in the Jane Finch community aligns with Action 1.13 of the Jane Finch Community Development Plan (EC10.1); a short-term action aimed at ensuring artists and organizations have access to local spaces to practice, create, exhibit, and operate their organizations.

The Tenant is a charitable organization founded in 1999 with a mission to help Toronto youth access high-quality music education. The Tenant's music programs are geared towards students ages three to 18 and are heavily subsidized to provide families who would not usually have access to music education due to their financial situation. Students participating in the Tenant's music programs can access instruments, music education, mentorship, and performance opportunities in a safe, supportive, and creative environment.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Board of Directors, Toronto Port Lands Company, to direct the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, to negotiate and execute an amendment to the Ground Lease between the City of Toronto Economic Development Corporation and Basin Media Studios GP Inc., as general partner for and on behalf of Basin Media Studios LP, dated August 29, 2022, as amended, substantially in line with the proposed changes outlined in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services and the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services and in a form approved by the Chief Legal Counsel, CreateTO.

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 26, 2024) from the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services and the Deputy City Manager, Community and Social Services remain confidential in its entirety as it contains information about a position, plan or instruction to be applied to negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the Board of Directors of Toronto Port Lands Company.

3. City Council direct the City Manager, in consultation with the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, and the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, to assess opportunities to align the mandate of the Toronto Port Lands Company with the City’s economic development objectives in the Port Lands, such as supporting film production, and with the Port Lands Planning Framework and other area-specific Planning documents, and report back to City Council by the third quarter of 2025 with any required changes to the Toronto Port Lands Company Shareholder Direction.

The purpose of this report is to seek City Council's approval to amend the Ground Lease between Toronto Port Lands Company (TPLC), legally the Toronto Economic Development Corporation, and Basin Media Studios GP Inc. (the "Tenant") related to the Basin Studios project at 29 and 75 Basin Street. Amendments to the Ground Lease have been requested by the tenant in response to extraordinary market and economic pressures encountered with the project since 2021.

The Basin Studios project is an approximately $300 million, purpose-built, state-of-the-art film, television, and digital media hub in Toronto’s Port Lands. The development encompasses over 485,000 square feet of new purpose-built studio and support space, including 12 new sound stages. The project site involves an approximately 8.9-acre property owned by TPLC at 29 Basin Street (the "29 Basin Property") and 5-acre property owned by the Tenant at 75 Basin Street (the "75 Basin Property").  

In 2021, City Council approved the term sheet for the 29 Basin Property and authorized TPLC to execute the term sheet and any lease resulting therefrom conditional on CreateTO Board approval. In 2022, TPLC executed the Ground Lease with the Tenant for the 29 Basin Property, consistent with City Council authority. The proposed amendments to the Ground Lease are summarized in Confidential Attachment 1.

CreateTO and City staff are satisfied that the proposed amendments will allow the project to proceed and deliver the development proposal for the 29 Basin Property and do not introduce any new financial liabilities or risks to the City.  

In addition, staff will conduct an assessment of opportunities to continue to align the mandate of the Toronto Port Lands Company with the City’s economic development objectives in the Port Lands, such as supporting film production, and with the Port Lands Planning Framework and other area-specific Planning documents, and report back to City Council by Q3 2025 with any required changes to the Toronto Port Lands Company Shareholder Direction.

This report has been prepared in consultation with the following City divisions and agencies: City Manager's Office, Corporate Real Estate Management, CreateTO, Development and Growth Services, Economic Development and Culture, and Legal Services.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the City Clerk, or their designate, to accept these in-kind archival donations from Vid Ingelevics, Robert Burley and Ted Yarwood for Toronto Archives.

2. City Council authorize the City Clerk, or their designate, to accept an additional donation of $34,074.07 from the Estate of Katherine Anne Hartley for the Toronto Archives bringing the total donation to $197,037.03.

3. City Council increase the 2024 Operating Budget for City Clerk's by $34,074.07 gross, $0 net, one-time, to deposit the donation into the Clerks Equipment Reserve (XQ1507) and authorize the City Clerk, or their designate, to withdraw the donated amount to support future programming in the Toronto Archives.

The purpose of this report is to request approval from City Council to accept three 2024 in-kind archival donations from photographers Vid Ingelevics ($122,600), Robert Burley ($86,500), and Ted Yarwood (estimated at $50,000), and an additional monetary donation of $34,074.07 from the Estate of Katherine Anne Hartley to Toronto Archives bringing the total donation to $197,037.03.

The value of these donations exceeds or is estimated to exceed the $50,000 threshold for donation acceptance under the Donations to the City of Toronto for Community Benefits Policy. City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 71 Financial Control, where the value of this bequest exceeds the $50,000 threshold for division heads to accept and spend donated funds under Article X, Section 71-19.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Manager, in consultation with the City Clerk, the City Solicitor and the Integrity Commissioner, to develop a Code of Conduct for Public Members of Council Advisory Bodies that aligns with City Council’s approved Codes of Conduct for Members of Council, Local Boards and Adjudicative Boards, as appropriate, and to report to City Council in the second quarter of 2025 with the recommended Code of Conduct for adoption.

On June 15, 2022, City Council adopted 2022.CC45.1 – Review of Codes of Conduct for Members of Council, Local Boards and Adjudicative Boards. This report updated the Codes of Conduct for Members of Council, Members of Local Boards (Restricted Definition) and Members of Adjudicative Boards, including expanding and clarifying Members’ responsibilities for their roles and conduct outside of meetings. The report did not address the creation of a Code of Conduct for individuals appointed by City Council to Council Advisory Bodies. These Council appointees remain guided by the City of Toronto’s Public Appointments Policy, Section 9.2 “General Standards of Conduct.”

Ensuring Public Member appointees to Council Advisory Bodies clearly understand their role in maintaining the integrity of the City’s government and upholding its reputation is critical as the City seeks to expand resident and stakeholder engagement in its decision-making processes. Building on efforts to date to strengthen the Codes of Conduct for public officials, the City should review and establish a Code of Conduct for Public Members of Council Advisory Bodies in keeping with the City of Toronto’s commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct.

This letter seeks to recommend that City Council direct the City Manager, in consultation with the City Clerk, the City Solicitor and the Integrity Commissioner, to develop a Code of Conduct for Public Members of Council Advisory Bodies that aligns with City Council’s approved Codes of Conduct for Members of Council, Local Boards and Adjudicative Boards, as appropriate, and report to Council in the second quarter of 2025 with the recommended Code of Conduct for adoption.

The Audit Committee recommends:

1. City Council receive the Auditor General’s Office 2025 Work Plan and Budget Highlights for information.

Tara Anderson, Auditor General, and Ariane Chan, Assistant Auditor General, gave a presentation on the Auditor General’s Office 2025 Work Plan and Budget Highlights.

The purpose of this report is to provide City Council with the Auditor General’s 2025 Work Plan, which contains projects that are in progress or will begin in 2025, and many new projects on the horizon to commence in either late 2025 or 2026. These audit projects are identified through a City-wide risk and opportunities assessment process that is conducted every five years and updated annually for changes in emerging issues, priorities, and trends in allegations made to the Fraud and Waste Hotline. The Auditor General also considers the views and experience of City Councillors and City management. The Auditor General may amend the Annual Work Plan if new priorities arise.

This report also provides the 2025 Budget Highlights for information only, as the Audit Committee considers the Auditor General’s 2025 Work Plan. The Auditor General is requesting $8.651 million and this 2025 budget request will be presented directly to the Budget Committee at its meeting on January 15-17, 2025 for consideration. The Auditor General's budget request reflects resources needed to address her 2025 Work Plan.

The Auditor General would like to thank the Audit Committee and City Council for their continued support of this Accountability Office, and of the important work we do. We look forward to continuing to add value to the City, make a positive difference in the lives of Torontonians through improved outcomes from our report recommendations, while taking an approach that helps to build relationships with auditees and stakeholders in a respectful manner.

The Audit Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer in consultation with the Chief Procurement Officer and the City Solicitor to:

a. Evaluate whether the cost of unused software licences identified in this report can be reduced or deferred to future periods to align with changes in the deployment dates for projects that are still in progress.

b. Identify other technology projects that are delayed and evaluate whether the cost of the unused software licences can be reduced or deferred to future periods to align with changes in the project rollout dates.

2. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer in consultation with the Chief Procurement Officer and the City Solicitor, to evaluate whether future software subscription contracts can include provisions to allow the City to defer the licence purchases or adjust the contracted volume of software subscriptions, in situations where:

a. Projects are delayed, or

b. Requirement for software subscription volume changes.

3. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer and the Chief Information Security Officer, in consultation with the Chief Procurement Officer and the City Solicitor, to evaluate whether:

a. Financial compensation can be obtained for non-compliance with expected product features required under the contract.

b. The cost of unused software licences can be reduced or deferred to future periods to align with changes in the project rollout dates.

4. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer to improve on the project planning and coordination for the remaining phases of implementing the Public Digital Access Solution.

5. City Council request the City Manager in coordination with the Chief Technology Officer to develop a reporting mechanism and criteria for reporting on City-wide technology projects (or projects that span across multiple divisions) to the General Government Committee of City Council by the appropriate City officials, on project implementation delays and related accumulated financial impact or costs from the delays, including unused software licences, with reports to include as a minimum:

a. Accumulated financial impact of project delays, including forgone benefits

b. Cost of unused software licences, and solutions

c. Plans in place to mitigate the impact of delays, and

d. How the expected benefits will be measured once the project or contract is fully completed.

6. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer evaluate the current email back-up procedure to:

a. Finalize the related procedure and guidelines to ensure M365 licences assigned to employees who leave the City are terminated in a timely manner; and

b. Terminate or re-assign, as needed, active M365 licences of former staff identified in this report.

7. City Council request the Chief People Officer and Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Technology Officer to develop an automated process for employee offboarding, including to:

a. Integrate and update the employment separation checklist with the current Information Technology Service Management process to identify and disable unused accounts of employees who leave the City, in a timely manner.

b. Conduct periodic automated comparisons of active licences with inactive or dormant accounts and ensure unused licences or licences assigned to former employees or employees on long-term leave are disabled or re-assigned in a timely manner, and

c. Unassigned or unused licences identified in this report are re-assigned or terminated as needed.

8. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer to:

a. Establish criteria to identify and select software titles that should be managed through the Information Technology Asset Management System

b. Develop a data strategy and migration plan for managing the City’s software licences and subscriptions

c. Develop a plan to decommission the existing system, and

d. Evaluate whether the existing data import process from the financial system is required for the new system and fix the data accuracy and reconciliation issues if the data are to be used.

9. City Council request the Chief Technology Officer to develop and implement a governance framework to improve ownership and accountability of the Information Technology asset management process. This should include:

a. Updating policies, guidelines, and procedures on Information Technology asset management, ensuring appropriate reporting and staff roles are established to facilitate ongoing monitoring of Information Technology assets through the new system.

b. Developing reports, to monitor the accuracy and completeness of data updated in the new Information Technology Asset Management system.

10. City Council request the City Manager to coordinate the work of the City’s agencies and corporations with the City’s Chief Procurement Officer and Chief Technology Officer to explore joint purchasing on key software programs to achieve volume discounts and savings for the City as a whole.

Tara Anderson, Auditor General, Syed Ali, Assistant Auditor General, and Gawah Mark, Audit Director, gave a presentation on the Audit of Software Acquisition and Licence Management: Managing and Optimizing Value from Software Licences.

The Auditor General’s 2024 Work Plan included an audit on how the City acquires and manages its applications, corporate-wide software licences, and cloud subscriptions.

In 2023, the City spent $44 million on software acquisitions and $34 million on software maintenance. Over the last five years from 2019 to 2023, the City’s total expenditures for software acquisition, maintenance and support were approximately $235 million. The City currently uses over 7,500 software titles; over 1,200 titles are paid software. As the City continues to automate its processes and systems, the investment in technology systems and applications will continue to grow.

This audit focused on assessing whether tracking of software licences, cloud subscriptions, and maintenance is accurate, and that unused software is identified and addressed in a timely manner. The audit scope included seven selected software applications.

We estimated that the cost associated with unused licences for the assessed software applications was almost $11 million. This cost is related to unused or underutilized software licences and subscriptions for various periods of time, primarily from 2020 to 2024. A summary of the cost of unused licences by software application is provided in Table 1.

Table 1: Summary of the Cost of Unused Licences

Our report identifies the following four key areas for attention:

- Improvements are required for licence acquisition, management, and utilization. In particular, improved project planning and stakeholder coordination to ensure timely deployment of licences when making bulk purchases.

- Former employees’ licences are not terminated or not re-assigned in a timely manner. The off-boarding process needs streamlining and automation to reduce the risk of licences remaining assigned to users who leave the City or are on long-term leave.

- Governance over Information Technology asset management needs to be strengthened and a clear data strategy and plan is needed to manage the City’s software assets.

- The City, by virtue of its size, has an opportunity to achieve greater economies of scale through more effective bulk purchasing of software, if agencies and corporations are included in the procurement.

The Audit Committee recommend that:

1. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (September 13, 2024) from the Auditor General at the discretion of the Auditor General, after discussions with the appropriate Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation, and City Officials. 

The Audit Committee recessed its public session to meet in closed session to consider this Item as it involves the security of the property of the City of Toronto or one of its agencies and corporations.

At its meeting on October 18, 2024, the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors considered the attached report entitled, “Cybersecurity Audit of Toronto Community Housing and Toronto Seniors Housing Corporations - Phase Two: User Access Management and Event Logging.”

The Board adopted the following recommendations, as made in the report:

1. The Board adopt the confidential instructions to staff in Confidential Attachment 1 to this report from the Auditor General.

2. The Board forward this report including the Confidential Attachment 1 to City Council for information through the City's Audit Committee.

3. The Board recommend City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report from the Auditor General at the discretion of the Auditor General, after discussions with the appropriate Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation, and City Officials.

A copy of the Secretary’s Certificate regarding this matter is attached along with the Auditor General’s Report and its Confidential Attachment.

The Audit Committee recommend that:  

1. City Council direct that the Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 25, 2024) from the Chief Technology Officer, the Chief Information Security Officer, and the Executive Director, Toronto Emergency Management, remain confidential in its entirety, as it involves the security of property of the City.

This report provides an update to the Audit Committee on the City's Enterprise Information Technology Disaster Recovery Program, as directed by 2023.AU3.7. This report provides an overview of progress made by the City of Toronto's Technology Services Enterprise Disaster Recovery Program, including business continuity and cyber major incident management, as well as the status of Information Technology disaster recovery plans from City of Toronto divisions, agencies, and corporations.

The Audit Committee recommend that:

1. City Council receive the report (November 25, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation for information.

On October 7, 2024, the Auditor General released a report entitled "Audit of Parks Branch Operations - Phase 1: Improving Oversight of Day-to-Day Maintenance Helps to Ensure City Parks are Beautiful, Clean and Safe", which was considered by the Audit Committee on October 15, 2024, and City Council at its meeting on November 13 and 14, 2024.

City Council subsequently adopted recommendations aimed at improving how the parks branch performs maintenance operations to keep parks clean, safe and beautiful. One such recommendation requested that Parks Forestry and Recreation report to the Audit Committee in December 2024, as well as July and November 2025 with a status update. This report provides the December 2024 update on the review and quality assurance outcomes of the Daily Activity Sheets process.

The Audit Committee recommend that:

1. City Council approve the 2023 audited financial statements and management letters of the Business Improvement Areas as attached in Appendices A to BY to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

The purpose of this report is to present the Audit Committee and City Council with the 2023 audited financial statements and management letters of 71 Business Improvement Areas.

All of the audited financial statement included in this report received unqualified audit opinions, and have been approved by the Business Improvement Areas’ respective Boards of Management (Board).  One Business Improvement Area, ShoptheQueensway.com, received recommendations to strengthen internal controls and operations.  These are minor in nature and have been accepted by the Business Improvement Area’s management and Board (Appendix BV).  

There are 83 active Business Improvement Areas in the City of Toronto.  The financial statements for the remaining 12 Business Improvement Areas are in the process of being finalized, and will be presented to the Audit Committee and City Council at a future date.

The Board of Health recommends that:

1. City Council delegate authority to the Medical Officer of Health to enter into agreements, with any government, agency, community organization, private entity or individual for the purpose of receiving and using funds for the provision of Toronto Public Health programs and services in the amount of $500,000 or less on such terms and conditions that are satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form approved by the City Solicitor provided that the cumulative amount received from any individual order of government, agency, community organization, private entity or individual shall not exceed $500,000 in any calendar year.

On occasion, Toronto Public Health (TPH) can apply for grants from third parties, including community organizations and agencies reporting to other orders of government. The purpose of a grant can range from providing additional public health services for community benefits, to engaging in research and projects that support topics of public health significance.

A recent example of this is a partnership with the Urban Public Health Network (UPHN), where Urban Public Health Network will provide Toronto Public Health with a one-time transfer of $100,000 CAD to enhance human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates among high school students for the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 school years. Funding will be used to initiate a project that will enhance communications and youth engagement to increase HPV vaccination.

This report seeks City Council authority for the Medical Officer of Health to accept grants, and to enter into contractual agreements for the purpose of accepting grants in the amount of $500,000 or less. If approved, this increase in delegated authority will enable Toronto Public Health to accept the Urban Public Health Network one-time funding, as well as access funds received from any future grants more quickly. Grants and funding above this amount would be reported to Council. Both the Board of Health and City Council will continue to be informed of all grant amounts received by Toronto Public Health through the annual budget process.

The Board of Health recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the Medical Officer of Health to enter into agreements, on an ongoing basis, with the Toronto school boards (Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Mon Avenir and Conseil scolaire Viamonde) for the transfer of funds in the total amount of $300,000 or less per year as part of the Into Kids' Health program within the approved Toronto Public Health budget, on such terms and conditions as are satisfactory to the Medical Officer of Health and in a form approved by the City Solicitor.

The Ontario Public Health Standards' School Health Guideline, 2018, indicates that the board of health shall develop and implement a program of public health interventions to improve the health of school-aged children and youth. The Toronto Healthy Schools Strategy formalizes the commitment of Toronto Public Health and the Toronto school boards to support student well-being through the creation of healthy school environments.

The Into Kids’ Health program, is an evidence informed collaboration between Toronto Public Health and Toronto schools serving equity deserving communities that aims to create healthy school environments. Participating schools receive up to $7500 to be spent over two years, as well as additional Toronto Public Health initiatives and resources. A wide range of school initiatives have been implemented through the Into Kids' Health program, including revitalizing outdoor spaces, improving student mental health and strengthening ties to the community.

To expand the reach of the Into Kids' Health program to more equity deserving schools and streamline the administrative process for issuing funds to individual schools, this report seeks City Council authority for Toronto Public Health to transfer funds of $300,000 or less annually beginning in the 2024-2025 school year to participating school boards (Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Mon Avenir, Conseil scolaire Viamonde).

The Board of Health recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the Associate Medical Officer of Health identified in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (December 5, 2024) from the Chair, Medical Officer of Health Hiring Committee to the position of Acting Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto Health Unit effective on January 1, 2025. 

2. City Council authorize the appropriate City officials to take the necessary action to give effect thereto, including the introduction in Council of the necessary bill to appoint the candidate as the Acting Medical Officer of Health under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c H.7 ("HPPA").

3. City Council authorize the public release of the name and Curriculum Vitae summary of the Acting Medical Officer of Health contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (December 5, 2024) from the Chair, Medical Officer of Health Hiring Committee upon City Council's approval of the appointment.

The Board of Health recessed its public meeting to meet in closed session to consider the item as it relates to personal matters pertaining to the appointment of an Acting Medical Officer of Health.

The purpose of this report is to recommend to the Board of Health an appointment of an Acting Medical Officer of Health (MOH).

The Civic Appointments Committee Recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the following candidate, who was interviewed as part of item 2023.CA11.1, to the Housing Rights Advisory Committee, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on November 14, 2026:

Annie Hodgins

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, and 2 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Housing Rights Advisory Committee.

Candidate Biography

Annie Hodgins

Annie Hodgins is the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, and has worked with communities, advocates, and governments to advance the right to housing in Canada for over a decade. She brings a broad range of experience in housing law and policy, project and fund development, community engagement, service provision, knowledge mobilization and operations to her work. Over the years, Annie has contributed to numerous networks, committees and boards within government, academia, and the housing and homelessness services sector. Annie's strong commitment to collaborative systems change is grounded in her lived experience, and her many years working directly with low-income and equity-deserving renters facing housing insecurity and eviction.

The Civic Appointments Committee must select candidates to interview for appointment to the Housing Rights Advisory Committee. Following the interviews, the Civic Appointments Committee will recommend one candidate for appointment to City Council.

The Civic Appointments Committee recommends that: 

1. City Council appoint Terri Jaffe to the Board of Directors of TO Live, at pleasure of Council, for a term office ending December 20, 2028, and until a successor is appointed.

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b and 2 to 4 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Board of Directors of TO Live.

The Civic Appointments Committee directed that:

1. The City Clerk conduct further outreach for the appointment of public members to the TO Live Board of Directors, to fill the remaining 3 vacancies.

Candidate Biography

Terri Jaffe

Terri Jaffe (she/her) is a passionate advocate for the arts and a dedicated member of the Toronto indigenous community. She believes the Arts create opportunity for conversation, healing, and social change. Currently, Terri works with Indigenous agencies and various not-for-profits to support community in creating safer spaces for ceremony and healing and honouring and uplifting diverse identities.

The Civic Appointments Committee will conduct interviews and recommend four candidates to City Council for appointment to the Board of Directors of TO Live.

The Civic Appointments Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council appoint Susanna Han to the Lakeshore Arena Corporation Board, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on May 24, 2026, and until a successors is appointed.

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1 and 2 to the report (December 3, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal information about identifiable individuals who are being considered for appointment to the Lakeshore Arena Corporation Board.

Candidate's biography:

Susanna Han

With over 15 years in public-private partnerships and alternative financing and procurement, Susanna Han has successfully designed, bid, and delivered numerous public procurement projects in both Canada and the U.K. A local resident, she is a Certified Public Accountant. Susanna was also formerly the Treasurer and Board Director at McCormick Arena, Board Director at the Independent Electricity System Operator, Chief Financial Officer of both a construction union and Toronto-based residential real estate developer, Director at KPMG LLP, and Vice President of a number of construction companies.

This report recommends the appointment of one public member to the Lakeshore Arena Corporation Board.

The Corporations Nominating Panel recommends that:

1. City Council appoint Brian Topp to the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on June 27, 2026 and until a successor is appointed.

2. City Council nominate Brian Topp as Chair of the Toronto Hydro Board of Directors.

3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, and 2 to 5 to the report (November 27, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board.

Candidate's biography:

Brian Topp

Brian Topp is Chair of the Board of the Broadbent Institute, a non-profit foundation dedicated to public policy research and training. He is a partner at GT and Company, a consultancy. He lectures at McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, and is a Fellow at the Public Policy Forum. He previously served as Chief of Staff to Alberta Premier Rachel Notley; as Deputy Chief of Staff to Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow; and was a member of the Government of Canada’s North American Free Trade Agreement Advisory Committee.

The Corporations Nominating Panel will conduct interviews and recommend one candidate to City Council for appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board, as well as one nominee for Chair of the Toronto Hydro Board.

 The Corporations Nominating Panel recommend that:

1. City Council appoint Sheerin Sheikh to:

a. the CreateTO Board, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on March 28, 2026, and until a successor is appointed; and

b. the Boards of Directors of Build Toronto and the Toronto Port Lands Company, at the pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on March 28, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, and 2 to 4 to the report (November 27, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the CreateTO Board.

Candidate's biography:

Sheerin Sheikh

Sheerin Sheikh has a passion for public service and social justice. Her results-driven work ethic is demonstrated by extensive senior level real estate asset management expertise and service on various boards and committees. CreateTO has a critical role in supporting the City of Toronto to move forward wisely and expeditiously in becoming the city that we all can aspire to live in as would our future generations. She will be a significant team player in assisting the board in meeting its responsibilities.

 The Corporations Nominating Panel will conduct interviews and recommend one candidate to City Council for appointment to the CreateTO Board.

The Striking Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the following:

A. Executive Committee:

(two at-large members)

City Council appoint the following Members to the Executive Committee for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed:

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Josh Matlow

The following Members are already appointed to the Executive Committee by virtue of position or having been appointed by Mayor Olivia Chow as a Committee Chair:

Mayor Olivia Chow, Chair

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, Vice-Chair

Deputy Mayor Amber Morley

Deputy Mayor Mike Colle

Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie, Chair, Infrastructure and Environment Committee

Councillor Alejandra Bravo, Chair, Economic and Community Development Committee

Councillor Paul Ainslie, Chair, General Government Committee

Councillor Gord Perks, Chair, Planning and Housing Committee

Councillor Shelley Carroll, Chair, Budget Committee

B. Standing Committees:

City Council appoint the following Members to the Standing Committees for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed:

1. Economic and Community Development Committee

(five members)

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Parthi Kandavel

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik

Councillor Nick Mantas

Councillor Chris Moise

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Alejandra Bravo as Chair and Councillor Shelly Carroll as Vice-Chair.

2. General Government Committee

(three members)

Councillor Jon Burnside

Councillor Lily Cheng

Councillor Michael Thompson

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Paul Ainslie as Chair and Councillor Stephen Holyday as Vice-Chair.

3. Infrastructure and Environment Committee

(five members)

Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin

Councillor Amber Morley

Councillor James Pasternak

Councillor Anthony Perruzza

Councillor Dianne Saxe

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Jennifer McKelvie as Chair and Councillor Mike Colle as Vice-Chair.

4. Planning and Housing Committee

(four members)

Councillor Brad Bradford

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

Councillor Josh Matlow

Councillor Jamaal Myers

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Gord Perks as Chair and Councillor Frances Nunziata as Vice-Chair.

C. Special Committees:

City Council appoint the following Members to the Special Committees for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed:

1. Audit Committee

(three members)

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

Councillor Jamaal Myers

Councillor Frances Nunziata

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Stephen Holyday as Chair and Councillor Paula Fletcher as Vice-Chair.

2. Budget Committee

(four members)

Councillor Lily Cheng

Councillor Chris Moise

Councillor Amber Morley

Councillor Jennifer McKelvie

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Shelley Carroll as Chair and Councillor Gord Perks as Vice-Chair.

3. Civic Appointments Committee

(three members)

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Chris Moise

Councillor Gord Perks

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Lily Cheng as Chair and Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik as Vice-Chair.

4. Corporations Nominating Panel

(one member)

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Paula Fletcher as Chair and Councillor Mike Colle as Vice-Chair.

5. Service Excellence Committee

(two members)

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Councillor Stephen Holyday as Chair and Councillor Paul Ainslie as Vice-Chair.

6. Striking Committee

(three members)

Councillor Shelley Carroll

Councillor Jennifer McKelvie

Councillor Gord Perks

Mayor Olivia Chow having appointed Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik as Chair and Councillor Alejandra Bravo as Vice-Chair.

D. City Boards

City Council appoint the following members to City boards:

1. Board of Health

(six members)

Councillor Alejandra Bravo

Councillor Lily Cheng

Councillor Parthi Kandavel

Councillor Chris Moise

Councillor Anthony Perruzza

Councillor Michael Thompson

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

2. Board of Directors of TO Live

(two members plus the Mayor or designate appointed by the Mayor - the Ward Councillors for the area in which the theatres are located (Wards 13, Toronto Centre and 18, Willowdale) have first right of appointment)

Councillor Chris Moise (Ward 13, Toronto Centre) has elected to take a seat on the Board of Directors of TOLive

Councillor Lily Cheng (Ward 18, Willowdale) has elected to take a seat on the Board of Directors of TO Live.

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

Councillor Paula Fletcher is the Mayor’s designate.

3. CreateTO Board of Directors

(one member plus the Mayor or designate appointed by the Mayor)

Councillor Frances Nunziata

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

Councillor Paula Fletcher is the Mayor’s designate.

4. Exhibition Place Board of Governors

(four members plus the Mayor or designate appointed by Council)

Councillor Paul Ainslie

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, as Chair

Councillor Anthony Perruzza

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

Councillor Chris Moise is the Mayor’s designate.

5. Toronto Atmospheric Fund Board of Directors

(two members plus the Mayor or designate appointed by the Mayor)

Councillor James Pasternak

Councillor Dianne Saxe

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

Councillor Josh Matlow is the Mayor’s designate.

6. Toronto Parking Authority

(two members)

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Frances Nunziata

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

7. Toronto Police Service Board

(three members)

Councillor Shelley Carroll

Councillor Lily Cheng

Councillor Amber Morley

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

8. Toronto Transit Commission

(six members, including the Chair)

Councillor Jamaal Myers, Chair

Councillor Paul Ainslie

Councillor Alejandra Bravo

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik

Councillor Josh Matlow

Councillor Dianne Saxe

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

9. Toronto Zoo Board of Management

(two members plus the Mayor or designate appointed by the Mayor)

Councillor Jennifer McKelvie, as Chair

Councillor Nick Mantas

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

Councillor Paul Ainslie is the Mayor’s designate.

10. Long-Term Care Committee of Management

Councillor Alejandra Bravo, as Chair

The following Members having already been appointed by City Council:

Councillor Alejandra Bravo

Councillor Shelley Carroll

Councillor Amber Morley

E. Heritage Boards

City Council appoint the following members to City heritage boards: 

1. Heritage Toronto Board of Directors

(one member plus the Mayor or designate appointed by the Mayor)

Councillor Stephen Holyday

Councillor Parthi Kandavel is the Mayor’s designate.

2. Toronto Preservation Board

(one member)

Councillor Brad Bradford

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

F. Other City Bodies

City Council appoint the following members to other City Bodies:

1. Committee of Revision

(five members: composed of the Deputy Mayor and the four Community Council Chairs - appointed by virtue of position)

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, as Chair

Councillor Stephen Holyday, Chair, Etobicoke York Community Council

Councillor James Pasternak, Chair, North York Community Council

Councillor Paul Ainslie, Chair, Scarborough Community Council

Councillor Chris Moise, Chair, Toronto and East York Community Council

for a term of office coincident with holding these positions.

2. Debenture Committee

(four members: composed of the Mayor, the Budget Committee Chair, the City Manager and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer)

Mayor Olivia Chow, as Chair

Councillor Shelley Carroll, Chair, Budget Committee as Vice-Chair

Paul Johnson, City Manager

Stephen Conforti, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

for a term of office coincident with holding these positions.

G. Corporations

City Council the following members to corporations:

1. Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors

(2 members plus the Mayor or designate appointed by Council)

Councillor Anthony Perruzza

Councillor Parthi Kandavel

Mayor Chow has recommended Councillor Gord Perks as the Mayor’s designate.

2. Toronto Hydro Corporation Board of Directors

(2 members plus the Mayor or designate appointed by Council)

Councillor Dianne Saxe

Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin

Mayor Chow has recommended Councillor Jennifer McKelvie as the Mayor's designate.

3. Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation Board of Directors

(1 member from the Planning and Housing Committee or the Board of Health plus the Mayor or Mayor’s designate to be appointed by the Mayor)

Councillor Josh Matlow

Councillor Vincent Crisanti is the Mayor's designate.

H. Council Advisory Bodies

City Council appoint the following members to Council Advisory Bodies:

1. Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee

(one member as Chair appointed by Council)

Councillor Amber Morley, as Chair

for a term of office from January 1, 2025, and ending November 14, 2026.

2. Film, Television and Digital Media Advisory Board

(4 members including one Member designated the Night Economy Champion by the Mayor and 1 member as Chair appointed by Council)

Councillor Paula Fletcher, as Chair

Councillor Paul Ainslie is the Mayor's designated Night Economy Champion

Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

for a term of office from January 1, 2025, and ending November 14, 2026.

3. Housing Rights Advisory Committee

(1 member appointed by Council)

Councillor Gord Perks

for a term of office from January 1, 2025, and ending November 14, 2026.

4. Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee

(one member as Chair appointed by Council)

Councillor Jamaal Myers, as Chair

for a term of office from January 1, 2025, and ending November 14, 2026.

5. Toronto Francophone Affairs Advisory Committee

(one member as Chair)

Councillor Alejandra Bravo, as Chair

for a term of office from January 1, 2025, and ending November 14, 2026.

6. Toronto Music Advisory Committee

Councillor Brad Bradford, as Chair

Councillor Paul Ainslie is the Mayor's designated Night Economy Champion

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Notwithstanding the Terms of Reference of the Toronto Music Advisory Committee that require the appointment of the Chair of the Economic and Community Development Committee.

7. Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (2SLGBTQ+) Advisory Committee

(2 members including 1 member as Chair)

Councillor Chris Moise, as Chair

Councillor Paul Ainslie

for a term of office from January 1, 2025, and ending November 14, 2026.

8. City-School Boards Advisory Committee

(two members)

Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin, as Chair

Councillor Parthi Kandavel

for a term of office from January 1, 2025, and ending November 14, 2026.

H. External Boards and Committees

City Council appoint the following members to external boards and committees:

1. Art Gallery of Ontario Board of Trustees

(two members of Council, one of whom is the Councillor for the Ward in which the main gallery building is located)

Councillor Dianne Saxe

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, Ward 10, Spadina - Fort York, is appointed to the Art Gallery of Ontario Board of Trustees for a term of office ending November 14, 2026 and until a successor is appointed.

2. Association of Municipalities of Ontario Board of Directors

(four members)

Councillor Paul Ainslie

Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin

Councillor Chris Moise

Councillor Jennifer McKelvie

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

3. Canadian Film Centre Board of Directors

(one member)

Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

4. Canadian Stage Company Board of Directors

(one member)

Councillor Paula Fletcher

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

5. Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) Consultative Committee

(two nominees for appointment)

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

Councillor Nick Mantas

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

6. Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Action Committee (GTA AAC)

(one member)

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

7. Guild Renaissance Group Board of Directors

(one member)

Councillor Paul Ainslie

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

8. Harbourfront Centre Board of Directors

(one member)

Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

9. Hockey Hall of Fame Board of Directors

(three nominees for appointment)

Councillor Paul Ainslie

Councillor Mike Colle

Councillor Stephen Holyday

for a term of office from the Annual Meeting in spring 2025 to the Annual Meeting in spring 2026.

10. Housing Services Corporation

(one nominee for appointment)

Councillor Jon Burnside

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

11. National Zero Waste Council Management Board

(one nominee for appointment)

Councillor Dianne Saxe

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

12. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

(four members)

Councillor Jon Burnside

Councillor Brad Bradford

Councillor Vincent Crisanti

Councillor Nick Mantas

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

The following Members having already been appointed by City Council:

Councillor Paul Ainslie

Councillor Paula Fletcher

Councillor Parthi Kandavel

Councillor Jennifer McKelvie

Councillor Anthony Perruzza

Councillor Dianne Saxe

13. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Partners in Project Green: Executive Management Committee

(one member)

Councillor Anthony Perruzza

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

14. Toronto Arts Council

(two members)

Councillor Alejandra Bravo

Councillor Brad Bradford

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed.

15. Toronto Symphony Board of Directors

(one member)

Councillor Jennifer McKelvie

for a term of office from January 1, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed.

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (December 13, 2024) from the City Clerk remain confidential in its entirety as it pertains to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Police Service Board.

The purpose of this report is to recommend to City Council the mid-term appointment of Council Members to committees, Council advisory bodies, boards and external bodies.

The purpose of this report is to report to City Council the results of a canvass of Members of Council for their interest in appointment to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Board of Directors and the Hockey Hall of Fame Board of Directors. It is also to report the results of the police record checks submitted by Members of Council who are interested in appointment to the Toronto Police Service Board.

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Deputy Ombudsman (Housing) to provide updates on Ombudsman Toronto's Housing Unit's Housing Rights Framework at each Housing Rights Advisory Committee meeting in 2025.

2. City Council request the City Manager to report to the January 28, 2025 meeting of the Executive Committee on the original functions of a Housing Commissioner as set out in City Council decision 2019.PH11.5 with respect to:

a. the review and assessment of systemic issues and hurdles in the implementation of the revised Toronto Housing Charter and HousingTO 2020-2030;

b. providing expertise on housing as a human right;

c. making recommendations to City Council; and

d. providing advice to the public service to the City Manager, Deputy City Managers, and relevant divisions.

City Council on July 24 and 25, 2024, referred Item CC20.3 to the Economic and Community Development Committee for consideration. 

Summary from the report (July 17, 2024) from the Ombudsman on Ombudsman Toronto Housing Unit Status Report 2024.

Pursuant to section 170(2) of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 (COTA), the purpose of this report is to provide City Council with a status report describing the activities of Ombudsman Toronto’s Housing Unit since its creation in July 2023. In less than a year, the Housing Unit has been fully staffed, developed its infrastructure, launched two investigations, provided consultations to City staff, and met with more than 170 people through their engagement work. Notably, the Housing Unit has also developed a framework that uses the concept of housing as a human right to guide their investigations, the first of its kind for an Ombudsman organization in Canada.

At its meeting on September 23, 2024 the Housing Rights Advisory Committee considered Item HS3.3 and made a recommendation.

Summary from the presentation (September 13, 2024) from the Acting Deputy Ombudsman (Housing):

Luke Brown, Acting Deputy Ombudsman (Housing) will present Housing Unit’s Status Update, which overviews the Unit’s activities since its inception in July 2023. This will be followed by a presentation on the Unit’s Housing Rights Framework.

On July 24, 2024 (2024.CC20.3), City Council referred the Ombudsman Toronto Housing Unit Status Report 2024 to the Economic and Community Development Committee (ECDC) for consideration.

At its meeting on October 23, 2024 (2024.EC16.7), ECDC deferred consideration of the item to the November 26, 2024 ECDC meeting. This report responds to direction from 2024.EC16.7 that requested the City Manager, in consultation with the City Solicitor, to advise on the statutory powers, obligations, and any limitations related to the Office of the Ombudsman as an accountability officer that may exist in the fulfillment of the functions set out by City Council decision 2019.PH11.5.

In December 2019, City Council directed the City Manager to establish the role or function of a Housing Commissioner to perform the functions of independently assessing implementation of the revised Toronto Housing Charter and the HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan and ensuring that the City, within its legislative authorities, and through implementation of various programs and policies, is taking concrete actions to combat systematic housing discrimination and address systemic hurdles in the housing system.

In July 2022, City Council approved a number of actions to achieve Council's housing goals which included a request to the Toronto Ombudsman to consider the findings of the City Manager's report to Council (2022.EX34.7) and identify resources or structure required for their Office, including a potential role of Deputy Ombudsman, Housing, to focus specifically on housing by leveraging the role of the Office to undertake systemic reviews, investigations and provide independent advice to City Council.

In response, City Council adopted with amendments, the recommendations from Ombudsman Toronto on the "Review and Consideration for a Housing Commissioner Role or Function at Ombudsman Toronto" on March 29, 2023 (2023.DM5.2), which established the role of Deputy Ombudsman, Housing and a dedicated unit to focus on investigations and reports related to systemic housing discrimination and systemic hurdles in the City of Toronto’s housing planning and service delivery roles.

As an independent officer of Toronto City Council, the role of the Ombudsman is to impartially investigate City decisions, acts and omissions from an administrative fairness perspective. The Ombudsman’s jurisdiction and mandate come from the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 3. The legislation provides Ombudsman Toronto with investigative powers and protections that allow the office to carry out its mandate independently.

This report shares the City Manager's review of the statutory powers and obligations of Ombudsman Toronto which, in consultation with the City Solicitor, did not identify limitations that would impact the fulfillment of Ombudsman Toronto's mandate to undertake reviews, investigations and provide independent advice to City Council, as part of the actions approved by Council to achieve the City's housing goals.

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the definition and guiding principles of Inclusive Economic Development, as informed by community-based partners and included in the report (November 15, 2024) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the Interim General Manager, Employment and Social Services and the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. City Council request City Divisions and agencies to apply the definition and principles of Inclusive Economic Development in the development and implementation of relevant plans, strategies, programs and service reviews related to employment and entrepreneurship in Toronto, including but not limited to: the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the Community Benefits Framework, the Action Plan for Toronto's Economy, the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism, Secondary Plans, Community Development Plans, future Workforce Development strategies/initiatives, and the City’s internal recruitment.

3. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, with relevant Divisions and agencies and in alignment with the City’s Reconciliation Action Plan, to take into account Inclusive Economic Development when working with Indigenous communities to advance the commitment in the Action Plan for Toronto's Economy to co-develop an Indigenous Economic Strategy and provide an update in the first quarter of 2026 through the Year One Progress Report of the Action Plan for Toronto's Economy.

4. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the General Manager, Toronto Employment and Social Services, and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in partnership with other relevant Divisions, to report back on an Inclusive Economic Development Framework co-developed with the Working Table for Inclusive Economic Development as part of the Year One Progress Report on the Action Plan for Toronto's Economy in the first quarter of 2026.

5. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, the General Manager, Employment and Social Services, and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in collaboration with other relevant Divisions and agencies, to leverage the Working Table for Inclusive Economic Development to identify any additional Inclusive Economic Development areas and actions to be added to the Action Plan for Toronto's Economy, and report back through its Year One Progress Report in the first quarter of 2026.

The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture gave a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee.

This staff report puts forward a definition of Inclusive Economic Development (IED) along with a set of principles to guide the City of Toronto's efforts to advance and support IED and as the basis for co-development with community partners of an IED Framework. It aims to address the findings referenced in several City of Toronto strategies and data products -- including the Poverty Reduction Strategy and the recent Sidewalks to Skylines: A Ten-Year Action Plan for Toronto's Economy (APTE) 2025-2035 -- that the benefits of a high-performing economy have not been equitably shared among Torontonians despite Toronto’s economic success over several decades.

The report responds to Economic and Community Development Committee's referral to staff of an earlier report on Inclusive Economic Development at its July 2024 meeting, and to the direction to develop a revised framework that builds on input from community partners. In September 2024, a full-day consultation was held with over 20 institutional and community partners leading initiatives related to IED, alongside those with lived experience of poverty. The feedback received at the consultation informed the definition, principles and next steps outlined in this report.

The next steps build on action #4 within the APTE, which calls for the creation of a Working Table for Inclusive Economic Development to co-develop an IED Framework. The framework will be co-developed with community partners to clarify roles and responsibilities and establish an IED governance and accountability structure. It will be brought back for consideration of the Economic and Community Development Committee by early 2026.

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the Indigenous Funding Framework in Appendix 1 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration.

2. City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to report back to City Council, through the Economic and Community Development Committee, on the progress and implementation of the Indigenous Funding Framework, as part of the annual reporting on Community Funding grants.

3. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to create, revise, reallocate or approve and disburse one-time Community Investment grants with funding allocations subject to the annual budget process.

4. City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to report annually to the Economic and Community Development Committee on new grant programs created and grants approved through Part 3 above.

Social Development, Finance and Administration has been working closely with leaders within the not-for-profit sector to support the needs of Indigenous, Black, and equity-deserving communities that possess multiple vulnerabilities and remain disproportionately impacted by the aftermath of the pandemic and the ongoing affordability crisis. This work has focused on increasing financial resources while streamlining processes and adding supports to reduce administrative burden and increase impact, ensuring funding is fully inclusive and accessible in a way that deepens equity, removes barriers, and cultivates long-term commitments to Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving communities.

This report provides an update on three grant making practices that are effectively advancing the City’s reconciliation and equity commitments: Indigenous Funding Framework; Black Mandated Funding Framework; and the broader Community Service Partnerships. 

The Indigenous Funding Framework has been co-designed with leaders from the Indigenous community and with support from the Indigenous Affairs Office. It builds on policy and procedural changes Social Development, Finance and Administration has made since 2018 to prioritize supportive funding relationships that enshrine the right to self-determination for Indigenous organizations. The Framework includes a definition of an Indigenous organization, goals, principles, practical applications and an implementation plan that will guide funding relationships moving forward.

This report also provides an update on progress made towards the implementation of the Black-Mandated Funding Framework (BMFF), adopted by Toronto City Council in November 2023. This Framework seeks to address historic underinvestment in community organizations that serve Toronto’s diverse Black communities through tailored efforts to remove the systemic barriers experienced by Black-mandated organizations in accessing funding. These organizations are thus strengthened to better respond to the needs of Toronto’s diverse Black communities.

Thirdly, the Community Service Partnerships, Social Development, Finance and Administration's largest grant stream, which has been the focus of renewal since 2018. City staff have consistently worked to review and redesign elements of the grant stream so as to maximize impact, increase transparency, and address funding inequities. While the pace of renewal was deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, some progress has been attained. Indeed, Toronto City Council received an update and a three-year plan to complete this work in the fall of 2023. In 2024, the plan focused on internal and external stakeholder engagement, portfolio analysis, and a jurisdictional scan. Key themes that emerged from these activities are included in this report.

The 2024 Operating Budget for the total Community Partnership Investment Program (CPIP) to not-for-profit, grassroots and resident-led groups to deliver social services fuels upstream and prevention initiatives is $29.555 million (gross and net). This report includes an overview of all grants approved with delegated authority between September 2023 and October 2024. These grants included initiatives to support youth violence prevention programs, grants to support communities as they healed in the aftermath of violent incidents, as well as those designed to support youth and resident leaders to implement initiatives to support their communities.

The grant programs administered by Social Development, Finance and Administration are highly responsive to changing needs within Toronto communities. The current delegated authority provided to the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration includes the authority to reallocate, approve or disburse one-time Community Investment grant funding, subject to the annual budget process. This report seeks to extend this authority so that the Executive Director may continue to authorize the creation of new grant programs or revise existing grant programs to address changing community priorities. Any grants created or revised through such action will align with the Toronto Grants Policy, City strategies, priorities, and the mandate of Social Development, Finance and Administration. Additionally, an overview of all grants approved with delegated authority will continue to be reported to Toronto City Council.

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the Shelter Safety Action Plan, a 36-month plan to continue to advance safety within the shelter system for staff and clients, in Attachment 1 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services and the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and the Chief Procurement Officer.

2. City Council re-iterate its request to the Government of Ontario to:

a. Protect community health, well-being and safety by continuing to fund all currently   operating Supervised Consumption Services and Consumption and Treatment Services Sites beyond March 31, 2025.

b. Consider the inclusion of Supervised Consumption Services in new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment program proposals that demonstrate outcomes for life-saving medical services, primary care, and increased pathways to treatment services and that include mandatory neighbourhood and operational safety plans.

3. City Council request the Government of Ontario provide ongoing and sustainable funding to ensure that appropriate primary health care, mental health and crisis intervention services are available to adequately support individuals experiencing homelessness and sleeping outdoors in Toronto, and that provincial investment in new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment programs do not result in the overall reduction in service and a corresponding negative outcome for vulnerable people in the City of Toronto.

4. City Council authorize the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, to reimburse up to $3,475,332 to churches and community organizations for their eligible expenses towards providing temporary shelter to refugee claimants incurred until December 31, 2023.

5. City Council authorize the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services to develop and implement the Shelter Management Information System file notifications for incidents of anti-Black racism within the homelessness sector and the use of the Anti-Black Racism Reporting Tool custom solution to track and manage incidents of anti-Black racism in City operated shelters and units, subject to completion of a Privacy Impact Assessment and confirmation by the City Clerk that the Anti-Black Racism Reporting Tool custom solution and associated operations comply with all requirements of the Municipal Freedom and Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

6. City Council authorize the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, in consultation with Purchasing and Materials Management, in accordance with Section 71-11.1.C of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 71, Financial Control, to enter into the necessary amending agreements on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor to increase the value of the following contracts to maintain service levels in the winter and early spring:

a. Non-Competitive Blanket Contract 47024284 with Canadian Red Cross Society for lodging services for asylum seekers and refugees by an amount of $13,957,712 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($14,203,368 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries), increasing the contract value from $60,137,629 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($61,196,051 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) to $74,095,341 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($75,399,419 net of Harmonizes Sales Tax recoveries) and extending the term to December 31, 2025.

b. Competitive Blanket Contract 47025287 with 2756732 Ontario Inc O/A One Community Solutions for Community Safety Team Services by a total amount (including all option years) of $8,102,600 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($8,245,206 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries), increasing the total contract value (including all option years) from $10,818,272 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($11,008,673 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) to $18,920,872 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($19,253,880 net of Harmonizes Sales Tax recoveries).

7. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with Purchasing and Materials Management, in accordance with Section 71-11.1.C of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 71, Financial Control, to enter into the necessary amending agreements on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor to increase the value and extend the term, of the following contract:

a. Competitive Blanket Contract 47025624 with 2756732 Ontario Inc. O/A One Community Solutions for Community Safety Team Services by a total amount (including all option years) of $300,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($305,280 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries), increasing the total contract value (including all option years) from $300,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($305,280 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) to $600,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax ($610,560 net of Harmonizes Sales Tax recoveries).

The General Manager, Toronto Shelter and Support Services and the Director, Strategic Programs, Toronto Shelter and Support Services gave a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee.

The City is committed to prioritizing and continuously improving shelter safety for staff and clients. On April 30, 2024, the Economic and Community Development Committee adopted the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Shelter Safety Study and directed Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) to report back on the development of a Shelter Safety Action Plan in consultation with people with lived experience and the Housing Rights Advisory Committee (2024.EC12.13). This report outlines the Shelter Safety Action Plan, which advances the recommendations from the CAMH Shelter Safety Study, and builds on the expertise and guidance from people with lived experience, shelter providers, health and mental health partners, and the Housing Rights Advisory Committee, and sets out an implementation roadmap to support staff and client safety in the shelter system. To continue supporting people experiencing homelessness and living in encampments, including people with complex health and mental health needs, the City requires ongoing commitment, investment, and collaboration with all orders of government, community organizations and sector partners.

TSSS continues to implement the City’s 10-year Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy, which aims to make physical shelter infrastructure accessible, safer, and better aligned to respond to the diverse needs of shelter clients, staff, and the surrounding community. In response to 2024.EC9.4, City staff have been working to review and improve community safety efforts in and around shelter sites in collaboration with existing community safety services. This includes continued collaboration with Toronto Police Service, Business Improvement Areas, City Divisions, community organizations and institutions, partnership tables, and local networks. In addition, this report seeks City Council authority to amend competitive blanket contracts 47025287 and 47025624 for Community Safety Team Services that enhance safety in shelter for staff and clients, and support two Toronto Community Housing Corporation social housing buildings with a concentration of tenants with complex needs.

A report back is provided based on an evidence-informed needs assessment supported by Toronto Public Health to continue overdose prevention at large temporary shelter hotels. The City aims to maintain and expand lifesaving supports available in large shelter hotel sites, which may be particularly important considering proposed provincial legislation which, if passed, may lead to a significant decrease in the availability of overdose prevention services across the city.

With the ongoing arrival of refugee claimants to Toronto since September 2021, the City requires the support of all orders of government, community organizations, and sector partners. In follow up to the Council request (2024.EC11.7), this report seeks City Council authority to provide reimbursement to churches and community organizations, many Black-led, for eligible expenses incurred while providing temporary emergency shelter and support to hundreds of refugee claimants who arrived in Toronto in 2023. It also seeks City Council authority to amend and extend non-competitive blanket contract 47024284 with Canadian Red Cross Society to continue providing temporary lodging services for refugees until December 31, 2025. Refugees continue to arrive in Toronto and require services beyond what the purpose-built shelter system can currently provide, as Toronto Shelter and Support Services gradually transitions from temporary shelter hotel sites as part of its Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy.

These continued efforts are important measures to support people experiencing homelessness in need of immediate support. The City is committed to long-term solutions to homelessness including affordable housing and supportive housing, which, with adequate income support, remain the most important factors to end homelessness and to build safe and secure communities for the people we serve and all residents of Toronto.

At its meeting on November 4, 2024 the Housing Rights Advisory Committee considered Item HS4.2.

Summary from the presentation from the Supporting Unhoused Rights Holders Working Group:

The Chair of the Supporting Unhoused Rights Holders Working Group will provide an update and share the outcomes of the group’s consultation on Toronto’s Shelter Safety Action Plan.

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Provincial Minister of Education to:

a. increase capital funding to meet Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care targets in the not-for-profit and public sector for Toronto;

b. allocate and release funding for Toronto from the Early Learning and Child Care Infrastructure Fund; and

c. create a child care capital growth plan for Ontario.

2. City Council request the General Manager, Children’s Services collaborate with child care stakeholders and partners to identify strategies that will enhance equitable access to child care for families in receipt of fee subsidy that further address the City’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

3. City Council request the General Manager, Children’s Services, in consultation with the Chair, Economic and Community Development Committee, to convene roundtable meeting of Indigenous partners, City and School Board staff; organizations representing families, educators, and supervisors; unions; experts, and other community stakeholders and partners for the purpose of information sharing and community advocacy in support of a high-quality, affordable, and sustainable child care system in Toronto.

4. City Council request the General Manager, Children’s Services to make submissions to the Ministry of Education to provide Toronto’s position, as informed by previous City Council direction, on the renewed Canada-Ontario Action Plan and child care funding in the 2025 provincial budget. 

The General Manager, Children's Services and the Acting Program Manager, Program and Policy Development, Children’s Services gave a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee.

This report provides an update on the implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system in Toronto, including an initial analysis of the Province’s new cost-based funding approach to funding. The report also discusses recently announced program changes and their potential impacts on the child care sector in Toronto. Finally, the report provides an update on the development of the 2025-2029 Child Care and Early Years Service Plan for Toronto.  

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council designate, based on the poll results respecting the intention to designate the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area, the area described by Attachment 1 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, as the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area, under the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas.

2. City Council direct the City Solicitor to submit a by-law to designate the area described in Attachment 1 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, as the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area.

3. City Council approve those amendments necessary to Schedule A of the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas, to include the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area.

The purpose of this report is to recommend that the area shown in Attachment 1 be designated as the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area.

In accordance with the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas, the City Clerk conducted a poll to determine if there is sufficient support to designate the area as the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area. The proposed Business Improvement Area is the area along Lawrence Avenue East bounded by Bellamy Road to the west, Greenholm Court to the east, Markham Road from Lawrence to the south and Painted Post Drive to the north.

The City received the required benchmark number of ballots to validate the poll and the majority of accepted ballots were in favour of establishing a Business Improvement Area.  Accordingly, it is recommended that City Council pass a by-law to designate the area described in Attachment 1 as the Cedarbrae Markham Lawrence Village Business Improvement Area. Subject to Council's approval, this will be the City's eighty-fifth Business Improvement Area.

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 3 to the report (October 24, 2024) from the Executive Director, Finance Shared Services, remain confidential in its entirety.

This report provides information on property tax accounts with outstanding receivables of $500,000 or more as of June 30, 2024. The total number of properties with outstanding receivable balances of $500,000 or more is thirty (30), including twenty-seven (27) owned by corporations and three (3) owned by individuals as mentioned above. When compared to what was reported as of December 31, 2023, the total number of properties with receivables of $500,000 or more has increased. Further information on prior years can be found in Table 2 of the report.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council in accordance with Section 195-8.4 of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 195 (Purchasing By-law), authorize the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to award and enter into an agreement with GFL Environmental Inc., being the lowest Supplier meeting specifications for Request for Quotation Doc4553928310 for curbside collection, transportation and off-loading of materials in the District 2 area in the amount of $284,250,333 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($289,253,139 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) for a period of five (5) years commencing on August 3, 2026 to August 2, 2031 with an option to extend the agreement for an additional two (2) separate one (1) year periods, all in accordance with the terms and conditions as set out in the Request for Quotation and any other terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Solid Waste Management and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor. 

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, to seek Council approval prior to exercising the additional two (2) separate one (1) year Term extensions for the District 2 Contract with GFL Environmental Inc., (awarded pursuant to Request for Quotation Doc4553928310) that would extend the Term beyond the initial 5-year period.

City Council on October 9 and 10, 2024, referred Item GG16.12 to the November 20, 2024 meeting of the General Government Committee for consideration.

Summary from the Report (September 3, 2024) from the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, and the Chief Procurement Officer on Award of Doc4553928310 to GFL Environmental Inc., for Curbside Collection Services in District 2 for Solid Waste Management Services.

The purpose of this report is to advise on the results of the Request for Quotation Doc4553928310 for the collection, transportation and off-loading of Garbage, Bulky Items, Organic Materials and Yard Waste from curbside collected Single Family homes, multi-residential locations, Commercial locations, Charities, Institutions and Religious Organizations and Divisions, Agencies and Corporations. The collection, transportation and off-loading of Recyclable Materials from Non-eligible Customer Types, in the Collection Area bounded by Yonge Street to the east, the Humber River to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north and Lake Ontario to the south (District 2) in the amount of $284,250,333 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($289,253,139 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries). This collection contract service award is for a five (5) year period with the option to extend the agreement on the same terms and conditions for an additional two (2) separate one (1) year periods. This report requests the authority to enter into a legal agreement with GFL Environmental Inc., being the lowest supplier meeting specifications.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195-Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year commitment, under Article 7, Section 195-7.3 (D) of the Purchasing By-Law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71 Financial Control, Section 71-11A grant authority to the General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation, to negotiate and execute a non-competitive contract with 1313135 Ontario Inc., operating as Lands and Forests Consulting in the total amount of $41,279 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($42,006 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) for the provision of planning and implementing the prescribed burn program from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025, with the option to renew the contract for up to four additional one-year terms (2026-2029) at the sole discretion of, and on terms and conditions (including price), satisfactory to the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the City Solicitor, and subject to budget approval, for a total potential contract value, including all option years of $214,820 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($218,601 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries)

The purpose of this report is to request authority to enter into a non-competitive contract with 1313135 Ontario Inc., operating as Lands and Forests Consulting ("Lands and Forest Consulting") for the provision of planning and implementing the prescribed burn program for a period of one year from the date of award with the option to renew the contract for up to four additional one-year terms (2026 - 2029) and for a total potential amount of $214,820 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($218,601 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries).

Lands and Forest Consulting has worked with the City to plan and implement a total of 73 prescribed park burn units with zero incidents since the year 2000. Lands and Forests Consulting has extensive experience in both planning and executing high-complexity burns in southern Ontario. High-complexity prescribed burn services cannot be procured through the competitive process due to an absence of competition meeting the non-competitive code 10 in the non-competitive procurement procedure. No other supplier can match the qualifications and experience required for high-complexity burning in southern Ontario, and it is for this reason that Urban Forestry is requesting a non-competitive contract with Lands and Forests Consulting to carry out prescribed burns in select Toronto parks.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council authorize the Chief Technology Officer to execute a non-competitive contract under the same terms and conditions as Request for Proposal 3409-19-0079 with HP Canada Ltd., for and amount of $8,836,630.25 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($8,992,154.94 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) and for a period of two (2) years.

The purpose of this report is to request City Council authority to enter a non-competitive bridge contract with HP Canada Ltd., for the supply of printers, plotters and related services and maintenance for a two (2) years period until a new, competitive contact is in place.

The City's current contract adopted by Bid Award Panel Item 2019.BA38.1 (Request For Proposal Number 3409-19-0079, Blanket Contract 47022649) with HP Canada expires January 15, 2025. This report requests authorization to enter a non-competitive bridge contract under the same terms, conditions as, and total cost as Request for Proposal 3409-19-0079 for two (2) years to leverage the remaining contract value ($8,992,154.94 as of Oct 2024). This contract also acts as a foundational agreement for City agencies to leverage and develop their own sub-contracts tailored to their specific needs.

Current market analysis conducted by City staff indicates that present-day pricing is higher than existing contract rates, making an extension more cost-effective than immediately going to market. Over the two-year extension, the City will leverage remaining contract value to right-size the City’s printer fleet and equipment allocation to reflect hybrid work under ModernTO and up-to-date printer usage. During the extension, City will issue and award a new competitive print services contract, including an option for agencies and corporations to participate in the solicitation to maximize overall purchasing power.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195-Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year (5) commitment for each supplier, under Article 7, Section 195-7.3 (D) of the Purchasing By-Law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71 Financial Control, Section 71-11A. The original competitive solicitation resulted in a blanket contract with a set term. As per City Policy, Purchase Order Amendments for blanket contracts are permitted to support payment processing on outstanding invoices, but not to extend the contract. A non-competitive bridge contract is required to extend the same terms and conditions beyond the current validity date.

The General Government Committee recommend that:  

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to negotiate and enter into a non-competitive contract with Moore Canada Corporation for the supply of Speedimailer printing and sealing services for the On-Street Permit Parking Program from January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, with an option to extend the Contract for one (1) additional separate one (1) year period, in the amount of $759,128 net of all applicable taxes and charges and $772,488 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor. 

The purpose of this report is to request authority to enter into a non-competitive contract with Moore Canada Corporation for the supply of the Speedimailer renewal forms and permits, printing and sealing services for the On-Street Permit Parking Program. The term of the contract will be for a period of two (2) years commencing on January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, with the option to extend the Contract for one (1) additional separate one (1) year period. The total potential contract value including the option period is $772,488 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries.

The Speedimailer product is proprietary to Moore Canada Corporation and requires printing and sealing on their specialized equipment. Approval of this non-competitive contract will allow Transportation Services to continue providing permit parking services to the public until such time as a new paperless solution has been developed and implemented.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195, Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year commitment limit for each vendor under Article 7, Section 195-7.3(D) of the Procurement By-Law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71, Financial Control, Section 71-11(A). 

The General Government Committee recommend that:  

1. City Council grant authority to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to negotiate and execute a non-competitive contract with Siemens Canada Limited to upgrade the pneumatic controls on the central heating and cooling plants and basement to the existing Apogee building automation systems at Metro Hall, located at 55 John Street, in the amount of $1,042,800 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($1,061,154 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries), for a period of ten months from date of award, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

The purpose of this report is to request City Council authorization for Corporate Real Estate Management to negotiate and enter into a non-competitive contract with Siemens Canada Limited (“Siemens”) to upgrade the pneumatic (compressed air) controls on the central heating and cooling plants and basement to the existing Siemens Apogee building automation system (“BAS”) at Metro Hall located at 55 John Street, in the amount of $1,042,800 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($1,061,154 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) for a period of ten months from the date of award.

This is the second and final phase of the Building Automation System upgrades project at Metro Hall, and forms part of Corporate Real Estate Management’s State-of-Good-Repair program. This project also aligns with the City’s TransformTO Climate Change Action Plan and ModernTO Office Modernization goals and supports future carbon reduction and / or Net Zero projects. The first phase of the project, authorized by City Council in 2019 and completed in 2022, upgraded the tower compartment units of the Building Automation System at Metro Hall. After delays due to budgetary constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic, staff are ready to proceed to with the implementation of the project’s final phase.

Siemens is the sole authorized manufacturer, supplier, and service provider of the Apogee Building Automation System. Siemens also does not license intellectual property such as software diagnostics and diagnostic tools used in the maintenance, service and troubleshooting of the Apogee Building Automation System to other contractors. Because of existing system requirements, only Siemens is qualified to perform the proposed scope of work. The estimated cost to completely replace the existing Building Automation System with a non-proprietary system through a competitive procurement process is approximately $8 million and would take five years to complete, which is currently not justifiable.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195, Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five year commitment limit for each vendor under Article 7, Section 195-7.3(D) of the Purchasing By-law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71, Financial Control, Section 71-11(A).

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Toronto Water to negotiate and enter into non-competitive agreements with the suppliers listed below, for a period from date of issue to December 31, 2025, with the option to extend the agreement for up to six (6) separate one (1) year periods at the sole discretion of the City, subject to budget approval(s), on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Toronto Water and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor:

a.  Automated Logic Ltd., with the maximum contract price of $2,142,476 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($2,180,184 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries);

b. Biorem Technologies Inc., with the maximum contract price of $1,915,616 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($1,949,330 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries);

c. Hach Sales and Service Canada Limited with the maximum contract price of $3,831,231 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($3,898,661 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries);

d. Sesco, Division of Sonepar Canada Inc., with the maximum contract price of $766,246 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($$779,732net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries); and

e. Xylem Canada LP with the maximum contract price of $919,495 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($935,679 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries).

2. City Council direct that contracts in Recommendation 1 above, will also be on the condition that the vendors continue to be the manufacturers or are exclusive distributors for the goods and services.

The purpose of this report is to request City Council authority to enter into five (5) separate non-competitive contracts with the suppliers noted below for the supply of proprietary parts and maintenance services required at various water treatment and wastewater facilities. The initial term of the contracts will be from the date of issuance to December 31, 2025, with the option to extend the agreement for up to six (6) separate one (1) year periods, at the sole discretion of the City and subject to budget approvals, for the total amount of $9,575,064, net of all taxes and charges ($9,743,585 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries).

1. Automated Logic Ltd.

2. Biorem Technologies Inc.

3. Hach Sales and Service Canada Limited

4. Sesco, Division of Sonepar Canada Inc.

5. Xylem Canada LP

City Council approval is required in accordance with Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 195-Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year commitment for each supplier under Article 7, Section 195-7.3 (D) of the Purchasing By-Law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 71, Financial Control, Section 71-11A.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council, in accordance with section 71-11.1C of the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 71 (Financial Control By-law), grant authority to amend Purchase Order 6047137 to fund the settlement of claims brought forth by North Tunnel Constructors ULC and to provide for additional contingency amounts for the construction services of the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel between Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant and Coxwell Ravine Park by increasing the contract value by $25,000,000 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($25,440,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries), revising the current Purchase Order value from $397,269,000 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($404,260,934 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) to $422,269,000 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($429,700,934 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries).

2. City Council authorize the reallocation of cashflows within Toronto Water’s 2024 Capital Budget and 2025 - 2033 Capital Plan for acceleration and deferral of projects, as presented in Table 2 of the Financial Impact Statement, with a zero Budget impact to support the Purchase Order Amendment for the construction of the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel.

3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, the General Manager, Toronto Water, and the Chief Procurement Officer, remain confidential in its entirety as it contains advice which is subject to solicitor-client privilege and relates to litigation or potential litigation by the City.

The General Government Committee recessed its public session to meet in closed session to consider this Item, as it pertains to litigation or potential litigation that affects the City of Toronto, including advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege and litigation privilege, and pertains to the position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the City.

The purpose of this report is to request instructions regarding a proposed settlement of claims that North Tunnel Constructors ULC is pursuing against the City of Toronto, which claims seek compensation for costs incurred arising out of and associated with the completion of the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel between Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant and Cowell Ravine Park, pursuant to the contract awarded under Request for Tender Number 221-2017; Contract Number 17ECS-MI-04DC (the “Coxwell Bypass Tunnel Project”), and to seek authority to amend Purchase Order Number 6047137 issued to fund the proposed settlement.

These claims include claims for significant compensation in relation to the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel Project related to North Tunnel Constructors ULC’s having to negotiate an unknown site condition during the prosecution of the Contract work underneath 550 Bayview Avenue.   

A contingency allowance for any other unanticipated work, which may be identified prior to the project reaching Final Completion is also being sought as part of the within request for a Purchase Order Amendment.

The total value of the Purchase Order Amendment being requested is $25,000,000 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($25,440,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries), revising the current Purchase Order value from $397,269,000 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($404,260,934 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) to $422,269,000 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($429,700,934 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries).

It is noted that the Purchase Order Amendment represents an increase of 6.3 percent of the overall contract value.

Authority is also being requested to reallocate cashflows in Toronto Water's 2024 Capital Budget and 2025 - 2033 Capital Plan in the amount of $25,440,000 to support the Purchase Order Amendment for the construction of the Coxwell Bypass Tunnel.

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Chief Technology Officer to negotiate and execute a non-competitive contract with Esri Canada Limited to purchase proprietary Geographic Information System software licences, cloud subscriptions and related maintenance, commencing from the date of award for a three (3) year period, for up to the total amounts set out in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief Technology Officer, and the Chief Procurement Officer.

2. City Council adopt the confidential instructions to staff in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief Technology Officer, and the Chief Procurement Officer.

3. City Council directs that Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief Technology Officer, and the Chief Procurement Officer, remain confidential at this time as it pertains to criteria to be applied to negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the City of Toronto and be made public at the discretion of the Chief Procurement Officer following the execution of the contract authorized by recommendation 1.

The purpose of this report is to request City Council authority to negotiate and enter into a non-competitive contract with Esri Canada Limited for the provision of proprietary Geographic Information System software licences, cloud subscription and related maintenance. Technology Services sought initial City Council authority in April 2024 (2024.GG11.10) to support continuity of Geographic Information System services while it completed work to assess future staff capability requirements and long-term Geographic Information System capability goals. With the assessment now complete, Technology Services is returning to General Government Committee to seek the authority for those future staff capability requirements, ensuring continuity of service. Further, the City of Toronto is in the process of negotiating an enterprise agreement with the supplier as the supplier is changing its service offering to one that assigns one license to a named user (the current model allows for one license to be assigned to multiple users).  The enterprise agreement for the service offering aims to secure competitive, fixed pricing.

Mapping City data through Geographic Information System allows City staff, Councillors, and residents to visualize trends and patterns, making it easier to identify areas needing infrastructure upgrades or track environmental changes over time. It also improves public engagement by helping residents access City facilities and programs while allowing City staff to allocate resources better and manage assets for more efficient service delivery and maintenance.

With a growing emphasis on visualizing data through maps, this report requests authorization to secure a new contract with the supplier, ensuring operational stability and supporting growth across City divisions for three (3) years from 2025 - 2027.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195- Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year commitment for each supplier, under Article 7, Section 195-7.3 (D) of the Purchasing By-Law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71- Financial Control, Section 71-11A.

The General Government Committee recommend that:  

1. City Council, in accordance with Municipal Code Chapter 195-Purchasing, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five (5)-year commitment, under Article 7, Section 195-7.3 (D) of the Purchasing By-Law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per the Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 71 Financial Control, Section 71-11A,  grant authority to the Executive Director of the Housing Secretariat to negotiate and enter into a non-competitive contract with Computacenter TeraMach Technologies Inc., for the amount of $442,478 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($450,266 net of Harmonized Sales Tax recoveries) to provide change management consulting services for a term that will commence from date of award until December 31, 2026.

The purpose of this report is to request authority to enter a new non-competitive contract with Computacenter TeraMach Technologies Inc., for the supply of change management consulting services for Housing Secretariat from the date of award to December 31, 2026, for a total amount of $442,478 net of all applicable taxes and charges ($450,266 net of Harmonized Sales Tax Recoveries).

The services sought under this non-competitive contract are for a new and distinct phase of the Modernization Project within Housing Secretariat, as well as operationalization of an existing phase. There will be continued focus on ensuring digital equity for housing applicants who lack access to technology or require non-digital options to maintain their housing applications and receive housing offers. The new Project phase is the result of City Council direction to implement a Centralized Affordable Rental Housing Access System. This new phase introduces significant program, policy, and operational changes that require continued change management expertise, familiarity with the project history, and the ability to meet tight project timelines.

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council pass a by-law pursuant to Section 252 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 providing authority to:

a. enter into a Municipal Capital Facility Agreement with Aura Hotel Group Inc., which leases approximately 26,500 square feet at 26 Gerrard Street East (the "Leased Premises") to the City of Toronto used for the provision of social and health services; and

b. exempt the Leased Premises from taxation for municipal and school purposes, with the tax exemption being effective from the latest of (1) the commencement date of the Lease, (2) the date the Municipal Capital Facility is entered into, and (3) the date the Tax Exemption By-law is enacted.

2. City Council direct the City Clerk to give written notice of the By-law to the Minister of Finance, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, le Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and le Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.

This report seeks Council's authority for the adoption of the necessary by-law to designate the property owned by Aura Hotel Group Inc. at 26 Gerrard Street East and leased to the City of Toronto as a Municipal Capital Facility, and to provide an exemption for the municipal property taxes and education taxes. The Municipal Capital Facility agreement authorized by the by-law will provide and exemption for approximately 26,500 square feet being leased to Toronto Shelter and Support Services.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Toronto has continued to experience an unprecedented demand for shelter and 24-hour respite services. The Leased Premises at 26 Gerrard Street East, known as the Saint James Hotel, consists of 36 hotel units with 3 meeting rooms and is being used for the purposes of a temporary shelter to help meet shelter demand. The COVID-19 Shelter Transition and Relocation Plan was approved by City Council on April 6, 2022, and recommended a thoughtful, phased approach to support a gradual transition out of temporary COVID-19 shelter sites, including the continued use of most sites, where possible. In February 2024 City Council authorized staff to negotiate and approve lease extensions at shelter hotels including the Saint James Hotel until permanent solutions are available through the Homelessness Services Capital Infrastructure Strategy.

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, on behalf of the City as landlord, to enter into an up to ten-year nominal lease agreement (the "Lease") with Unity Health Toronto (the "Tenant") for the property municipally known as 50 Richmond Street East (the "Leased Premises"), as identified in Attachment 2, on terms and conditions acceptable to the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, or their designate, including base building and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act work to be carried out by the Tenant at the Leased Premises in which the City will contribute up to $10.025 million (net of Harmonized Sales Tax), in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

2. City Council adopt the confidential instructions to staff contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management.

3. City Council authorize the public release of the confidential instructions to staff contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, at the discretion of the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management.

The purpose of this report is to seek Council authority for the City, as landlord, to enter into a nominal lease agreement (the "Lease") with Unity Health Toronto (the "Tenant") for the property municipally known as 50 Richmond Street East (the "Leased Premises"). The Lease, along with a future service level agreement, will enable the Tenant, in partnership with Toronto Public Health ("TPH"), to operate clinic programming to enhance services to respond to urgent health needs in the downtown core. Toronto Public Health is relocating some of its clinical services as a result of the ModernTO Council-approved sale of 277 Victoria Street. Details associated with existing tenants at the Leased Premises are identified in Confidential Attachment 1.

The General Government Committee recommend that:  

1. City Council amend Schedule A, Records Retention Schedule, in the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 217, Records, Corporate (City), as set out in Appendix 1 to the report (October 31, 2024) from the City Clerk.

Under Section 201 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, a record of the City may be destroyed if a retention period has been established and the retention period has expired, or the record is a copy of the original record. Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 217, Records, Corporate (City) provides the legislative basis on which the retention periods for City records are authorized, and Schedule A of the by-law indicates the retention schedule for each records class.

The purpose of this report is to amend the City's records retention by-law by establishing three new records retention schedules that pertain to:

- declarations of office executed by members of council before they take office to which they were elected or appointed to,

- records relating to the application process for Councillors seeking membership to the City of Toronto Long-Term Care Committee of Management, and

- records relating to audio / video recordings (i.e., recorded livestreams and video conferences) produced from live meetings of City Council and Committee meetings­.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council amend By-law Number 10649 governing the Toronto Fire Department Superannuation and Benefit Fund to increase the Plan Committee Chair Honorarium amount from $7,500 to $15,000 per annum.

This report seeks an amendment to the by-law governing the Toronto Fire Department Superannuation and Benefit Fund (the Plan) to increase the Plan Committee Chair Honorarium amount from $7,500 to $15,000 per annum.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council approve the conditional settlement set out in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the City Solicitor, and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management.

2. City Council adopt the confidential instructions to staff set out in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the City Solicitor, and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management.

3. City Council direct that the confidential information contained in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 5, 2024) from the City Solicitor, and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, remain confidential in its entirety, as it is about litigation or potential litigation that affects the City and Toronto Parking Authority and contains advice or communications that are subject to solicitor-client privilege.

The purpose of this report is for Corporate Real Estate Management to seek Council authority to approve the proposed settlement terms and conditions set out in Confidential Attachment 1, between Toronto Parking Authority and Dakin West Inc., located at 33 Queen Street East.

Under the City-Wide Real Estate model, Toronto Parking Authority's lease administration and property management functions have transferred to Corporate Real Estate Management.

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct that the carpark named Cedarvale (Carpark 20) located at 101 Cedarvale Avenue, upon 90 days’ prior notice from the Toronto Transit Commission to the City / Toronto Parking Authority that the building permit has been approved for the construction of a building in connection with the Toronto Transit Commission Line 2 Capacity Enhancement Program, be de-designated as a Municipal Parking Facility, cease to be managed by the Toronto Parking Authority and be removed from Schedule XXXIV: Municipal Parking Facilities to City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor or Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in order to give effect to recommendation 1 above.

3. City Council authorize and direct the appropriate City Officials to execute all documents and take the necessary actions to give effect to Council's decision.

4. City Council forward this report from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management to the Board of Directors of Toronto Parking Authority for their information.

This report serves as a housekeeping report concerning a necessary amendment to Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, to de-designate 101 Cedarvale Avenue (currently operating as Carpark 20) as a Municipal Parking Facility once certain conditions are met. City Council authority is required to amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, Schedule XXXIV: Municipal Parking Facilities to de-designate a location as a Municipal Parking Facility and to terminate a specific City property as a Municipal Parking Facility.

101 Cedarvale Avenue has been identified as being the ideal site for the construction of the new Danforth Traction Power Substation as part of the Toronto Transit Commission's Line 2 Capacity Enhancement Program. Securing City Council authority for the future jurisdictional transfer of 101 Cedarvale from the Toronto Parking Authority to the Toronto Transit Commission will allow Toronto Transit Commission the certainty to progress design and planning approvals for the Danforth Traction Power Substation. Toronto Parking Authority will continue to operate Carpark 20 until the first quarter of 2032, when Toronto Transit Commission is expected to begin construction.

The General Government Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council receive the End of Year 2023 Occupational Health and Safety Report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief People Officer for information.

This report provides information on the status of the City’s health and safety system, specifically performance for 2023 and actions and priorities to address identified hazards.

There was a 16.4 percent decrease in the number of lost time injuries (LTIs) in 2023 relative to 2022.

There was a 5.5 percent increase in the number of recurrences and a 28 percent increase in the number of medical aid injuries in 2023 relative to 2022.

The overall invoiced costs related to the City's current Workplace Safety and Insurance Board firm number increased from $49.5 million in 2022 to $57.3 million in 2023.  This increase in costs was primarily attributed to claims for mental / emotional illnesses or disorders, followed by those attributed to firefighter cancers, and musculoskeletal disorders resulting from exertion, repetition, awkward posture and vibration / jarring.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council receive the report (November 5, 2024) from the Chief People Officer for information.

In accordance with the City's Human Rights and Anti-Harassment / Discrimination Policy, this report provides an update on the data trends and information related to human rights inquiries and complaints involving the City in 2022 - 2023, through the City's internal Human Rights Office or external legal processes.

The report also identifies program initiatives and policy development undertaken by the Human Rights Office to prevent human rights breaches, thereby mitigating risks to the City while promoting equity and inclusion. In 2022 and 2023, the Human Rights Office received 1294 and 1190 inquiries respectively, constituting a 43 percent increase since 2019. While the Human Rights Office experienced a sharp rise in inquiries during the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for the Human Rights Office’s services by members of the Toronto Public Service and the public has steadily increased and has not reduced to pre-pandemic levels. The Human Rights Office staffing complement in 2022 - 2023 was 7 positions. The Human Rights Office faced significant challenges and increased demand leading to service reductions, including no new investigations during this period.  

Incidences of workplace harassment, incivility, and sexual harassment reported to the Human Rights Office have risen which may be partially connected to the resumption of in-person services and return to office environments, as well as greater awareness of the Human Rights Office. Additionally, the number of inquiries related to accommodation have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Over the last five years, the Human Rights Office has also seen a significant increase in race and related inquiries, as well as inquiries related to gender identity and sex.

The increases described in this report highlights the continued manifestation of inequities that Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, trans and gender diverse communities face in employment and service. It also reflects a greater awareness of rights and responsibilities towards human rights, inclusion, equity and reconciliation leading individuals to contact the Human Rights Office.

The General Government Committee forwarded the item to City Council without recommendation.

At its October 9 and 10, 2024 Council meeting, during its consideration of Item GG16.3: Status of Outstanding Payments in Lieu of Tax Amounts for Federal, Provincial and Municipal Properties, a Motion to amend the item was carried requesting that the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer report back to the November 20, 2024 General Government Committee meeting on:

- How the City of Toronto will determine and collect payments in lieu of taxes for those businesses which Metrolinx has expropriated and closed in Business Improvement Areas; and

- How the City of Toronto will compensate the Business Improvement Area levies for these properties. 

This report is being written by Revenue Services in consultation with Economic Development and Culture and Legal Services.

The General Government Committee recommend that:

1. City Council suspend Duron Ontario Ltd.'s and any affiliated persons, as defined in Chapter 195, eligibility to bid on or be awarded any City of Toronto contracts as a supplier of goods and / or services or as a subcontractor to such a supplier, including any options, renewals or extensions of existing contracts, for a period of four (4) months commencing upon the date of approval of this report.   

This report recommends that City Council suspend Duron Ontario Ltd.'s ("Duron") eligibility to bid on, or be awarded, any City of Toronto contracts for a period of 4-months for contraventions of the City of Toronto’s Supplier Code of Conduct (Supplier Performance) in Chapter 195 of the Toronto Municipal Code. 

Duron is currently suspended from bidding pursuant to the authority of the Chief Procurement Officer. When it received notice that the Chief Procurement Officer was considering a recommendation that a longer suspension be imposed by City Council, Duron requested additional information. In response, the Chief Procurement Officer has determined that some additional information will be provided to Duron.

A 4-month suspension is recommended to:

a. permit the Chief Purchasing Official to provide this information to Duron, consider Duron's response, and decide upon an appropriate recommendation; and,

b. preclude Duron from bidding on City contracts in the interim.

The General Government Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with the Chief Procurement Officer, to review the historic use of contract and purchase order amendments and report to the General Government Committee in the third quarter of 2025 with findings, including recommendations to update the contract and purchase order amendment process and delegation of financial authority, as required, to better define the parameters and rationalize the process. 

The motion to review the historic use of contract and purchase order amendments is crucial to ensure that the city is managing its resources effectively, mitigating unnecessary risks, and maintaining financial accountability for all expenditures.

In this meeting alone, there are 15 amended items, totaling a cost over $55 million to the city, with more than $31 million attributed to “unforeseen” items.

These amended items are costing the City a substantial amount of money and are a reoccurring issue on the General Government Committee. The total of 60 amended items since January represent a significant and ongoing trend that warrants closer examination.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council designate Community Safety Zones at the locations set out in Attachment 1 to the report (November 14, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

2. City Council delete Subsection (3) of §950-400B of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, and insert a new Subsection (3) generally as follows:

"(3) (a) Within 15 metres of a pedestrian crossover on the approach side to a pedestrian crossover;

(b) Within 10 metres of a pedestrian crossover beyond the crossover; or

(c) Where authorized signs are otherwise posted on the approach side of a pedestrian crossover or beyond a pedestrian crossover, within the area designated as no stopping by the authorized signs.”

3. City Council delete Subsection (4) of §903-6A of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, and insert a new Subsection (4) generally as follows:

"(4) (a) Within 15 metres of a pedestrian crossover on the approach side to a pedestrian crossover;

(b) Within 10 metres of a pedestrian crossover beyond the crossover; or

(c) Where authorized signs are otherwise posted on the approach side of a pedestrian crossover or beyond a pedestrian crossover, within the area designated as no stopping by the authorized signs."

4. City Council establish new offences and establish new associated penalties and amend City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties, Administration of, generally as follows:

a. By deleting from Schedule A, Table 10:  Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, the following:

b. By inserting in Schedule A, Table 10:  Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, the following:

5. City Council authorize that the amendments in Recommendations 2, 3, and 4 be implemented effective February 10, 2025.

6. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor or General Manager, Transportation Services, in order to give effect to Recommendations 1 to 5, inclusive, above.

7. City Council request Members of Council to share the submission by Councilor Mike Colle titled "Trends in Serious Injuries and Fatalities" with their constituents.

Since Vision Zero was first adopted by the City in 2016, it has incrementally grown to provide extensive, proactive, systemic and directed initiatives, informed by data and targeted to ensure that serious injuries and fatalities are eliminated on Toronto’s streets. This report provides an update on the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and outlines continued and new programs, initiatives, and countermeasures.

This report provides status updates and recommended improvements to various components of the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan in the following areas:

1. Trends in Serious Injuries and Fatalities: describing changes over time for each emphasis area of the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan as well as comparison to other leading jurisdictions;

2. Speed Management Initiatives: providing updates on various ongoing and upcoming programs and initiatives under the speed management strategy that help address the frequency and / or outcome of relevant collision scenarios, including recommendations for a number of Community Safety Zones;

3. Improving Crossings for Pedestrians: providing updates on measures to address pedestrian crossing protection and recommendations to improve visibility at Pedestrian Crossovers;

4. Improving Intersection Safety: providing updates on measures to address safety of all road users at intersections; and

5. Other Updates: describing other enforcement measures, progress on other complementary City initiatives and an update on the School Safety Zone program.

This report recommends enacting 20 new or extended Community Safety Zones to support installation of Automated Speed Enforcement cameras focused on improving safety for older adults as well as expanding one existing location in Ward 16 as requested by the local Councillor that staff have reviewed and support. This report also recommends revising stopping prohibitions around Pedestrian Crossovers to meet current Provincial guidance.

Since 2016, the Vision Zero annual budget and spend rate has increased incrementally reflecting the demand for improved road safety as well as the capacity to deliver. The 2025 proposed budget of $99.1 million - $31.7 million in capital and $67.4 million in operating - is the largest annual budget for the Plan since inception and further demonstrates the importance of this initiative and Transportation Services’ ability to deliver the varied aspects of the work.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend Section 903-4 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, to insert the word "and" after Subsection B and to insert a new Subsection C as follows:

“C. in the vehicle displaying the permit in accordance with subsection 903-4A or 903-4B is a passenger vehicle or commercial vehicle that does not exceed 3,000 kilograms."

2. City Council delete Subsection (1) from Section 903–5 B of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, and insert a new Subsection (1) as follows:

“(1)     The exemptions set out in § 903-5A do not apply so as to permit any person to park or stand a vehicle with a permit displayed on any highway for a period exceeding 24 hours, except in a designated parking space on a highway licensed for overnight permit parking, a parking machine parking space or mobile only zone parking space, pursuant to the provisions of any by-law or municipal code of the City or a former municipality. For further clarity, in the event a person parks or stands a vehicle with a permit displayed on any highway for a period exceeding 24 hours, except as set out in the previous sentence, that person shall be liable to prosecution as if they had violated the restrictions or time limits in relation to parking or standing a vehicle as set out in the applicable by-law or municipal code section.”

3. City Council amend Section 910-9 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 910, Parking Machines, Parking Meters and Mobile Only Zones, by inserting a new Subsection F as follows:

“F.      Despite any other provision of the Municipal Code or any other City of Toronto By-law, a vehicle displaying an accessible permit and weighing more than 3,000 kilograms will not be exempt from the requirement to pay or deposit a fee and to use or activate the parking meter.”

4. City Council delete Subsection B from Section 950-405 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking, and insert a new Subsection B as follows:

“B.      No parking a bus certain times.

Where official signs prohibiting parking are displayed, no person shall park a bus on any highway at the side and between the limits set out in Schedule XIII in § 950-1312 during the prohibited times and/or days set out in Schedule XIII.”

5. City Council delete Subsection P from Section 925-5 of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 925, Permit Parking, and insert a new Subsection P as follows:

“P.      A person with an accessible parking permit issued by the Ministry of Transportation shall be exempted from this chapter provided the accessible permit is displayed on a vehicle which is under 3,000 kilograms in weight and not longer than 5.2 meters in length.”

6. City Council amend of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 925, Permit Parking, Section 925-5 N by inserting a new Subsection (6) as follows:

“(6)     A valid permit will be considered invalid if hooked or attached to a trailer or storage container or bin.”

7. City Council amend Schedule A of City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 610, Penalties and Administration of, generally as set out in Attachment 1 to the report (November 13, 2024) from the General Manager, Transportation Services.

8. City Council authorize that the amendments in Recommendations 1 to 7, inclusive, be implemented effective February 10, 2025.

9. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the necessary bills to give effect to City Council's decision and City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make any necessary clarifications, refinements, minor modifications, technical amendments, or by-law amendments as may be identified by the City Solicitor or General Manager, Transportation Services, in order to give effect to Recommendations 1 to 8 inclusive.

This report responds to a request from City Council to examine the feasibility of updating the bylaws associated with the use of an Accessible Parking Permit to allow the enforcement of larger vehicles specifically classified as commercial or recreational using an accessible parking permit while parked on city streets. Currently, such vehicles are exempt from certain parking regulations by the City.

Under City of Toronto bylaws, any person with a valid Accessible Parking Permit, issued by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario, is exempt from certain parking regulations identified in various City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapters, which exemptions are outlined further in the report. Those include Chapter 903, Parking for Persons with Disabilities, Chapter 910, Parking Machines, Parking Meters and Mobile Only Zones, Chapter 925, Permit Parking, and Chapter 950, Traffic and Parking. Currently, the City of Toronto is the only municipality that provides the most parking regulation exemptions in the Greater Toronto Area to Accessible Parking Permit holders.

This report is seeking Council approval to not exempt large vehicles weighing more than 3,000 kilograms or vehicles that are longer than 5.2 metres in length (a parking spot is generally 5.5 metres in length). This restriction would align with the current permit parking program which places similar weight and vehicle length restrictions. To enforce these new provisions, amendments to the aforementioned Municipal Code Chapters are being recommended, including the introduction of new offences and penalty amounts for non-compliance with the new restrictions when using an Accessible Parking Permit. This will ensure vehicles displaying an Accessible Parking Permit is strictly for the purpose of transporting individuals with mobility challenges and not for the long-term storage of larger commercial and recreational vehicles on City streets.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:    

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services and / or designate, to negotiate, enter into, and execute any new agreements, amendments of existing agreements, or acknowledgements - including on the basis of a non-competitive procurement under Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 195, Purchasing - necessary in connection with the efforts to generate, manage, market, distribute, use and sell in a manner beneficial to the City the environmental attributes associated with Solid Waste Management Services' compressed natural gas use in vehicles, on terms and conditions acceptable to the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

The City's Solid Waste Management Services has been transitioning from diesel-powered trucks to quieter and more environmentally conscious natural-gas-powered trucks since 2010, with 96 percent of the City’s in-house residential waste collection fleet now using natural gas.

To support the move away from diesel, Solid Waste Management Services had compressed natural gas fuelling stations installed at three of its sites. As a result of its compressed natural gas use and ownership of any related environmental attributes, Solid Waste Management Services has an opportunity to benefit from the creation and sale of compliance credits pursuant to the Clean Fuel Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and may be eligible to generate environmental attributes under other programs as well. Environmental attributes refer to any and all credits, benefits, emissions reductions, offsets, and allowances, related to the avoidance, removal or mitigation of greenhouse gases or pollutants.

The purpose of this report is to seek authority for Solid Waste Management Services to enter into agreements related to the generation, management, marketing, distribution, use and sale of environmental attributes associated with its compressed natural gas use.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services to negotiate, enter into and execute on behalf of the City of Toronto a funding agreement amendment with PortsToronto for contribution by the City of up to an additional $15 million from the approved 2024 - 2033 Capital Budget and Plan for Transportation Services in order to complete the Ship Channel Bascule Bridge Rehabilitation Project, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manger, Transportation Services, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

This report provides an update on the ongoing rehabilitation of the bascule bridge over the Ship Channel in the Port Lands, being undertaken by PortsToronto with financial support from the City of Toronto, as well as an update on the Unwin Avenue Bailey Bridge Replacement Study.

The Ship Channel Bridge is owned by PortsToronto and carries Cherry Street over the Ship Channel. In 2021, PortsToronto and the City agreed on a joint rehabilitation of the bridge in recognition of the vital role it plays providing access to the Port Lands area, with the City funding rehabilitation of the bridges approach spans and superstructure and PortsToronto funding rehabilitation of the bridge's mechanical and electrical systems. Project oversight is conducted by a joint staff level working group and an Executive Steering Committee. City Council granted authority for Transportation Services to enter into an agreement with PortsToronto to fund up to $22 million for the City portion of the works. Phase One, the approach spans, was completed in March 2024 and a portion of Phase Two, the contract for rehabilitation of the steel superstructure, has been tendered and is ready to commence in January of 2025.

PortsToronto will fund the second contract of the Phase Two works for rehabilitation of the mechanical and electrical systems with an anticipated award in the first quarter 2025.

As a result of post pandemic cost increases and supply chain challenges which have been experienced across the construction industry, along with some unforeseen work which is typical with structures of this age and complexity, and enhancements to the originally proposed traffic management to reduce delays for road users, the Phase One works cost more than originally estimated. The Phase Two contract for steel superstructure rehabilitation also reflects market conditions and is higher than originally envisaged in 2021 when the agreement with PortsToronto was completed. Given the age and type of structure and complexity of the works it can be expected that some unforeseen conditions will be encountered during construction. City staff are therefore requesting authority to amend the existing agreement with PortsToronto to provide up to an additional $15 million to complete the City funded critical bridge rehabilitation works.

Separately, in April 2024, the bridge's lifting mechanism encountered unanticipated and significant mechanical issues; a bent shaft, requiring an approximate five-month emergency repair period. During this time the bridge was raised and lowered only as able due to ongoing repairs, resulting in significant closures for road and/or ship users as the specialized repair work was completed.

The temporary emergency closure of the Ship Channel bridge during the summer of 2024 restricted access to lands south of the Ship Channel and to Cherry Beach. This put greater than anticipated demand on the existing single lane Bailey bridge on Unwin Avenue. Pre-planned capital repairs on the Bailey bridge were completed by the City in the summer of 2024, which included replacement of deck panels and waterproofing of the deck surface. These pre-planned repairs were co-ordinated with PortsToronto to ensure they were completed during periods when the Ship Channel bridge was in the lowered position.

The overall rehabilitation of the bascule bridge is anticipated to be complete in 2027, with structural steel repair and mechanical and electrical work to be carried out in parallel during the marine navigational closure period each year. This will maximize efficiencies in project delivery and avoid unnecessary disruptions to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Non-critical path work will be required to be undertaken outside of the winter navigational closure period and may require periodic road closures.

To ensure the safe continued operation of the crossing and to improve traffic conveyance and access within the area of Unwin Avenue, Transportation Services, with the support of Engineering and Construction Services, is undertaking a study of design options as part of an interim bridge replacement strategy until the City is in a position to complete the Environmental Assessment process for the re-alignment of Unwin Avenue as established in the 2017 Council-endorsed Port Lands and South of Eastern Transportation and Servicing Master Plan. The current study is considering this future re-alignment, where possible. Recommendations on a preferred bridge replacement conceptual design are anticipated in early first quarter 2025, with staff reporting back on the completed study at the end of the first quarter 2025.  

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Fleet Services, subject to securing a total of $5,675,560 net of Harmonized Sales Tax through the 2025 budget process, to retrofit suitable City-owned commercial vehicles with side guards.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Fleet Services, to share with relevant City Agencies and Corporations, the best practices learned from retrofitting side guards on City-owned commercial vehicles.

3. City Council direct the General Manager, Fleet Services, in consultation with relevant City Divisions, to report back to City Council in the third quarter of 2025 on the feasibility of requiring existing and new Suppliers who use commercial vehicles to provide contracted City services to have side guards installed on their vehicles.

The purpose of this report is to advise City Council on the feasibility of mandating Lateral Protective Devices (‘side guards’) on all commercial trucks operating within the City of Toronto, including retrofitting the City's fleet. Side guards are protective railings or bars mounted on the sides of large trucks between the axles to prevent individuals from being pulled under a truck’s wheels in the event of a collision.

Research from various sources based in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Netherlands indicate that side guards could reduce cyclist fatalities by approximately 62 percent, pedestrian fatalities by 20 percent, and serious injuries for cyclists by 6 percent. However, there are currently no federal or provincial requirements for vehicles to be fitted with side guards. As the federal government sets national vehicle safety standards, the City of Toronto does not have the jurisdiction or authority to mandate all commercial vehicles operating within the City of Toronto be equipped with side guards.

However, City Council, through Vision Zero 2.0, authorized the implementation of side guards and a comprehensive fleet safety and accountability program for all Solid Waste Management Services vehicles, both in-house and contracted. Currently, thirty (30) units in the City’s fleet are equipped with side guards.

The addition of side guards to Solid Waste Management Services vehicles builds upon new and existing design and technological initiatives aimed at supporting safety. Engineering design changes to advance safety include the use of cabover chassis designs to improve visibility and reduced blind spots, the colouring of heavy-duty vehicles yellow and blue to increase visibility, the provision of convex mirrors for all trucks to widen the driver's field of view, and 360-degree cameras. Additionally, testing technological advancements, such as collision-avoidance sensors, and active driver assist systems provide real-time warnings and enhance driver awareness. The majority of City vehicles are also equipped with telematics devices that provide vehicle intelligence data on driver behaviors to support education and promote greater accountability.

As of 2024, commercial vehicles procured by the Fleet Services have included side guards. Vehicles are expected to be delivered within 18 to 24 months following the placement of an order.

In alignment with the principles of Vision Zero and previous Council direction regarding Solid Waste Management Services vehicles, Fleet Services is recommending retrofitting suitable commercial City of Toronto fleet vehicles with side guards. Vehicles suitable for retrofitting will be assessed using a risk-based approach to prioritize vehicles that are most likely to cause the greatest harm to cyclists and pedestrians in the event of a collision. It is estimated that 219 of 500 heavy-duty vehicles that are suitable for side guards will be retrofitted between December 2024 and December 2025, with all vehicles retrofitted by December 2026.

Fleet Services will also share with relevant City Agencies and Corporations, the best practices learned from retrofitting side guards on City-owned commercial vehicles.

In addition, while Fleet Services does not currently require side guards for contracted services, Fleet Services will consult with relevant City Divisions and explore the feasibility of requiring existing and new Suppliers, who use commercial vehicles to provide contracted City services, to have side guards installed on their vehicles, and will report back to City Council in the third quarter of 2025.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommend that:

1. City Council amend Municipal Code Chapters 813, 658, 608, 632, 743, 918 and 441 as described in Attachment 1 to the report (November 13, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, to grant the Executive Director, Environment and Climate equal authority as the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation which would allow either Division head to implement and enforce the relevant provisions.

The City of Toronto's Environment and Climate Division leads, coordinates and is accountable for the City’s environment and energy sustainability outcomes. With the goal of making Toronto one of the most sustainable cities in the world, the division facilitates the development and implementation of strategic community and corporate-wide environment and energy policies and programs. The City of Toronto's Urban Forestry branch of the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division is responsible for the health, maintenance, protection and expansion of Toronto’s tree canopy and natural areas and ravine lands in the city. The branch also leads the City’s implementation of various nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure projects, which are a critical component of Toronto’s climate resilience. 

Effective January 1, 2025, the Urban Forestry branch will be moving from the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division in Community and Social Services and joining the Environment and Climate Division in Corporate Services. The transition of Urban Forestry to the Environment and Climate Division strongly aligns with the division’s City-wide mandate and goals for environmental protection and climate action, most notably TransformTO - the City’s Net Zero Strategy, and the City’s renewed approach to climate resilience. Strategically realigning this portfolio will ensure the City of Toronto remains a municipal powerhouse in climate resilience excellence.

During the transition period, senior leadership from both divisions require full authority to implement and enforce various City by-laws, where purview over trees exist. The purpose of this report is to seek City Council approval to make technical amendments to various by-laws, granting shared authorities to the Executive Director, Environment and Climate Division concurrent with the existing power and duties of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Transportation Services, to negotiate, enter into and execute a new or amended boundary agreements with the City of Mississauga, with terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Transportation Services, and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

The purpose of this report is to seek City Council approval to renew an agreement between the City of Toronto and The Corporation of the City of Mississauga for the cost sharing and maintenance of the boundary facilities shared by both parties. The previous agreement between the two jurisdictions had been in place since January 1, 2012, and recently expired on December 31, 2022. The proposed renewal agreement is substantially based on terms similar to the previous agreement, with the addition of a new clause to acknowledge that Mississauga may assume The Queensway Bridge (currently shared between Peel Region and the City of Toronto and governed by the Region of Peel - Toronto Agreement that commenced on January 1, 2020) upon the dissolution of the Regional Municipality of Peel as per the Hazel McCallion Act. Should this occur, the renewed agreement with the City of Mississauga will also apply to this additional structure.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommend that:

1. City Council to receive the report (November 13, 2024) from the Executive Director, Environment and Climate for information.

In May 2023, City Council adopted a new Climate Change Goals and Governance chapter for the Municipal Code.¹ This chapter sets emission budgets outlining the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions from both Community and Corporate sources² over a set period that is consistent with Council-adopted greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The Corporate emissions budget is set at 2,016,471 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (~2 Megatonnes) for the period 2026 - 2030. This enables the City to allocate and manage sector-specific emissions budgets for Corporate Buildings³ and Transportation⁴ sectors and track progress through comparing emissions "spending" with the remaining budget, akin to financial budgets.

The Executive Director, Environment and Climate, acting as designate for the City Manager under the Climate Change Goals and Governance chapter, and considering the opinions of Corporate Real Estate Management, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, Fleet Services, and the Toronto Transit Commission (collectively "Corporate Sector Leaders"),⁵ recommends emission budgets for Corporate Buildings and Transportation (i.e. fleet vehicles) amounting to 935,641 and 829,719 tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, or a ratio of 1.1:1 when comparing the two subsectors. This aligns with the trend in the ratio of emissions from Corporate Buildings and Fleet vehicles in the City's annual Sector-Based Emissions Inventory ("Inventory") over 2018 - 2021. In the City's most recent Inventory covering the 2021 year, Corporate emissions were split 43 percent from buildings, 40 percent from transportation, and 17 percent from waste. Within buildings, 56 percent of emissions came from Toronto Community Housing Corporation buildings and 44 percent from "City Facilities and Buildings" under capital control of various divisions and agencies including Corporate Real Estate Management, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Toronto Transit Commission among others. Within transportation, 70 percent of emissions came from Toronto Transit Commission buses, 4 percent from Toronto Transit Commission subways and streetcars, and the remainder from fleet vehicles under capital control of divisions and agencies including Fleet Services and Toronto Police Service among others.

This recommendation is subject to adjustment pending ongoing work to refine the accounting of Corporate emissions in the Inventory, in particular the organization of emission sources into the correct subsectors. Environment and Climate is committed to working from the Corporate Sector Leaders over the rest of 2024 and early 2025 to make any necessary refinements. If this work results in changes to the Inventory that would necessitate changes to the emission budgets for Corporate Buildings and Transportation recommended in this report, a new recommendation would be brought to Council for consideration.

By the end of the second quarter 2025, plans for the key actions to reduce emissions from Corporate Buildings and Transportation in line with the recommended emissions budgets will be brought to Council as part of the Net Zero Strategy Action Plan for 2026-30. These plans will also set out the needs, risks and dependencies for those actions.

¹ 2023.IE3.4 - Carbon Accountability: Institutionalizing Governance, a Carbon Budget and an Offset Credits Policy.
² Corporate emissions are those from the City government's own operations. The Corporate emissions budget applies to emissions from Corporate buildings and fleet vehicles (including Toronto Transit Commission revenue vehicles).
³ Includes City-owned buildings, facilities, and certain yards plus Toronto Community Housing-owned buildings.
⁴ Includes fleet vehicles operated by Fleet Services Division, Toronto Transit Commission (including revenue and non-revenue), Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services, Toronto Community Housing, Exhibition Place, Toronto Zoo, Toronto Parking Authority, and Toronto Public Library.
⁵ Climate Change Goals and Governance, Municipal Code Ch. 669, at § 669-2.3(A)(6).

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the General Manager, Transportation Services, to install parking corrals suitable for cargo bikes on-street in appropriate locations, upon the request of the local Ward Councillor.

This report responds to a request from the Infrastructure and Environment Committee for the General Manager, Transportation Services to explore options for cargo bike parking in permit parking areas, by examining two options requested by the Infrastructure and Environment Committee. The first is to exempt cargo bike owners from being required to purchase a permit to park on-street, and the other option is to offer a voluntary program for cargo bike owners to display a unique licence plate which would allow cargo bike owners to purchase a permit parking permit.

Both options were explored and are discussed in greater detail as to why neither option is considered a viable solution. Transportation Services recognizes the increasing demand for safer, more convenient cargo bike parking options and that it is important to ensure that the growing number of residents can meet their transportation needs without a personal automobile. To support cargo bike owners, an alternative option that can be implemented as part of an existing program and under existing authorities is being suggested, through the deployment of bike corrals in neighbourhoods where there is an obvious need for cargo bike parking.

Bike corrals are an appropriate scaled solution for cargo bike parking because they provide additional security for cargo bikes users when parking their vehicles in the curbside and clears up any ambiguity surrounding the allowance of parking cargo bikes on-street in the same locations as motor vehicles. The use of bike corrals is the more practical solution rather than having to undertake an overhaul of a complex City-wide process, such as Toronto’s permit parking program to accommodate cargo bike parking.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Forwarded this item to City Council without recommendations.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Requested the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to report directly to the December 17, 18 and 19, 2024 meeting of City Council, by itemizing the measures needed, and the resources required in the 2025 Budget, to institute effective protections of the ecological functions of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas on the Toronto Islands in the year 2025.

Environmentally Significant Areas and Provincially Significant Wetlands are the highest quality ecological assets of Toronto's Natural Heritage System and on Toronto Island. Parks, Forestry and Recreation and Toronto and Region Conservation have a long history of investment in the natural environment of Toronto Island that continues today through ongoing investment in infrastructure to manage impacts of erosion and park use, as well as management of invasive plant species and planting of native species, within and adjacent to Environmentally Significant Areas and Provincially Significant Wetlands.

The Toronto Island Park Master Plan, adopted by City Council on July 24, 2024, has nature at its core and recognizes a need for continued and enhanced investment in these significant spaces. The Toronto Island Park Master Plan outlines a vision and identifies investment and programmatic priorities over the next 25 years and beyond. As part of the adoption of the Toronto Island Park Master Plan, City Council requested the relevant City divisions and agencies to report on a work program to develop management plans to protect and enhance the Islands’ wetlands and Environmentally Significant Areas and identify resources that would be required in the 2025 Budget to advance protection and naturalization efforts in the short term. The Toronto Island Park Master Plan is being implemented through a rolling workplan of ongoing and upcoming initiatives, including efforts to protect and restore the Island's Environmentally Significant Areas and Provincially Significant Wetlands.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Environment and Climate to negotiate, enter into and execute an agreement with The Atmospheric Fund to facilitate the transfer of certain funds that the City will receive from the Natural Resources Canada’s Codes Acceleration Fund, on terms acceptable to the Executive Director, Environment and Climate Division and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

In April 2023, an application was submitted to Natural Resources Canada in response to a call seeking proposals to the Codes Acceleration Fund with the goal of accelerating the adoption and implementation of the highest feasible energy performance tiers of the national model energy codes or other high-performance building codes, such as net-zero emissions codes in Canada. The Environment and Climate Division, in conjunction with The Atmospheric Fund, submitted a proposal to support the development of building emissions performance standards, evaluation of codes performance, and sharing knowledge with other municipalities.

On February 7, 2024, the City entered a non-repayable contribution agreement with Natural Resources Canada with the potential to access a financial contribution of up to $2.7 million over three years. The Environment and Climate Division requires authority from Council to act as a conduit to provide funds to The Atmospheric Fund for specific activities under this agreement with Natural Resources Canada.

I am writing to request that City Council authorize the appropriate agreement to be entered into and executed so that the funds can be transferred for the work done by The Atmospheric Fund.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommend that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to negotiate and sign, on behalf of the City, an Agreement with Parkrun Canada, to provide non-exclusive nominal fee permits for a community running pilot on the Martin Goodman Trail at Budapest Park, Sunnyside Park, and Sir Casimir Gzowski Park ending at Humber Bay Arch Bridge, for a one-year term, in compliance with the Non-Profit / Charitable Special Event Guidelines for City of Toronto Parks and Trails, on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

For 20 years, Parkrun has been known globally as a free, family-friendly, volunteer-led, 5 kilometres run / jog / walk event taking place every Saturday morning in cities, towns and villages all over the world. Individual Parkrun events are organized by volunteer community members and promote healthy and active lifestyles for participants of all abilities. There is no cost to register or fundraise to take part, making Parkrun events accessible to residents of all economic backgrounds.

Parkrun sets out specific "Event Location and Course Design Guidance" that community organizers must adhere to in order to qualify as a Parkrun event, including the requirement to obtain permission from landowners for use of the venue at no cost. There are currently 51 events taking place under the Parkrun Canada umbrella, including at Downsview Park in Toronto and multiple cities in the Greater Toronto Area.

Community organizers in Ward 4 - Parkdale-High Park are proposing a Parkrun pilot, to take place along the Martin Goodman Trail in a 5 kilometres loop from Budapest Park to the Humber Bay Arch Bridge on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. The proposed route is accessible for participants of all abilities, including wheelchair users and parents or guardians with strollers. Low impact signage is set-up at the start and finish lines for a maximum of two hours during the event. Events are operated by five to 15 volunteers and is a great opportunity for community to be involved locally, including high school students fulfilling their volunteer hours requirements.

The proposed Parkrun event will allow for people in the Parkdale-High Park community to take advantage of existing City facilities and build a strong community based on an outdoor, healthy, active lifestyle. The route would remain open and accessible to other park users, and no costs will be incurred by Parks, Forestry and Recreation for the pilot. City staff would hold regular check-ins with community organizers to monitor and evaluate the pilot’s effectiveness to determine a go forward approach.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommend that:

1. City Council authorize the General Manager, Toronto Water to negotiate an extension to the existing contract (47023307) with Kemira Water Solutions Canada Inc., for the supply and delivery of iron salts for Toronto Water Division. The extension shall include the negotiated adjustment to the unit rate and will cover the period from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025 and will be based on terms and conditions satisfactory to the General Manager, Toronto Water.

Toronto Water is seeking authority to enter into a non-competitive contract with Kemira Water Solutions Canada Inc., for the supply and delivery of iron salts for a one year period commencing on January 1, 2025.

Iron salts (Ferrous Chloride) are a by-product of the steel manufacturing process and are used by municipal wastewater treatment plants across North America to remove phosphorus by precipitation.

City Council approval is required in accordance with Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 195, Procurement, where the current request exceeds the Chief Procurement Officer's authority of the cumulative five-year commitment for each supplier under Article 7, Non-competitive procurement or limited solicitations, Section 195-7.3(D) of the Procurement By-law or exceeds the threshold of $500,000 net of Harmonized Sales Tax allowed under staff authority as per Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 71, Financial Control, Section 71-11A.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council designate the entire City of Toronto as a Community Improvement Project Area.

2. City Council adopt the City-Wide Community Improvement Plan for the Economic Development and Growth in Employment (“EDGE”) Incentive Program in accordance with the draft community improvement plan included as Attachment 2 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture and the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, as amended by the following:

a. adding a new Section as follows:

Program Budget

Approvals under this Community Improvement Plan will be limited based on a projected annual budget cap of $20,000,000.  Applications will be considered on a first-come-first-served basis until such time as future annual grants are projected to exceed the budget cap in any given year.

b. amending Schedule 1 to:

1. add a definition of Emerging Neighbourhoods as follows:
 

Emerging Neighbourhood: means an area defined by the City of Toronto on the basis that it is facing inequitable outcomes as determined by a Neighbourhood Equity Index and, while surpassing the thresholds that would categorize it as a Neighbourhood Improvement Areas (NIA), are prioritized by City Council for investment. 

2. expand the eligibility criteria for Enhanced Development Grants to include eligible development within Emerging Neighbourhoods. 

3. City Council determine pursuant to section 28(13) of the Planning Act that the Toronto Community Improvement Plan for Brownfield Remediation and Development of Prescribed Employment Uses (By-law 1207-2018, as amended, the “2018 CIP”), that enables the Imagination, Manufacturing, Information and Technology (IMIT) Program, has been carried out, dissolve the community improvement project area designated by By-law 1207-2018, and repeal By-law 1207-2018, as amended.

4. City Council delegate to the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, approval authority in respect of applications for the Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program development grants, provided the project has an estimated construction value of $100,000,000 or less.

5. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to bring forward, no less than annually, as a group:

a. for City Council’s consideration, any complete applications for Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program development grants for projects with an estimated construction value greater than $100,000,000; 

b. for City Council’s information, notice of any Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program development grants approved by the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture under their delegated authority; and

c. for City Council’s information, updated projections of the financial impacts of the Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program, including applications within the pipeline, with an assessment of whether the projected costs align with desired outcomes and whether any adjustments to the Program Budget are necessary.

6. City Council authorize staff to introduce an Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program administration fee of 30 cents per square metre based on eligible gross floor area and that Municipal Code Chapter 441, Fees and Charges, be amended to reflect the new fee.

7. City Council authorize the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to negotiate and execute financial incentive agreements for approved Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program applications, in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor.

8. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Community Improvement Plan for the Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program, as may be required.

9. City Council request the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to develop a work-study program to conduct an inter-jurisdictional analysis that includes, but is not limited to, a comparison of financial incentives, policies, and other strategies used by key competitor economies to support business development, job retention, and growth, to assess the City’s competitiveness; and report on the findings to the Economic and Community Development Committee no later than the first quarter of 2026.

10. City Council authorize the appropriate City officials to take such actions as are necessary to implement City Council's decision.

The Planning and Housing Committee held a statutory public meeting on December 5, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This report recommends for City Council’s consideration a new City-Wide Community Improvement Plan (CIP) that reflects the direction provided by City Council on September 6, 2023 in response to recommendations under the Updated Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) to evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of financial incentives provided under the Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) program to date, and further direction from City Council on the Review of the IMIT Program adopted February 6, 2024. The recommended CIP provides a more targeted employment space development incentive that would replace the existing City-Wide CIP (City of Toronto By-law 1207-2018) that enables the IMIT Incentive Program.

The proposed new City-Wide CIP is a key deliverable in support of City Council’s new Sidewalks to Skylines: An Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy 2025-2035 (APTE), specifically Action 2 that calls for the replacement of IMIT with an incentive program to support targeted employment uses, attract and retain employers, increase high-quality jobs, stimulate investment across the city, drive broader city-building goals, while strengthening Toronto’s global competitiveness.

The new City-Wide CIP would enable the proposed Economic Development and Growth in Employment (EDGE) Incentive Program, a financial incentive program designed to provide support for critical new investment in targeted economic sectors of importance to Toronto’s economy and competitiveness by incentivizing business development and supporting the retention and growth of inclusive jobs. The program would replace the IMIT program and focus on high-growth, export-oriented and visitor-economy sectors that are important to Toronto’s economy and workforce, with these sectors typically needing industrial-type spaces. It would support new construction or major renovation of buildings in targeted employment sectors through Tax Increment Equivalent Grants, while also including an element for Brownfield Remediation Tax Assistance (BRTA).

This program is more targeted than the IMIT Program in terms of outcomes sought and offers more financial predictability, better administrative controls and enhanced Council oversight. The most notable changes include eliminating eligibility for office buildings (except in instances where the development is approved as a Transformative Project) and reducing the grant amount and term by fifty percent, making the basic grant equal to 60 percent of the municipal tax increment over five years. Additionally, the new CIP introduces improved financial controls, including the requirement for applications with a construction value above $100 million to be approved by City Council, conditions that ensure approved projects are initiated and completed within specified timelines, and an automatic expiration of the program on December 31, 2034, after which no applications will be accepted. Furthermore, the recommended CIP addresses City goals related to sustainability, job quality, access, and community workforce development through both the enhanced grant stream and updating the Local Employment Requirement.

The proposed EDGE program to replace the IMIT program strongly aligns with Council direction via the LTFP to redesign the incentive program for stronger alignment with City goals, predictability and affordability. Through the reduction in the grant quantum and the length of grant term, as well as applying more finely targeted eligibility requirements, projections are that future grants during the first ten years of the new proposed EDGE program are unlikely to exceed 6 percent of the total grants committed under the IMIT Program.

The Planning and Housing Committee forwards the item to City Council without recommendation. 

The Planning and Housing Committee held a statutory public meeting on December 5, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This report recommends approval of zoning by-law amendments (ZBLA) to permit certain small-scale retail, service and office uses on Residentially-zoned properties within Neighbourhoods city-wide, and to update home occupations permissions in all areas. The ZBLAs provide for a more extensive list of permitted uses on major streets and more limited permissions on streets in the interior of Neighbourhoods. Changes are also proposed to home occupations permissions in all areas. This is the final report for Phase Two of the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) –Neighbourhood Retail and Services Study. The report also recommends approval of a monitoring approach. This study was undertaken with a combined team of staff from the City Planning and Development Review divisions.

Draft zoning by-law amendments were presented to the Planning and Housing Committee in May 2024 and have been the basis for public and stakeholder consultations from June to October 2024, as well as internal discussions with City divisions. The proposed amendments have been revised to reflect feedback from these consultations. Amendments with respect to commercial use permissions in the Residential Zone category are appended in Attachment 1. Amendments with respect to home occupation permissions are appended in Attachment 2.

Small scale retail, service and office uses historically played an important role in many Toronto Neighbourhoods. This includes corner stores in the old City of Toronto, and small plazas in Etobicoke, York, North York and Scarborough. These uses, however, were strictly limited by Official Plan Policies and Zoning By-law provisions established in the mid-20th century and then carried forward over time into the current Official Plan and City-wide Zoning By-law. As a result, many residents have never had these amenities close to their homes, and others have seen them decline over decades, as existing establishments closed, and new ones did not take their place.

Recent developments in the city have enhanced the opportunity and the necessity to create greater opportunities for these community amenities. These changes include the dramatic shift toward working from home, and the anticipated new homes in Neighbourhoods driven by the EHON initiatives including laneway suites, garden suites, multiplexes and, on major streets, townhouses and low-rise apartments, as well as permissions for multi-tenant housing and components of the Housing Action Plan. Neighbourhoods with more residents, who spend more time close to home, are places which need more amenities and can support those amenities with more potential customers, employees and business owners. The focus of the proposed changes are to provide a city-wide policy environment that is more supportive of local businesses and services, allowing the flexibility for different communities to evolve in their own ways. In the pre-war City, “ghost store” buildings that were previously commercial and have switched to residential could be converted back into retail stores. In the parts of the city built in the post-war period, areas which have lost their local plaza or grocery store could see new stores along major streets where they were not permitted in the past.

The proposed ZBLAs, Attachments 1 and 2 to this report, build upon Official Plan changes approved by Council in 2022, to further complete and connect communities. The proposed amendments present a balanced approach to permit these uses while minimizing adverse impacts on nearby residents by permitting them in a physical scale, and in locations, that are compatible with and integrated into Neighbourhoods.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend By-law 228-2020, being a by-law to amend City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended, for the portion of the lands municipally known as 50 Wilson Heights Boulevard substantially in accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment included as Attachment 6 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Development Review.

2. Before introducing the necessary Bill to City Council for enactment, City Council require the execution of the applicable lease agreements, agreements of purchase and sale, and operating agreements by the City's development partners to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and Executive Director, Development Review.  

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required.

The Planning and Housing Committee held a statutory public meeting on December 5, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This Report recommends approval to amend Zoning By-law 569-2013, as amended by Zoning By-law 228-2020, to permit modifications to the development standards for a 10-storey residential building with 209 market condominium dwelling units at 50 Wilson Heights Boulevard; provides non-commercial uses on the ground floor (minimum 275 square metres), and to also identify lands known as Block 9 to be protected for Toronto Water infrastructure (denoted as Block 1 and 9 on the draft Plan of Subdivision (City File 19 232756 NNY 06 SB)). Previously approved office uses are also being removed.

The proposed mixed-use development at 50 Wilson Heights Boulevard will deliver a range of new homes, including affordable, market rental and ownership homes, plus other key city-building objectives including childcare and community spaces, a new public street, a new public park and extension of a multi-use trail. 

This City-owned property is part of the Housing Now Initiative, which is a key program to support delivery of new affordable rental homes within complete communities and overall delivery of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Action Plan.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 497, Heating to:

a. Revise the date range in § 497-1.2 A to require the landlord to ensure that minimum temperature of 21°C is maintained in all areas of the dwelling unit from "October 1 in each year to May 15 in the following year" instead of "September 15 in each year to June 1 in the following year".

2. City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 629, Property Standards to:

a. Revise the date range in § 629-38 F to require all air-conditioning systems be operated from "June 1 to September 30" for dwelling units equipped with air conditioning provided by the property owner, instead of "June 2 to September 14”.

3. City Council direct the amendments in Recommendation 1 and 2 come into effect on April 30, 2025.

4. City Council direct the Executive Director of Municipal Licensing and Standards, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, the Executive Director, Environment & Climate and relevant City divisions and external stakeholder groups, to report back by Q4 2025 with implementation considerations and recommended next steps to implement a health-based maximum indoor temperature standard of 26°C for leased residential premises and cooling rooms.

5. City Council request that the Province of Ontario amend the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 to introduce a maximum temperature standard of 26°C for all leased residential premises and include cooling as a vital service to ensure thermal safety protections are available to tenants.

6. City Council request that the Province of Ontario proclaim Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 into force to strengthen tenants' rights to access cooling in leased residential premises and examine additional measures to support vulnerable and low-income tenants with associated cooling costs.

7. City Council request the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing amend the Ontario Building Code to address overheating in new dwellings by introducing a requirement to limit the maximum indoor air temperature in summer and support the health and well being of occupants.

Like many cities around the world, Toronto is experiencing the effects of climate change with more frequent and extended heat events taking place outside of seasonal norms. Excessive indoor temperatures are a particular concern for tenants living in leased residential premises without air conditioning, or other cooling equipment such as heat pumps, who are at higher risk of heat-related health impacts. These impacts are intensified in multi-unit residential buildings and broadly in built-up urban environments with limited greenspace.

The City regulates indoor temperatures in leased residential premises through Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 497, Heating and Chapter 629, Property Standards. In the short term, heat-related impacts on residents are being managed through existing City measures such as the Heat Relief Strategy and Heat Relief Network, and in the longer term through policy and program initiatives spanning several City Divisions to support building improvements and enhancing the climate resilience of Toronto's aging housing stock.

This report outlines the City’s preliminary actions to address excessive indoor temperatures and is the first in a phased reporting approach to address this complex policy challenge. Building on existing measures, this report responds to City Council direction (2023.MM7.8) and endorses establishing a maximum indoor temperature standard of 26°C to protect tenant health from excessive heat, with implementation considerations and next steps to be outlined in a Q4 2025 staff report. This phased approach will allow for comprehensive stakeholder engagement in 2025 and will be informed by technical findings from a C40 Cities project examining the issue in Toronto and other large North American cities.

This report also recommends amending Chapter 497, Heating and Chapter 629, Property Standards to adjust the dates when heating and cooling equipment must be turned on and off to proactively address indoor temperatures in the shoulder seasons (i.e. May/June, September/October). The changes are recommended to come into effect on April 30, 2025, prior to the 2025 heat season.

This report also includes an update on the status of relevant Council directives and outlines actions taken to enhance the City's data on indoor temperature. The recommendations are informed by an analysis of climate and service request data, a review of public health research, engagement with residents, property owners and subject matter experts and a review of municipal regulations and provincial legislation.

Staff are committed to addressing excessive indoor temperatures while balancing the City’s climate and housing objectives to transition to net-zero energy systems, ensure vital services are maintained, and limit potential impacts on rental housing availability and/or affordability.

This report was developed by Municipal Licensing and Standards, Toronto Public Health, and Environment and Climate with input from the Customer Experience Division, City Planning, Toronto Building, Toronto Emergency Management, Toronto Employment and Social Services, and the Housing Secretariat. 

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council amend Article III of the City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 415, Development of Land substantially in accordance with Attachment 1 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code contained in Attachment 1 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation, as may be required.

As part of the 2023 Housing Action Plan, City Council adopted a New Regulatory Framework for Multi-Tenant Housing ("MTH") and recognized this form of rental housing stock as a critical component of affordable housing options. This program brought new incentives and other financial supports to assist property owners in obtaining a licence for this housing in all areas of the City.

In response to MM20.30 Multi-Tenant Housing Framework: Parks Levy Exemption and Framework Application, this report seeks Council authority to exempt dwelling rooms in a multi-tenant house from parkland dedication requirements in Article III of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 415, being the Parkland By-law ("Article III"). This amendment aligns with Council's priority for the development of this housing type and other financial considerations provided by the City.

Following Council's recent adoption of MM22.10 Supporting Transitional Housing in Toronto - 3 Cadillac Avenue (Neshama Hospice) and site-specific parkland dedication exemption for the development of a non-profit hospice, this report also seeks approval to apply the exemption to non-profit hospices city-wide to reflect Council's support of this type of development.

Finally, this report introduces amendments to Article III to clarify the intent and improve the readability and the interpretation of (a) exemptions relating to additional residential dwelling units on a parcel of land as well as additional residential dwelling units in apartment buildings, and (b) the definition of Environmental Lands specifically relating to the protected features within protected areas as defined and identified by Chapter 658 of the Municipal Code, being the Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-Law.  The proposed amendments will ensure consistent interpretation and application of Article III.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

Home Ownership Assistance Program Update

1. City Council approve the General Terms and Conditions for the Proposed Home Ownership Assistance Program Update as outlined in this report and Attachment 1 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat.

2. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to provide eligible proponents under the Home Ownership Assistance Program set out in Attachment 1 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, with the following City financial incentives:

a. deferral from development charges, if not exempted by provincial legislation;

b. waivers of planning application and building permit fees;

c. exemption from community benefits charges, if not exempted by provincial legislation; and

d. exemption of Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland Dedication, subject to the related amendment to Chapter 415 of the Municipal Code referred to in recommendation 3 below.

3. City Council amend Article III of the City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 415, Development of Land substantially in accordance with Attachment 3 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to expand the Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland Dedication exemption for affordable rental housing units that are the subject of Municipal Housing Project Facility Agreements to include to housing units approved under the Home Ownership Assistance Program.

4. City Council approve a pilot of up to 50 units for the turn-key stream that would be developed by eligible non-profit/private sector partnership proponents as set out in Attachment 1 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and direct the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, to further consult with stakeholders and develop metrics, monitor and evaluate the performance of the program and report back to the Planning and Housing Committee by the fourth quarter of 2025 with the results including any potential program improvements.

5. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to allocate $5,000,000 in funding, inclusive of Harmonized Sales Tax and disbursements to the Home Ownership Assistance Program fully funded from the transfer of Toronto Community Housing Corporation's affordable home ownership program funds.

6. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat to negotiate and execute, on behalf of the City, the following:

a. a municipal housing facility agreement ("Contribution Agreement") with eligible proponents for funding and financial incentives, and to set out the terms of the development and operation of affordable and attainable ownership housing, based on the Home Ownership Assistance Program  General Terms and Conditions set out in Attachment 1 to this report, and including any additional terms and conditions satisfactory to the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor; 

b. agreements or other suitable arrangements with City of Toronto agencies and/or corporations, the Government of Ontario and/or its agencies, community agencies, private entities and/or individuals, as appropriate, to deliver projects approved under the Home Ownership Assistance Program; and,

c. any security or financing documents required by the proponent to secure construction and conventional financing and subsequent refinancing, including any postponement, tripartite, confirmation of status, discharge or consent documents where and when required during the term of the Contribution Agreement, as required by normal business practices, and provided that such documents do not give rise to financial obligations on the part of the City that have not been previously approved by City Council.

7. City Council request the Executive Director, Development Review, in consultation with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to consider projects approved by the Home Ownership Assistance Program among those prioritized for review under the Priority Development Review Stream.

8. City Council request the Board of Directors, CreateTO request the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, and the Board of Directors of Toronto Community Housing Corporation request that the Chief Executive Officer of Toronto Community Housing Corporation to work with the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, to incorporate affordable and attainable housing in appropriate future housing development projects on public lands to be made available on a leasehold basis. 

9. City Council adopt the updated Municipal Housing Facility By-law in Attachment 2 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, and repeal Municipal Housing Facility By-law 713-2024.

10. City Council authorize the City Solicitor make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Municipal Housing Facility By-law and to the amendments to the City of Toronto Municipal Code contained in Attachment 3 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, as may be required.

Program Administration

11. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, accept Home Ownership Assistance Program applications on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis, and make funding and incentives allocations, up to the 400 unit/year limit.

12. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Housing Secretariat, in consultation with the Chief Procurement Officer, Purchasing & Material Management Division, to initiate a competitive procurement process for a third party entity to take on responsibility for administering second mortgage charges currently held by the City and the Toronto Community Housing Corporation in relation to legacy home ownership programs as well as delivering and administering future program loans and second mortgage charges.

Intergovernmental Considerations

13. City Council request the Government of Ontario to support the implementation of the Home Ownership Assistance Program by:

a. providing flexibility for the City to allocate revolving loan funds from legacy housing programs currently restricted to affordable housing terms to attainable housing developments under the Home Ownership Assistance Program;

b. increasing the maximum loan amount under the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative Homeownership Component from 10 percent to 15 percent of the eligible units’ purchase price to broaden and improve the impact of the program; and,

c. increasing the maximum household income under the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative Homeownership Component to the 80th income percentile to align with those under the Home Ownership Assistance Program.

Toronto is facing two housing crises – one where there is a lack of deeply affordable and supportive homes for low-income, marginalized, and vulnerable residents, as well as those experiencing homelessness; and a more recent one in which rising housing costs have made it increasingly unaffordable for middle income earners, key workers and professionals to live in the city. To respond to this dual crises, City Council has pledged to meet the Provincial housing target of 285,000 housing starts in Toronto by 2031,

As Toronto residents continue to struggle with rising inflation and cost of living, it is becoming increasingly difficult even for middle income earners to access the ownership market, including women-led households and those from equity-deserving communities. As of the 2021 Census, home ownership rates for Indigenous and Black-led households were 50 percent lower than the general population, and historical inequities in homeownership levels within low-income, racialized, and other equity-deserving groups means these groups have not experienced the benefits that typically accompany home ownership.

This report recommends key changes to the Home Ownership Assistance Program (HOAP), which was first introduced in 2010, enhancing the City’s approach to supporting new non-profit ownership housing development and administration, at a time when new housing solutions are needed across the housing continuum.  HOAP currently provides down payment assistance loans through the deferral of development charges for eligible homeowners.

This report recommends key changes to the HOAP program that respond to Toronto’s current housing context, will expand its reach and impact, and other actions to advance affordable home ownership in line with City Council’s target of approving 4,000 affordable ownership homes by 2030:

• That HOAP eligibility be expanded to include a new “attainable” program tier, with eligible household incomes and home price limits above the “affordable” thresholds prescribed by the City’s Official Plan;

• That the HOAP incentives package be expanded to increase the City’s contributions to non-profit ownership housing, and extended to include private/non-profit development partnerships, and;

• That the City provide funding and land contributions where available and appropriate, particularly to support the New Deal modular attainable housing initiative currently underway with the Province of Ontario.

The proposed changes are coordinated with statutory exemptions and discounts to municipal growth funding tools introduced by the Province. Recent legislative changes through Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, and Bill 134, the Affordable Homes and Good Jobs Act, provide non-profit and affordable rental and ownership housing developers with a variety of statutory exemptions from key municipal fees (development charges, parks levies and community benefits charges). The Province has indicated it would make the City whole for the impacts of legislation changes impacting municipal growth funding tools, but this has not yet been confirmed or received. Through the recommendations of this report the updated HOAP incentives package will build on these statutory exemptions to further support non-profit attainable and affordable housing developments. It is also proposed that the incentive package be extended to non-profit partnerships with private developers, which are currently not eligible for the provincial non-profit exemptions.

In 2020, the City’s Auditor General reviewed the City’s affordable ownership housing programs and recommended the program be revised to strengthen administration and oversight, program design, and to better monitor program outcomes. Following the Auditor's recommendations, the Housing Secretariat engaged the consultants Beam Group and BGM Strategy Group to conduct an evaluation of the program and make recommendations for a program redesign and relaunch. The reports prepared by the consultants are provided as Attachments 4 and 5 and support the recommendations and content of this report. The consultants’ reports and the proposed updates to HOAP address the issues raised by the Auditor General.

In September 2023, Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced a Working Group of senior public servants from the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto. The Working Group’s "Ontario-Toronto New Deal Working Group - Term Sheet" was approved by City Council in December 2023 and included a modular attainable housing initiative targeting the development of five sites with Provincial and City support. The recommendations outlined in this report will support future New Deal modular attainable housing developments through the proposed expansion of the HOAP incentives package, as well as funding and land contributions. This report also recommends including HOAP opportunities in appropriate CreateTO and Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) redevelopments, with suitable TCHC developments providing the opportunity for TCHC tenants to become homeowners.

The City of Toronto has provided financial support to low-to-moderate income families and individuals, in the form of down payment assistance loans, and/or for the construction of new affordable home ownership housing, through various Federal/ Provincial and City programs since 2007. Since the introduction of HOAP in 2010, the federal/provincial and City programs have provided some 1,370 down payment assistance loans to eligible households worth a combined $54.5 million.

The recommendations in this report will support the delivery of the City’s HousingTO 2020-2030 Plan and targets in partnership with the federal and provincial governments, and non-profit and private development sectors. Increasing the supply of new homes across the housing continuum will reduce pressure throughout the housing system, improve housing affordability for lower and middle-income households, and support the growth of complete communities.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Development Review,  the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, the General Manager, Toronto Water, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management and other relevant Divisions to report to Planning and Housing Committee in the fourth quarter of 2025 on the update to Version 5 of the Toronto Green Standard including:

a. the results of further analysis and consultation of energy and emissions performance measures resulting from the Net Zero Transition Study; and

b. the feasibility of requiring mandatory embodied emissions caps for new development.

2. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in collaboration with the Executive Director, Environment and Climate and the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building, and in consultation with the building industry, to develop a training curriculum for building design and construction professionals on the Toronto Green Standard, including new and emerging technologies.

3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the Executive Director, Environment and Climate, the Chief Executive Officer, The Atmospheric Fund and other relevant stakeholders, to report back in the fourth quarter of 2025 as part of the update to Version 5 of the Toronto Green Standard with a plan to enhance voluntary uptake of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Greenhouse Gas Intensity performance measures, including but not limited to consideration of the following:

a. Improvements to the design, promotion and implementation of the existing Toronto Green Standard Development Charge Refund program to encourage industry uptake of lower Greenhouse Gas Intensity requirements;

b. Improvements to the design, promotion and implementation of the existing New Development Sustainable Energy Plan Financing Program to increase industry uptake;

c. Development of new non-financial incentives including new policies, programs and practices to support voluntary uptake of the Toronto Green Standard.

With the adoption of TransformTO Net Zero Strategy in December 2021, Council committed to taking a number of actions to achieve net-zero emissions in Toronto by 2040 to align with the global 2030 trajectory to keep the planet's temperature habitable. This included the direction to accelerate implementation of the greenhouse gas emission limits performance measure in the Toronto Green Standard in 2025 and 2028 to ensure that buildings constructed in or after 2030 are near zero emissions. To address the feasibility of this acceleration, the City launched the Net Zero Transition Study.

As part of the study, staff, in consultation with stakeholders considered opportunities to introduce revised Toronto Green Standard performance measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2025. These opportunities were based on the results of the study's first phase.

The Toronto Green Standard (TGS) has been applied to new construction through the development review and approvals process since 2010 and has followed a standard frequency of updates on a four-year cycle, each time advancing the City's environmental sustainability priorities. This frequency has ensured the development industry has time to adjust to higher standards. Implementing changes between the four-year period is more challenging as it is not part of a comprehensive Toronto Green Standard update. Stakeholder feedback identified the need to understand the full suite of proposed changes associated with the next Toronto Green Standard update, as well as comprehensive costing on all potential changes. While changes would positively contribute to addressing the climate crisis, based on current market trends it is expected that the number of projects that would be affected by accelerating one year earlier than planned is negligible and would be more appropriately addressed as part of the next phase of the Toronto Green Standard.

This report recommends that staff incorporate revised greenhouse gas emission limits as part of the planned update to the Toronto Green Standard Version 5 performance measures, which would - if adopted - come into effect in 2026. A report on an update to Version 5 the Toronto Green Standard is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2025, allowing for completion of the second phase of the Net Zero Transition Study and further stakeholder consultation.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request the Board of Directors, CreateTO to direct the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, in consultation with the President, Toronto Parking Authority, to:

a. undertake a parking utilization study of 705 Warden Avenue to determine available capacity;

b. undertake continued due diligence to further explore options for offsite paid Green P public parking facility as outlined in Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management; and 

c. report to City Council in or before the fourth quarter of 2025 with results of the parking utilization study at 705 Warden Avenue and the due diligence analysis to establish a new off site Green P parking facility, including updated financial estimates, and recommend the most suitable commuter parking solution(s).

2. City Council authorize the public release of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (November 21, 2024) from the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, following the conclusion of any real estate transactions.  

On July 24, 2024 City Council requested through item 2024.PH14.6 that the Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services, the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management (“CREM”), and the Board of Directors, CreateTO to direct the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO to identify options for additional off-site Green P public parking to off-set the loss of commuter parking at 777 Victoria Park Avenue as a result of the Housing Now project at this location. The item also directed the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO to identify parking opportunities at 781 Victoria Park Avenue, Dentonia Park Golf Course (the “Golf Course”), for Toronto Transit Commission’s (“TTC”) Victoria Park Station commuter use, with consideration of the impacts on Golf Course operations and other operational requirements. The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the progress of the review for parking alternatives, including at the Golf Course.

Following City Council’s direction to review the capacity of the Golf Course parking lot to accommodate commuter parking, CreateTO retained a consultant to undertake a parking utilization study. The study concluded that upon completion of the new TTC Passenger Pick-Up and Drop-Off (“PPUDO”) on-site, previously approved by Council, and which reduces the current capacity of the golf course parking from 55 to 47, remaining parking spaces will be required to support the Golf Course and parkland users. Any further reduction to the Golf Course parking lot for commuter use will have significant impact to the Golf Course’s operations and its continued viability.

CreateTO, and the Toronto Parking Authority, in consultation with CREM, continue to explore alternative sites for replacement commuter parking. Additional details are provided in this report and in Confidential Attachment 1.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to amend By-law 31874, as amended by By-law 872-2010, which designates the property at 2489 Bayview Avenue under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, pursuant to Section 30.1(2) of the Ontario Heritage Act substantially in accordance with Attachment 2 to the report (November 15, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, Statement of Significance (Revised Reasons for Designation): 2451 and 2489 Bayview Avenue appended to the report (November 15, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. If there are no objections to the proposed amendment to By-law 31874, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council amending By-law 31874 under Part IV, Section 30.1(2) of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council amend the 1992 former City of North York By-law 31874 designating the City-owned property at 2489 Bayview Avenue under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to revise the Reasons for Designation to describe the site's cultural heritage value and attributes in accordance with Ontario Regulation 9/06, to amend the legal description to include the entirety of the historic 20-acre property, and to protect the archaeological sites known as the Whitney Site (AkGu-77) and the Whitney 2 Site (AkGu-82).

Located on the east side of Bayview Avenue, south of York Mills Road, the property at 2489 Bayview Avenue, known as Windfields Estate, is a significant cultural heritage landscape containing the original 20-acre estate of late Canadian business magnate, E. P. Taylor, where the Main House and adjacent Stables, Gatehouse, three Workers’ Cottages, Garage, Potting Shed and Greenhouse are placed in a landscaped setting. Developed in the 1930s-1940s on rolling fields that remained largely rural into the 1950s, the estate is one of the earliest residential enclaves to be built in the area following the extension of Bayview Avenue north of Eglinton Avenue East in 1929 and responds directly to the natural features of its site alongside Wilket Creek.

In 1986, the Taylor family bequeathed the property at 2489 Bayview Avenue to the former City of North York. The built components and landscaped grounds of the historic Windfields Estate have been tenanted and adaptively-reused by the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) since 1988 – a bequest of E.P. Taylor and gesture reflecting his long-term patronage of the arts. In addition to the leased portion of the property, part of the 20-acre parcel is now operated as City parkland (Windfields Park) identified municipally as 2451 Bayview Avenue. Parks staff maintain the parkland grounds, as well as the Garage building that forms part of the historic grouping of auxiliary buildings.   

Part of the subject property was designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1992 (By-law 31874). In 2010, the legal description was amended by By-Law Number 872-2010 to include the property containing the Gatehouse and additional landscaped areas associated with the original estate. The designated portion of the property is now located within City of Toronto parkland known as Windfields Park (2451 Bayview Avenue) and is publicly accessible via the Wilket Creek Trail running along the southern portion of the property from Bayview Avenue to Wilket Creek. The eastern boundary of the property is within a Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) regulated area. The property also encompasses the Whitney Site (AkGu-77) and the Whitney 2 Site (AkGu-82), which have been identified and registered for their archaeological potential.

The Canadian Film Centre is currently negotiating the terms of their lease renewal at 2489 Bayview Avenue with the City. A requirement of their lease renewal terms at this designated property is to enter into a Heritage Easement Agreement (HEA) with the City; however, the designating By-law 31874, as amended by By-law 872-2010, lacks sufficient identification and protection of the cultural heritage value of the property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Staff is recommending amendment to replace Schedule "B" in the 1992 designation by-law (31874) with the Revised Reasons for Designation, appended as Attachment 2 to this report, to identify the cultural heritage values and heritage attributes of the entire property in accordance with Ontario Heritage Act Regulation 9/06. Staff is also recommending amendment to the legal description for the designating by-law, appended as Attachment 3 to this report, which will replace Schedule "A" of By-law 872-2010, so that it is consistent with the attributes identified in the Revised Reasons for Designation (Attachment 2). Following amendment to the designation, staff will negotiate an Heritage Easement Agreement with Canadian Film Centre, the tenant, and register it on the property.

At its meeting on November 28, 2024 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB25.9 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (November 15, 2024) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

This report recommends that City Council amend the 1992 former City of North York By-law 31874 designating the City-owned property at 2489 Bayview Avenue under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, to revise the Reasons for Designation to describe the site's cultural heritage value and attributes in accordance with Ontario Regulation 9/06, to amend the legal description to include the entirety of the historic 20-acre property, and to protect the archaeological sites known as the Whitney Site (AkGu-77) and the Whitney 2 Site (AkGu-82).

Located on the east side of Bayview Avenue, south of York Mills Road, the property at 2489 Bayview Avenue, known as Windfields Estate, is a significant cultural heritage landscape containing the original 20-acre estate of late Canadian business magnate, E. P. Taylor, where the Main House and adjacent Stables, Gatehouse, three Workers’ Cottages, Garage, Potting Shed and Greenhouse are placed in a landscaped setting. Developed in the 1930s-1940s on rolling fields that remained largely rural into the 1950s, the estate is one of the earliest residential enclaves to be built in the area following the extension of Bayview Avenue north of Eglinton in 1929 and responds directly to the natural features of its site alongside Wilket Creek - an open channel, second order tributary to the West Don River.

In 1986, the Taylor family bequeathed the property at 2489 Bayview Avenue to the former City of North York. The built components and landscaped grounds of the historic Windfields Estate have been tenanted and adaptively-reused by the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) since 1988 – a bequest of E.P. Taylor and gesture befitting his long-term patronage of the arts. In addition to the leased portion of the property, part of the 20-acre parcel is now operated as City parkland (Windfields Park) identified municipally as 2451 Bayview Avenue. Parks staff maintain the parkland grounds, as well as the Garage building that forms part of the historic grouping of auxiliary buildings.   

Part of the subject property was designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1992 (By-law 31874). In 2010, the legal description was amended by By-Law Number 872-2010 to include the property containing the Gatehouse and additional landscaped areas associated with the original estate. The designated portion of the property is now located within City of Toronto parkland known as Windfields Park (2451 Bayview Avenue) and is publicly accessible via the Wilket Creek Trail running along the southern portion of the property from Bayview Avenue to Wilket Creek. The eastern boundary of the property is within a Toronto Regional Conservation Authority (TRCA) regulated area. The property also encompasses the Whitney Site (AkGu-77) and the Whitney 2 Site (AkGu-82), which have been identified and registered for their archaeological potential.

The Canadian Film Centre is currently negotiating the terms of their lease renewal at 2489 Bayview Avenue with the City. A requirement of their lease renewal terms at this designated property entails entering into a Heritage Easement Agreement (HEA) with the City; however, the designating By-law 31874, as amended by By-law 872-2010, lacks sufficient identification and protection of the cultural heritage value of the property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Staff is recommending amendment to replace Schedule "B" in the 1992 designation by-law (31874) with the Revised Reasons for Designation, appended as Attachment 2 to this report, to identify the cultural heritage values and heritage attributes of the entire property in accordance with Ontario Heritage Act Regulation 9/06. Staff is also recommending amendment to the legal description for the designating by-law, appended as Attachment 3 to this report, which will replace Schedule "A" of By-law 872-2010, so that it is consistent with the attributes identified in the Revised Reasons for Designation (Attachment 2). Following amendment to the designation, staff will negotiate an Heritage Easement Agreement with Canadian Film Centre, the tenant, and register it on the property.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street (including structure address at 350 Dufferin Street) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 358-360 Dufferin Street (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 1 to the report (November 15, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. If there are no objections to the designation, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council designating the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the former Dominion Radiator Company factory complex properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street (including structure address at 350 Dufferin Street) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of heritage attributes found in Attachment 1.

The subject properties are located south of Queen Street West on the west side of Dufferin Street between Milky Way Lane and Melbourne Avenue in South Parkdale. A location map and current photograph of the heritage property is found in Attachment 2.

The properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street comprise part of the Dominion Radiator Complex, a Late-Victorian era industrial compound defined by factory and office buildings grouped around an open, central courtyard. The prominent Toronto architect, E.J. Lennox, is attributed to the design and/or expansion of buildings on the site during Dominion Radiator's ownership (1889-1907). The Mixing and Core Oven Buildings, Foundry Building and red brick industrial chimneys, along with the central courtyard defined by the large footprint built components, constitute a cultural heritage landscape that facilitated heavy industrial manufacturing and contributed to the historic character of Parkdale following the easing of industrial zoning restrictions in the area in the late-19th century.

Staff have determined that the properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street have cultural heritage value and meet 5 of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.

As of July 1, 2021, Section 29(1.2) of the Ontario Heritage Act restricts City Council's ability to give notice of its intention to designate a property under the Act to within 90 days of a "Prescribed Event".

The properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street are subject to a Prescribed Event. On August 31, 2022, the City received Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan applications related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject property (22 198105 STE 04 OZ and 22 198104 STE 04 SA).

A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) and Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) authored by ERA Architects and dated July 15 and 19, 2022 respectively were submitted in support of the application and conclude that the properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street have cultural heritage value and meet the criteria under Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.  

The City Clerk sent a Notice of Complete Application on October 13, 2022. The owner provided a waiver until January 31, 2025 to extend the time limit for Council to make a decision. In order to meet prescribed timelines under the Ontario Heritage Act, Council must make a decision at its December 17-19, 2024 meeting to provide sufficient time for the City Clerk to issue a notice of intention to designate before the waiver expires.

At its meeting on November 28, 2024 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB25.1 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (November 14, 2024) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

  
This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the former Dominion Radiator Company factory complex properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street (including structure address at 350 Dufferin Street) under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for their cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of heritage attributes found in Attachment 1.

The subject properties are located south of Queen Street West on the west side of Dufferin Street between Milky Way Lane and Melbourne Avenue in South Parkdale. A location map and current photograph of the heritage property is found in Attachment 2.

The properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street comprise part of the Dominion Radiator Complex, a Late-Victorian era industrial compound defined by factory and office buildings grouped around an open, central courtyard. The prominent Toronto architect, E.J. Lennox, is attributed to the design and/or expansion of buildings on the site during Dominion Radiator's ownership (1889-1907). The Mixing and Core Oven Buildings, Foundry Building and red brick industrial chimneys, along with the central courtyard defined by the large footprint built components, constitute a cultural heritage landscape that facilitated heavy industrial manufacturing and contributed to the historic character of Parkdale following the easing of industrial zoning restrictions in the area in the late-19th century.

Staff have determined that the properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street have cultural heritage value and meet 5 of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.

As of July 1, 2021, Section 29(1.2) of the Ontario Heritage Act restricts City Council's ability to give notice of its intention to designate a property under the Act to within 90 days of a "Prescribed Event".

The properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street are subject to a Prescribed Event. On August 31, 2022, the City received Zoning By-law Amendment and Site Plan applications related to the proposed redevelopment of the subject property (22 198105 STE 04 OZ and 22 198104 STE 04 SA).

A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) and Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) authored by ERA Architects and dated July 15 and 19, 2022 respectively were submitted in support of the application and conclude that the properties at 358-360 Dufferin Street have cultural heritage value and meet the criteria under Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.  

The City Clerk sent a Notice of Complete Application on October 13, 2022. The owner provided a waiver until January 31, 2025 to extend the time limit for Council to make a decision. In order to meet prescribed timelines under the Ontario Heritage Act, Council must make a decision at its December 17-19, 2024 meeting to provide sufficient time for the City Clerk to issue a notice of intention to designate before the waiver expires.

The Planning and Housing Committee recommends that:

1. City Council state its intention to designate the property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act in accordance with the Statement of Significance for 94 Cortleigh Boulevard (Reasons for Designation) attached as Attachment 1 to the report (November 15, 2024) from the Interim Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning

2. If there are no objections to the designation, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to introduce the Bill in Council designating the property under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act.

This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of heritage attributes found in Attachment 1.

The subject property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard is located between Avenue Road and Cortleigh Boulevard in the Lytton Park neighbourhood. A location map and current photograph of the heritage property is found in Attachment 2.

The property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard comprises a substantial two-storey house constructed in 1914 on an oversized lot. The rear of the property includes a portion of the ravine which crossed the area from north to south. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, the house is finished in rustic red brick, stone detailing, and has half-timbered gables. An extended roof slope bisects and distinguishes the main façade, which also features a prominent stone porch. The property was commissioned for professional interior decorator, William Weeks, and is among the earliest to be developed in this portion of Lytton Park.

Staff have determined that the property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard has cultural heritage value and meets four of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.

The property was listed on the City's Heritage Register on July 19, 2023.

A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) authored by ERA Architects and dated August 29, 2024 was submitted to Heritage Planning and similarly concludes that the property at meets four of the nine criteria under Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV.

At its meeting on November 28, 2024 the Toronto Preservation Board considered Item PB25.2 and made recommendations to City Council.

Summary from the report (November 13, 2024) from the Senior Manager, Heritage Planning, Urban Design, City Planning:

 
This report recommends that City Council state its intention to designate the property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act for its cultural heritage value according to the Statement of Significance and description of heritage attributes found in Attachment 1.

The subject property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard is located between Avenue Road and Cortleigh Boulevard in the Lytton Park neighbourhood. A location map and current photograph of the heritage property is found in Attachment 2.

The property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard comprises a substantial two-storey house constructed in 1914 on an oversized lot. The rear of the property includes a portion of the ravine which crossed the area from north to south. Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, the house is finished in rustic red brick, stone detailing, and has half-timbered gables. An extended roof slope bisects and distinguishes the main façade, which also features a prominent stone porch. The property was commissioned for professional interior decorator, William Weeks, and is among the earliest to be developed in this portion of Lytton Park.

Staff have determined that the property at 94 Cortleigh Boulevard has cultural heritage value and meets four of the Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act. A property may be designated under Part IV, Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, if it meets two or more of the nine criteria.

The property was listed on the City's Heritage Register on July 19, 2023.

A Cultural Heritage Evaluation Report (CHER) authored by ERA Architects and dated August 29, 2024 was submitted to Heritage Planning and similarly concludes that the property at meets four of the nine criteria under Ontario Regulation 9/06 criteria prescribed for municipal designation under Part IV.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend the Official Plan, for the lands at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Adriatic Road substantially-in-accordance with the draft Official Plan Amendment attached as Attachment 8 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District.

2. City Council amend City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 Adriatic Road substantially-in-accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 9 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District, as amended by the following:

a. amend Part 7, Site Specific Provisions to add the following regulations:

"A minimum of one day nursery is required in “Building 1”, “Building 2” or “Building 3”;

Despite Regulations 15.20.20.20(1), 15.20.20.100(6), and 150.45.50.1(1)(B), a children’s play area for a day nursery may be located closer than 6.0 metres to a lot line abutting Adriatic Road or the “Proposed Private Road” as shown on Diagram 3 of By-law [Clerks to insert By-law number] provided it is not located within a front yard;

Despite 15.20.40.50(1)(A), the minimum rate of indoor amenity space required for “Building 1”, “Building 2” or “Building 3” may be reduced by the interior floor area of a day nursery in which it is located;

Despite 15.20.40.50(1)(B), the minimum rate of outdoor amenity space required for “Building 1”, “Building 2” or “Building 3” may be reduced by the area of the children's play area for a day nursery in which it is located;

In addition to the elements listed in Regulation 15.5.40.40(1) that reduce gross floor area, the interior floor area of a day nursery will also apply to reduce the gross floor area of the building in which it is located;"

3. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendment and/or draft Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required.

4. Before introducing the necessary Bills to City Council for enactment, City Council require the owner to:

a. Submit a Compatibility/Mitigation Study, Air Quality Study, Noise Study, and Vibration Study to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review.

b. Submit an updated Pedestrian Level Wind Study, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review and Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

5. City Council approve that in accordance with Section 42 of the Planning Act, prior to the issuance of the first above grade building permit, the owner shall convey to the City an on-site parkland dedication, having a minimum size of 1,007 square metres, to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the City Solicitor.

6. City Council approve the acceptance of on-site parkland dedication, subject to the owner transferring the parkland to the City free and clear, above and below grade, of all easements, encumbrances, and encroachments, in an acceptable environmental condition; and the owner may propose the exception of encumbrances of tiebacks, where such an encumbrance and environmental condition is deemed acceptable by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the City Solicitor and such an encumbrance will be subject to the payment of compensation to the City, in an amount as determined by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management.

7. City Council approve a Development Charge credit against the Parks and Recreation component of the Development Charges for the design and construction by the owner of the Above Base Park Improvements to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation. The Development Charge credit shall be in an amount that is the lesser of the cost to the owner of designing and constructing the Above Base Park Improvements, as approved by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and the Parks and Recreation component of development charges payable for the development in accordance with the City's Development Charges By-law, as may be amended from time-to-time.

8. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with the local Ward Councillor and the City Solicitor, to continue to work with the applicant to bring forward an in-kind community benefit offer, pursuant to 37(6) of the Planning Act, for the provision of a new child care centre, and to report back to City Council if an offer is made.

The Etobicoke York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on December 2, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This application proposes to amend the Official Plan and amend city-wide Zoning By-law 569-2013 for 1-20 Adriatic Road.

The Official Plan Amendment (OPA 758) would redesignate 18 properties, each with a detached dwelling, from Neighbourhoods to Apartment Neighbourhoods to facilitate a more intense form of development. OPA 758 would also redesignate the southeast corner of the development block as Parks and Other Open Spaces – Parks, in recognition of the on-site parkland dedication secured through the development review process, and Natural Areas for the sensitive areas within the Natural Heritage System.

The rezoning would introduce regulations and performance standards to permit the intensification of the site with three new 22-storey residential apartment buildings. In total, the proposal would deliver 947 new residential units. The new residential units would be supported by a new park, positive public realm interventions, and amenity spaces.

This report reviews and recommends approval of the applications to amend the Official Plan and Zoning By-law with a Holding Provision.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend the Official Plan for the lands at 2422, 2428 and 2434 Islington Avenue substantially-in-accordance with the draft Official Plan Amendment attached as Attachment 5 to the report (November 14, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York.

2. City Council amend Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands at 2422, 2428 and 2434 Islington Avenue substantially-in-accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment, provided in Attachment 6 to the report (November 14, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York.

3. City Council authorizes the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Official Plan Amendment and draft Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required.

4. City Council direct that the owner shall provide an acceptable Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan for the tenants of the existing one rental dwelling unit at 2423 Islington Avenue, addressing financial compensation and other assistance to lessen hardship. The Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

5. Before introducing the necessary Bills to City Council for enactment, City Council require the owner to provide a legal undertaking to the City, to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, securing the implementation of the Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan required by Recommendation 4 above.

The Etobicoke York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on December 2, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

An application to amend the Official Plan, Zoning By-law 569-2013 and former City of Etobicoke By-law 11,737 has been submitted for the lands at 2422, 2428 and 2434 Islington Avenue, the current site of a multi-unit commercial building (Elmhurst Plaza), a drive-through restaurant (Tim Hortons) and a detached dwelling. The existing commercial plaza and detached dwelling are proposed to be demolished. 

The Official Plan Amendment (OPA) proposes to redesignate the site from Neighbourhoods to Mixed Use Areas.

The Zoning By-law amendment (ZBA) would permit the development of a mid-rise, mixed-use, building accompanied by two blocks of stacked townhouse units on the north-west corner of Islington Avenue and Elmhurst Drive. The L-shaped mid-rise building would be 11 storeys with a four- to five-storey street-wall expression and the townhouse units would be four storeys in height. The 449-unit proposal includes 421 units in the mid-rise building and 28 stacked townhouse units for a residential Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 27,147 square metres. Additionally, 617 square metres of non-residential GFA is proposed.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend former City of York By-law 1-83, as amended by City of Toronto By-laws 1001-2010 and 837-2017, for the lands at 82 Buttonwood Avenue, substantially-in-accordance with the draft Temporary Use Zoning By-law attached as Attachment 5 to the report (November 14, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Temporary Use Zoning By-law as may be required.

3. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate staff to attend and support the draft Temporary Use Zoning By-law in its current form, should it be appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal within the statutory timeframe of the Planning Act.

The Etobicoke York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on December 2, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

West Park Healthcare Centre, a public rehabilitation hospital at 82 Buttonwood Avenue, has recently redeveloped their campus and opened a new main hospital building. The Ministry of Health has requested that the former hospital building, including an associated central utility plant, be retained and remain in use for a temporary period.

A Temporary Use Zoning By-law to allow the use of the former hospital buildings is required because the existing zoning regulations contemplate that, following construction, existing buildings would be demolished and only the new main hospital building and the existing long-term care facility would remain in the associated zoning block. The existing zoning also imposes restrictions within valley and buffer lands.

This report recommends approval of the application for a Temporary Use Zoning By-law to permit the use of the former hospital building and associated central utility plant at the West Park Healthcare Centre as a temporary use for a period of three years. The Temporary Use Zoning By-law also provides for additional parking and a new maintenance garage to be accommodated on a temporary basis within identified areas.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend City of Toronto Zoning By-law 569-2013 for the lands municipally known as 530 The East Mall substantially-in-accordance with the draft Zoning By-law Amendment attached as Attachment 5 to the report (November 14, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District.

2. City Council authorizes the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to the draft Zoning By-law Amendment as may be required.

3. In accordance with the delegated approval under Section 415-16 of the Toronto Municipal Code, as amended, City Council be advised that the Executive Director, Development Review intends to approve the Draft Plan of Subdivision as generally illustrated in Attachment 7 to the report (November 14, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District subject to:

a. The conditions as generally listed in Attachment 6 to the report (November 14, 2024) from the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York District which, except as otherwise noted, must be fulfilled prior to final approval and the release of the Plan of Subdivision for registration.

b. Any such revisions to the proposed Plan of Subdivision or any such additional modified conditions as the Executive Director, Development Review may deem to be appropriate to address matters arising from the on-going technical review of this development.

4. City Council approve, in accordance with Section 42 of the Planning Act, and as a component of the registration of Plan of the Subdivision, the owner shall convey to the City, an on-site parkland dedication, having a minimum size of 1345 square metres, to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the City Solicitor.

5. City Council approve the acceptance of on-site parkland dedication, subject to the owner transferring the parkland to the City free and clear, above and below grade, of all easements, encumbrances, and encroachments, in an acceptable environmental condition. The owner may propose the exception of encumbrances of tiebacks, where such an encumbrance is deemed acceptable by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in consultation with the City Solicitor; and such an encumbrance will be subject to the payment of compensation to the City, in an amount to be determined by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management.

6. City Council approve a Development Charge credit against the Parks and Recreation component of the Development Charges for the design and construction by the owner of the Above Base Park Improvements to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation. The Development Charge credit shall be in an amount that is the lesser of the cost to the owner of designing and constructing the Above Base Park Improvements, as approved by the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation and the Parks and Recreation component of Development Charges payable for the development in accordance with the City's Development Charges By-law, as may be amended from time-to-time.

7. Before introducing the necessary Bill to City Council for enactment, require that City Council has approved the Rental Housing Demolition Application (23 103643 WET 02 RH) under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to permit the demolition of the existing rental dwelling units.

That:

8. City Council amend City of Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 925, Permit Parking in order to prevent the residents of, visitors to, or tradespersons at 530 The East Mall from obtaining a parking permit.

9. City Council request that the Executive Director, Development Review include the following as a Site Plan Control approval condition:

a. the Owner shall insert the following advisory into all agreements of purchase and sale or agreements to lease and condominium declaration document(s) for each affected residential unit within the development:

Purchasers, tenants or residents acknowledge and agree that purchasers or residents of the development will not be eligible for on street-parking permits under the City of Toronto Municipal Code. Purchasers, tenants or residents agree that, despite the status or availability of on-street parking permits for residents in the development area as of the date of this document, the availability of on-street parking permits in the development area for the purchasers or residents of the development may, at the discretion of City of Toronto Council, be modified, amended or removed at any time in accordance with the City of Toronto Act, 2006, as amended from time to time and its successors, and the City of Toronto Municipal Code.

b. the Owner shall insert the following advisory into all agreements of purchase and sale or agreements to lease and condominium declaration document(s) for each affected residential unit within the development:

The buildings contain [insert number of] units, served on site by [insert number of] resident parking spaces, [insert number of] visitor parking spaces and [insert number of] accessible parking spaces. Additional parking for overflow, visitors and residents, including overnight, is of limited or no availability. Additional off street parking, potentially at additional cost, is not guaranteed, however may be available at:

For visitors: [insert the 5 closest locations that provide off-street parking, Green P on-street parking, or parking for more than 3 hours]

For residents: [insert locations of 5 closest off-street parking locations that offer overnight or monthly parking]

The Etobicoke York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on December 2, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the Planning Act.

This application proposes to amend the Zoning By-law to permit the development of three residential apartment buildings, consisting of a 14-storey building, two 22-storey towers connected with an eight-storey base building, and a 22-storey tower with an eight-storey base building, and a public park at the southern portion of the site located at 530 The East Mall. A total of 1095 residential units (including 110 replacement rental units) are proposed with 868 vehicular parking spaces and 822 bicycle parking spaces. The development will have a total Gross Floor Area of 84,098 square metres.

The Draft Plan of Subdivision application submitted as part of this review proposes to establish three residential blocks, a public park, a storm sewer easement, and road widening blocks. 

A related Rental Housing Demolition Application has also been submitted as the existing rental apartment building on the site, consisting of 110 units, will be demolished after replacement rental units have been constructed. Assistance will be provided to tenants in the existing rental apartment building to facilitate their relocation to new units in the proposed development.

This report recommends approval of the Zoning By-law amendment and the Draft Plan of Subdivision applications.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council approve the Rental Housing Demolition Application File Number 23 103643 WET 02 RH in accordance with Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code and pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to permit the demolition of 110 existing rental dwelling units located at 530 The East Mall, subject to the following conditions:

a. The owner shall provide and maintain 110 replacement rental dwelling units on the subject site for a period of at least 20 years beginning from the date that each replacement rental dwelling unit is first occupied and, during which time, no application may be submitted to the City for condominium registration, or for any other conversion to a non-rental housing purpose, or for demolition without providing for replacement. The replacement rental dwelling units shall collectively have a total gross floor area of at least 11,111.7 square metres and be comprised of 35 one-bedroom units, 56 two-bedroom units, and 19 three-bedroom units, as generally illustrated in the plans submitted to City Planning dated May 24, 2024. Any revision to these plans shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

b. The owner shall, as part of the 110 replacement rental dwelling units required in Recommendation 1.a above, provide at least 22 one-bedroom, 48 two-bedroom, and 18 three-bedroom units at affordable rents, 5 one-bedroom, 8 two-bedroom, and 1 three-bedroom units at mid-range (affordable) rents, and 8 one-bedroom units at mid-range (moderate) rents as currently defined in the City's Official Plan, all for a period of at least 10 years beginning from the date of first occupancy of each unit;

c. The owner shall provide an acceptable Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan to all Eligible Tenants of the 110 existing rental dwelling units proposed to be demolished at 530 The East Mall, addressing the right to move directly into and occupy a replacement rental unit at similar rent, and other assistance to lessen hardship. The Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan shall be developed in consultation with, and to the satisfaction of, the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

d. The owner shall provide tenants of all 110 replacement rental dwelling units with access to, and use of, all indoor and outdoor amenities in the proposed development at no extra charge. Access to, and use of, these amenities shall be on the same terms and conditions as any other resident of the development without the need to pre-book or pay a fee, unless specifically required as a customary practice for private bookings;

e. The owner shall provide ensuite laundry and central air conditioning in each replacement rental dwelling unit at no extra charge;

f. The owner shall provide all 110 replacement rental dwelling units with balconies or terraces for private and exclusive access by the tenants of such units;

g. The owner shall provide and make available for rent at least 110 vehicle parking spaces to tenants of the replacement rental dwelling units. Such parking spaces shall be made available firstly to returning tenants who previously rented a vehicle parking space, and at similar monthly parking charges that such tenants previously paid. The remaining vehicle parking spaces shall be made available to tenants of the replacement rental units to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning;

h. The owner shall provide tenants of all replacement rental dwelling units with access to bicycle and visitor parking on the same terms and conditions as any other resident of the proposed development;

i. The owner shall provide and make available for rent a minimum of seven storage lockers to tenants of the replacement rental dwelling units. The terms and conditions for renting storage lockers to tenants of the replacement rental dwelling units shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning; and

j. The owner shall enter into, and register on title to the lands at 530 The East Mall an agreement pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 to secure the conditions outlined in Recommendations 1.a. through 1.i. above, all to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning.

2. City Council authorize the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, or their designate, to issue Preliminary Approval of the Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code for the demolition of the 110 existing rental dwelling units located at 530 The East Mall after all the following have occurred:

a. All conditions in Recommendation 1 above have been fully satisfied and secured;

b. The replacement rental units are available and ready for occupancy; and

c. The owner has confirmed, in writing, that all existing rental dwelling units proposed to be demolished are vacant.

3. City Council authorize the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to issue a Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code after the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, or their designate, has given Preliminary Approval referred to in Recommendation 2 above.

4. City Council authorize the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building to issue a Residential Demolition Permit under Section 33 of the Planning Act and Chapter 363 of the Toronto Municipal Code for 530 The East Mall after the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, or their designate, has given Preliminary Approval referred to in Recommendation 2 above, which may be included in the Rental Housing Demolition Permit under Chapter 667 pursuant to section 6.2 of Chapter 363, on condition that:

a. The owner removes all debris and rubble from the site immediately after demolition;

b. The owner erects solid construction hoarding to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official and Executive Director, Toronto Building;

5. City Council authorize the appropriate City officials to take such actions as are necessary to implement City Council's decision, including execution of the Section 111 Agreement and any other related agreements.

The Etobicoke York Community Council held a statutory public meeting on December 2, 2024, and notice was given in accordance with the City of Toronto Act, 2006.

This report reviews and recommends approval of the Rental Housing Demolition Application which proposes to demolish a seven-storey rental apartment building containing 110 rental units located at 530 The East Mall.

The 110 rental units are proposed to be replaced as part of a new development on the site. The proposal includes a Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan that addresses the right of existing tenants to move directly from their existing rental unit to a replacement unit of the same type at similar rent, and provides other assistance to mitigate hardship.

The new development on the site is the subject of a related Zoning By-law Amendment application (22 242149 WET 02 OZ). The proposed development includes 1095 dwelling units, including 110 replacement units, and would consist of a 14-storey building, two 22-storey towers (inclusive of a shared 8-storey base building), and a 22-storey tower (inclusive of an 8-storey base building). An approval report for the Zoning By-law Amendment application has been advanced concurrently with this Rental Housing Demolition Application Decision report for approval.

This report also recommends approval of the Residential Demolition Permit under Chapter 363 of the Toronto Municipal Code, subject to conditions.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council refuse the application for an Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment (Application 24 143269 WET 03 OZ) in its current form, for the lands municipally known as 4875 Dundas Street West.

2. If the application is appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal, City Council, pursuant to subsections 22(8.1) and 34(11.0.0.1) of the Planning Act, direct staff to use mediation, conciliation or other dispute resolution techniques in an attempt to resolve the concerns with the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment application, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review and City Solicitor.

3. City Council direct the City Clerk, should an appeal be filed, to notify all persons or public bodies who may have appealed the decision of City Council based on subsections 22(8.1) and 34(11.0.0.1) of the Planning Act; and the City Clerk shall provide notice to all prescribed persons or public bodies under subsections 22(8.2) and 34(11.0.0.2) of the Planning Act.

4. City Council direct the City Clerk, should an appeal be filed, to notify the Ontario Land Tribunal of City Council’s decision pursuant to subsections 22(8.1) and 34(11.0.0.1) of the Planning Act, and that the Ontario Land Tribunal shall receive the record, the notice of appeal and other prescribed documents and materials 75 days after the last day for filing a notice of appeal for these matters.

5. Should issues related to the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment application be resolved, and there is no appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal or the appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal has been withdrawn, City Council direct the Director, Community Planning, Etobicoke York to bring forward a Decision Report – Approval to Etobicoke York Community Council for a statutory public meeting as required under the Planning Act.

6. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and other appropriate staff to take any necessary steps to implement City Council's decision.

7. City Council direct the City Solicitor to request, in the event of an appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal, the Ontario Land Tribunal to withhold its final Order until the following conditions are met:

a. The final forms of the Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendments are to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review and the City Solicitor, including any appropriate Holding (H) Provisions.

b. An updated Pedestrian Level Wind Study with mitigations to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review.

c. An application to Injure or Remove Trees has been submitted by the owner and accepted by the General Manager of Parks, Forestry and Recreation.

d. The owner has addressed all comments from Transportation Services regarding the Transportation Impact Study to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Transportation Services.

e. The owner has addressed all comments from Engineering and Construction Services to their satisfaction and made satisfactory arrangements for any upgrades to municipal infrastructure as identified in an accepted Functional Servicing and Stormwater Management Report.

f. Any mitigation and/or restrictions on the proposed built form to address the accepted and peer reviewed Noise Impact Study and Air Quality and Odour Study satisfactory to the Executive Director, Development Review.

g. City Council has approved Rental Housing Demolition Application (file No. 24 143880 WET 03 RH) under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code, pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, to permit the demolition of the existing rental dwelling units and the owner has entered into, and registered on title to the lands, one or more agreements with the City, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review and the City Solicitor, securing all rental housing related matters necessary to implement City Council's decision including:

1. Replacement of the existing 56 rental housing units, including the same number of units, bedroom type and size and with similar rents.

2. An acceptable Tenant Relocation and Assistance Plan addressing the right for existing tenants to return to a replacement rental unit on the lands at similar rents, the provision of rent gap assistance, and other assistance to lessen hardship.

On May 7, 2024, a combined Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment application was submitted for a development at 4875 Dundas Street West to permit a 45-storey (150-metre high) mixed use building with a four-storey base building. The proposal contains 488 residential units, of which 56 are rental replacement units and 432 are market-based condominium units, and 461 square metres are at-grade retail uses. The overall proposal results in a density of 11.7 times the area of the lot.

A related Rental Housing Demolition Application has been submitted.

This report reviews and recommends refusal of the application as the proposal is not consistent with the policies of the Official Plan, does not have appropriate regard for the policies of the Etobicoke Centre Secondary Plan and its size and scale are excessive.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal in opposition to the current application regarding the combined Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment application, and Draft Plan of Subdivision application, appeals for the lands at 220, 230 and 240 Lake Promenade and 21 and 31 Park Boulevard, and to continue discussions with the applicant to resolve outstanding issues.

2. In the event that the Ontario Land Tribunal allows the appeals, in whole or in part, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to request that the issuance of any final Order be withheld until such time as the City Solicitor advises that:

a. The final form and content of the draft Official Plan and Zoning By-law are to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor and the Executive Director, Development Review;

b. The owner has provided a revised Functional Servicing and Stormwater Management Report, to determine the stormwater runoff, sanitary flow and water supply demand resulting from this development, and whether there is adequate capacity in the existing municipal infrastructure to accommodate the proposed development to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services.

c. The owner has provided a revised Transportation Impact Study to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Transportation Services;

d. The owner has made arrangements with the City for the design and construction of any improvements to the municipal infrastructure, should it be determined that upgrades are required to the infrastructure to support this development, according to the revised Functional Servicing and Stormwater Management Report accepted by the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and revised Transportation Impact Study accepted by the General Manager, Transportation Services;

e. The owner has submitted a revised Hydrological Assessment Report and Hydrological Review Summary Form, Servicing Report Groundwater Summary Form, and Foundation Drainage Summary Form to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and the General Manager, Toronto Water;

f. The owner has submitted a revised Arborist Report and Tree Preservation Plan to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation;

g. The owner submitted revised Architectural and Landscape Plans to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review;

h. The owner has made revisions to meet the Toronto Green Standard requirements to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review;

i. The owner has submitted a revised Noise Study and a revised Pedestrian Level Wind Study to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review;

j. The owner has satisfied requirements of the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board regarding signage and warning clauses related to enrollment capacity;

k. City Council has approved the Rental Housing Demolition Application (File 23 134700 WET 03 RH) under Chapter 667 of the Toronto Municipal Code, pursuant to Section 111 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, to permit the demolition of the existing rental dwelling units, and the owner has entered into, and registered on title to the lands, one or more agreements with the City, to the satisfaction of the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the City Solicitor, securing all rental housing-related matters necessary to implement City Council’s decision;

l. The owner has submitted a revised Coastal Hazard Assessment Report to the satisfaction of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority;

m. The owner has provided an on-site parkland dedication in a size, location, and configuration that is to the satisfaction of the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation;

n. The conditions of Draft Plan Approval respecting the proposed Plan of Subdivision are in a form and content acceptable to the Executive Director, Development Review, prepared in consultation with the City Solicitor and appropriate City divisions; and

o. The owner has entered into a Subdivision Agreement with the City to secure matters related to the Plan of Subdivision, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review, Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and the City Solicitor.

3. Should it be determined that upgrades are required to infrastructure to support the development according to the accepted Functional Servicing and Stormwater Management Report and/or the Transportation Impact Study, City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to request that a Holding Provision be included in the final form of the site-specific Zoning By-law Amendment; and the Holding Provision not be lifted until such a time as the owner has made satisfactory arrangements, including entering into appropriate agreement(s) with the City for the design and construction of any improvements to municipal infrastructure and the provision of financial securities to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services, and the General Manager, Transportation Services.

4. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and City staff to take any necessary steps to implement City Council's decision.

On April 17, 2023, a combined Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment, and Draft Plan of Subdivision, applications were submitted to permit the phased demolition of five existing seven-storey rental apartment buildings to allow for the construction of five new residential apartment buildings. The new buildings would consist of two rental apartment buildings and three condominium apartment buildings containing 2,021 residential units, comprising 577 rental and 1,444 condominium units, with heights ranging from 12 to 30 storeys. Included in the 577 rental units would be 548 rental units to replace the existing 548 rental units proposed to be demolished. A new public street, two new public parks, and a privately-owned publicly accessible space (“POPS”) are also proposed.

A Rental Housing Demolition Application was also submitted on April 17, 2023.

On August 9, 2024, the applicant appealed the applications to the Ontario Land Tribunal ("OLT") citing City Council’s failure to make a decision on the application within the 120-day time frame in the Planning Act. A Case Management Conference took place on October 18, 2024. The OLT has set a hearing for this matter from September 9 to October 6, 2025.

This report recommends that the City Solicitor with the appropriate City staff attend the OLT hearing to oppose the application in its current form and to continue discussions with the applicant to resolve outstanding issues.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the zoning permissions for nightclubs along Lake Shore Boulevard West between Palace Pier Court and Forty Third Street, and to report to the Etobicoke York Community Council on monitoring outcomes upon issuance of three licences for nightclubs within the study area and one full year of operation for each of the three licensed establishments, and to recommend any necessary revisions to the Zoning By-law, or other changes to improve implementation.

At its meeting on December 13, 2023, City Council adopted Item 2023.PH8.2 - Recommended Amendments to Zoning By-laws for Bars, Restaurants and Entertainment Venues as part of the Night Economy Review, and enacted city-wide zoning permissions for nightclubs in commercial zones beyond the downtown area.  Nightclub zoning requirements are complemented by an updated licensing framework that provides improved regulatory oversight of nightclubs. Expanding entertainment uses, such as nightclubs outside the downtown core, creates broader employment and economic benefits across Toronto, while enhancing the quality of life for residents through increasing access to local entertainment options and cultural venues in other areas of the city.

Through Item PH8.2, Council directed City Planning staff to initiate a review of zoning regulations, including community consultation and engagement, for nightclubs on Lake Shore Boulevard West between Palace Pier Court and Forty Third Street and report back to the Etobicoke York Community Council by the fourth quarter of 2024.

This review has been informed by analysis of zoning permissions for the area, a review of non-residential buildings along Lake Shore Boulevard West where nightclubs may be established, feedback received from community engagement and data from Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) on complaints and investigations.

Based on the land use planning analysis, staff have not found a rationale to rescind nightclub permissions on a geographic basis along Lake Shore Boulevard West. City Planning staff recommend monitoring the effectiveness of nightclub permissions within the study area, and to report back to Etobicoke York Community Council upon issuance of three licences for nightclubs within the study area and one full year of operation for each of the three licensed establishments in order to evaluate implementation outcomes and any necessary refinements to the Zoning By-laws.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that: 

1. City Council approve the application for the proposed Clothing Drop Box Location permit at 2050 Weston Road.

The purpose of this staff report is to report on the refusal to issue a permit by Municipal Licensing and Standards in the matter of an application for a Clothing Drop Box Location permit at 2050 Weston Road.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:  

1. City Council rescind the existing parking machine regulation in effect 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday and from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, at a rate of $1.50 per hour for a maximum period of 2 hours, on the east and south side of Marine Parade Drive, between a point 278 metres south/east of Lake Shore Boulevard West (west intersection) and a point 88 metres south of Lake Shore Boulevard West (east intersection).

2. City Council authorize the installation of parking machines on the east and south side of Marine Parade Drive, between a point 278 metres south/east of Lake Shore Boulevard West (west intersection) and a point 23 metres south of Silver Moon Drive to be in effect from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, at a rate of $1.50 per hour for a maximum period of 2 hours.

3. City Council authorize the installation of parking machines on the east and south side of Marine Parade Drive, between a point 12 metres north of Silver Moon Drive and a point 88 metres south of Lake Shore Boulevard West (east intersection) to be in effect from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, at a rate of $1.50 per hour for a maximum period of 2 hours.

4. City Council prohibit stopping at all times on the east side of Marine Parade Drive, between a point 23 metres south of Silver Moon Drive and a point 45 metres further north.

As the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates a transit service on Marine Parade Drive, City Council approval of this report is required.

Transportation Services is recommending that stopping be prohibited at all times on the east side of Marine Parade Drive, in the area opposite Silver Moon Drive, between a point 23 metres south to a point 12 metres north of the subject intersection. The proposed amendment will deter parking in the area of the intersection.

A companion report, titled "All-way Stop Control - Marine Parade Drive and Silver Moon Drive" proposes an all-way stop control at Marine Parade Drive and Silver Moon Drive. This amendment is shown in Attachment 1.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council amend the existing traffic control signals at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Bergamot Avenue/Private Access to be in effect at Rexdale Boulevard and Bergamot Avenue/Vetiver Drive.

2. City Council rescind the existing eastbound left turn prohibition at the intersection of Islington Avenue and Rexdale Boulevard.

3. City Council designate the 2 westerly northbound lanes on Islington Avenue between Rexdale Boulevard and a point 50 metres south, for northbound left turns only.

4. City Council designate the 2 southerly eastbound lanes on Rexdale Boulevard between Islington Avenue and a point 50 metres west, for eastbound right turns only.

5. City Council prohibit pedestrians from crossing Islington Avenue between the north curb line of Rexdale Boulevard and a point 30.5 metres south of the south curb line of Rexdale Boulevard.

6. City Council amend the existing speed limit of 60 km/h on Rexdale Boulevard, between Highway 427 and a point 213 metres west of Islington Avenue to be in effect between Highway 427 and Islington Avenue.

7. City Council rescind the existing parking prohibition in effect at all times on both sides of Rexdale Boulevard, between Islington Avenue (north intersection) and the west limit of the City of Toronto.

8. City Council prohibit parking at all times on both sides of Rexdale Boulevard between Islington Avenue and Highway 427.

9. City Council prohibit southbound right turns when the traffic signal shows red at the intersection of Islington Avenue and Rexdale Boulevard.

As the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates bus service on Rexdale Boulevard, Islington Avenue and Bergamot Avenue, City Council approval of this report is required.

Transportation Services is requesting approval to amend the by-law to reflect changes to the existing traffic control signals at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue, and at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Bergamot Avenue/Vetiver Drive. Transportation Services is also requesting approval to rescind the existing eastbound left turn prohibition and amend the by-law to reflect the dual eastbound-to-southbound right turn lanes and the dual northbound-to-westbound left turn lanes at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue. In addition, Transportation Services is requesting the implementation of a pedestrian crossing prohibition for the south leg of the Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue intersection.

Amendment of the by-law is necessary to reflect changes to the existing traffic control signals at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue and at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Bergamot Avenue/Vetiver Drive. Removal of the existing eastbound left turn traffic prohibition will facilitate full vehicular movements for the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue. By-law changes for the dual eastbound-to-southbound right turn lanes and the dual northbound-to-westbound left turn lanes at the intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue are required as these facilities were implemented through the approvals process associated with the 2200 Islington Avenue development.  The said facilities will accommodate the increased traffic volumes for these vehicular movements. The pedestrian crossing prohibition for the south leg of the Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue intersection is necessary as there is no pedestrian crosswalk at that location.

Transportation Services also recommends amendments to the existing parking regulations and the boundary of the 60 kilometres per hour speed limit zone to reflect the reconfigured intersection of Rexdale Boulevard and Islington Avenue.

The future public road, known as Vetiver Drive, is currently dedicated as a public highway, but not yet assumed. The recommendations for the installation or modifications of traffic control signals in this report should not be construed as the City's assumption of this future public road.

A companion report, "Traffic Control Signals - Rexdale Boulevard and Silver Reign Drive (Delegated)," outlines the required by-law amendments to reflect the new traffic control signals located at Rexdale Boulevard and Silver Reign Drive and the associated regulatory amendments for this section of Rexdale Boulevard which does not have TTC service.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the installation of traffic control signals at the intersection of Humberwood Boulevard and Kingsplate Crescent/Private Access.

As the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates a transit service on Humberwood Boulevard, City Council approval of this report is required.

Transportation Services is requesting approval to install traffic control signals at the intersection of Humberwood Boulevard and Kingsplate Crescent. The traffic control signals will provide enhanced safety for all road users and is justified based on the assessment undertaken.

The Etobicoke York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council authorize the removal of the existing traffic calming islands on Church Street between Grattan Street and Cypress Street.

2. City Council request the Director, Traffic Management, Transportation Services to assess vehicle speed on Church Street, from Grattan Street to Cypress Street and report back with their findings on the feasibility of installation of speed cushions.

In 2020, my office was approached by numerous residents of Church Street expressing urgent concerns about the growing danger posed by speeding vehicles. Their concerns were accompanied by a petition requesting the installation of speed humps to address the issue. However, since Church Street serves as a TTC route, speed humps were not considered a viable option.

At the time, Transportation Services recommended the installation of a Traffic Calming Island as an alternative measure to deter speeding. Unfortunately, over the years, this measure has proven to be ineffective in slowing down traffic and has become a safety concern for the community.

Transportation Services has updated the Traffic Calming Policy to include speed cushions which are specifically designed to reduce vehicle speeds while allowing TTC buses and emergency vehicles to pass through without disruption.

Transportation Services has agreed to investigate the implementation of speed cushions on Church Street, between Grattan Street and Cypress Street and report back to City Council in Q1 of 2025 with their findings.

North York Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to attend the Ontario Land Tribunal in opposition to the current applications regarding the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment and the Plan of Subdivision appeals for the lands at 849 Eglinton Avenue East and to continue discussions with the applicant in an attempt to resolve outstanding issues.

2. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to continue discussions with the applicant to address outstanding issues, including but not limited to those outlined in this report.

3. In the event that the Ontario Land Tribunal allows the appeal in whole or in part, City Council authorize the City Solicitor to request that the issuance of any final Orders be withheld until such time as the City Solicitor advises that:

a. the final form and content of the draft Official Plan and Zoning By-law and Draft Plan of Subdivision conditions are satisfactory to the City Solicitor, Executive Director, Development Review;

b. the owner has satisfactorily addressed the Engineering and Construction Services matters in the Engineering and Construction Services Memorandum dated May 7, 2024, or as may be updated, in response to further submissions filed by the Owner, all to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer;

c. the owner has submitted a revised Traffic Impact Assessment acceptable to, and to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review and the General Manager, Transportation Services and that such matters arising from such study be secured if required;

d. the owner has satisfactorily addressed the Urban Forestry matters in the Urban Forestry Memorandum dated August 9, 2022, or as may be updated, in response to further submissions filed by the Owner, all to the satisfaction of the Supervisor, Tree Protection and Plan Review;

e. the submission of and peer reviews have been undertaken, at the expense of the owner for:

1. Environmental Noise and Vibration Assessment Report; and

2. Air Quality, Dust and Odour Assessment Report and any recommended mitigation measures are included in the subdivision conditions and / or Site Plan, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review.  

f. made revisions to meet the Toronto Green Standard requirements to the satisfaction of the Executive Director, Development Review.

4. Should it be determined that upgrades are required to the infrastructure to support the development according to the accepted Functional Servicing Report and / or the Traffic Impact Study, City Council direct the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to request that a Holding provision (H) be included in the final form of the site-specific Zoning By-law Amendment, including entering into appropriate agreement(s) with the City for required mitigation, as well as the design and construction of any improvements to the municipal infrastructure and the provision of financial securities to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction Services and General Manager, Transportation Services.

5. The City's conditions of subdivision approval stemming from the review and acceptance of appropriate reports identified in Part 3b-e above have been finalized and submitted prior to the Tribunal's Final Order.