Minutes Confirmed on March 28, 2024

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council request that the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture work with City Planning, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, Toronto Children’s Services, Transportation Services, Toronto Employment and Social Services, Environment and Climate, Housing Secretariat and other relevant City divisions to form an interdivisional team to ensure ongoing collaboration, for the implementation of the Jane Finch Community Development Plan, listed as Appendix A - Jane Finch Community Development Plan Vision & Actions, to the report (February 5, 2024) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture.

2. City Council request that the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture and other relevant City divisions, in partnership with community groups, organizations, local businesses, institutions, foundations and other private sector partners, implement and monitor the Jane Finch Community Development Plan, beginning with the following key implementation actions for year one of a 10-year plan:  

a. Form a Community Partnership Circle, including a Resident Leadership Circle, that includes residents, businesses, and other community partners to ensure continual engagement, skill development and collaboration for the implementation of the Community Development Plan.

b. Design and implement an Engagement and Communication Strategy working with the members of the Resident Leadership Circle to ensure ongoing resident participation and engagement throughout the implementation of the Community Development Plan.

c. Develop a Community Impact Table in collaboration with foundations, funders, City divisions, business partners and other institutional partners to support the resourcing of actions identified in the Community Development Plan.

3.  City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to work with Jane Finch community partners and groups to design and implement a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the ongoing monitoring of the Community Development Plan actions and to provide regular reports to the Jane Finch Community.

4.  City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration and the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to report through the 2025 Budget Process on the resources, staff and program operations required to ensure ongoing engagement and capacity-building of residents, with a priority focus on Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups and inclusive of grassroots groups, youth groups, community organizations and local businesses in Jane Finch throughout the lifetime of the Jane Finch Community Development Plan.

The opening of the Finch West Light Rail Transit line stands to bring intensive and long-term change to the Jane Finch Area. Jane Finch is an area shaped by a history of underinvestment but also a history of community organizing and action responding to community needs. Growing evidence suggests that without focused investments in Reconciliation, equity and systems-wide strategies and supports, neighbourhoods with a history of underinvestment can experience increased levels of disruption and harm as a result of increased development pressure. For new investments to positively impact existing and new Jane Finch residents, holistic supports and policy frameworks must be put in place that reflect the diverse visions of Jane Finch residents, grassroots groups, local organizations, artists, and local businesses. New policies, programs and partnerships must focus where the need is greatest and address the inequities that shape the lives of residents, with priority given to Indigenous, Black, and equity-deserving groups in Jane Finch.

The purpose of this report is to present a proposed Jane Finch Community Development Plan, and to outline the interdivisional and community-led Jane Finch Initiative process that led to the proposed plan. The report also lays out immediate and longer-term next steps to implement the plan.

The Jane Finch Community Development Plan 2024-2034 is a resident-informed plan for the future of the Jane Finch Area led by Social Development, Finance and Administration and Economic Development and Culture. The Community Development Plan is a 25-year plan and commitment to Jane Finch that will be renewed every 10 years with the first 10 years beginning in 2024 and ending in 2034.  The Jane Finch Community Development Plan accompanies the Jane Finch Secondary Plan – both aim to ensure that residents, local groups, organizations and businesses are supported as the area changes over time, including with the opening of the Finch West Light Rail Transit. To this end, the Jane Finch Community Development Plan sets out a 10-year community support and resourcing framework.

While the Secondary Plan will provide consistent land use and urban design guidelines for new development, the Community Development Plan is focused on social, economic, and cultural themes. Actions to support Jane Finch communities under these themes will continue to evolve through ongoing partnerships and discussions between multiple parties including the City of Toronto, residents, community organizations and local institutions.

The focus and content of the Community Development Plan are the result of a 2-year partner-led engagement process and intensive collaboration between participating City divisions and the Jane/Finch Centre. Through the engagement process, the Jane Finch Community Development Plan has identified the following eight action areas:

• Access to Space and Mobility
• Food Justice and Sovereignty
• Community Safety and Wellbeing
• Climate Action
• Arts, Culture and Heritage
• Inclusive Employment Opportunities
• Inclusive Entrepreneurship Opportunities
• Anti-Displacement Strategy

The Community Development Plan will advance actions across the eight action areas. The actions will be guided by principles that reflect the City of Toronto's commitments to Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups and vulnerable populations through the City's Reconciliation Action Plan, Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism and broader equity-driven strategies, initiatives and programs.

In the process of developing the Jane Finch Community Development Plan, the City has established a strong interdivisional collaboration and community partnership approach to advance both the Jane Finch Community Development Plan and Secondary Plan. The lessons learned through the engagement and development process and through interdivisional collaboration will continue to inform ongoing monitoring and implementation.

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:  

1.  City Council amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals to include a provision that the Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards is to create and maintain a public record listing information (including the dog owner’s Forward Sorting Area (first three digits of the postal code), ward number, the dog’s name, breed and colour, and the date of the dangerous act) of all served Dangerous Dog Orders, which is to be posted in a manner available to the public.

2.  City Council request the Mayor to include resources in the 2025 Budget (up to $500,000) for the Municipal Licensing and Standards Division to implement a proactive communication strategy and public education campaign to support compliance and enforcement with the goal of reducing the occurrence of dangerous dog acts.

3.  City Council request the Government of Ontario consider amendments to the Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA) to provide an expeditious process to hear DOLA proceedings, as well as an explicit mechanism for municipalities to recover costs incurred by the municipality when it holds an animal pursuant to a warrant or interim control order under DOLA.

The Director Toronto Animal Services, Municipal Licensing and Standards, and the Deputy Medical Officer of Health gave a presentation on Response to 2023.EC6.9: Incident and Operational Review of Serious Dog Attacks.

On September 21, 2023, the Economic and Community Development Committee adopted EC6.9 - Incident and Operational Review of Serious Dog Attacks. The item included a letter from Councillor Paula Fletcher in response to a serious dog attack occurring on July 30, 2023. Staff were directed to review the specific incident, as well as procedures and processes of Toronto Animal Services (TAS) for the compliance and enforcement of Dangerous Dog Orders, including in the immediate aftermath of a serious dog attack. The Committee also requested staff review relevant Toronto Public Health (TPH) processes and procedures, as well as options to make dangerous dog charges known to the public.

TAS within Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) investigates dangerous acts committed by a dog. TAS enforces requirements under Chapter 349, Animals (the Animals By-law), which requires owners to take reasonable precautions to prevent their dog from engaging in a dangerous act. The By-law also sets out criteria for when a Dangerous Dog Order may be issued and outlines associated conditions a dog owner must comply with. TAS may also commence proceedings under the provincial Dog Owners’ Liability Act (DOLA), which states that dog owners are liable for any damages resulting from a bite or attack by their dog.

TPH investigates dog bites or attacks that could be conducive to the transmission of rabies to people. Investigation processes are dictated by the Health Protection and Promotion Act, its regulations, guidelines, and protocols from the Ministry of Health specific to the prevention of rabies.

This report summarizes results of operational reviews undertaken by MLS and TPH, as well as actions staff have completed and work that is currently underway to improve processes to support effective and timely dog investigations and enhance public safety.

This report was developed in consultation with TPH, Legal Services, and Strategic Public and Employee Communications. Legal Services is preparing a supplementary report for this item.

The Economic and Community Development Committee requested the City Solicitor to report on options to make charges under dangerous dog legislation known to the public as well as public.

This supplementary report describes the legal considerations in making information about dangerous dog orders to comply publicly available on the City's website.

The Economic and Community Development Committee forwards the item to City Council without recommendations.

The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards gave a presentation on Follow Up on 2024.EC9.5: Stationary Decibel Levels for Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles.

On January 11, 2024, the Economic and Community Development Committee adopted, with amendments, 2024.EC9.5: Implementation Review of the Noise By-law.

A key recommendation in the staff report was to implement Council direction to add a noise decibel limit for stationary motor vehicles, in addition to limits currently in place for motorcycles at idle. The proposed limits align with industry standards and associated test procedures and were recommended in consultation with an acoustical engineering firm. The Committee referred this specific change back to Committee and requested staff report back to the February 20, 2024, Economic and Community Development Committee meeting on options for reduced decibel levels for motorcycles and motor vehicles.

This supplementary report provides the Committee with further information regarding proposed motorcycle and motor vehicle noise decibel limits, including additional details on how decibel limits are measured and the importance of the distance a measurement is taken (as sound levels vary depending on one’s distance from the noise source).  

After additional consideration, staff recommend keeping the decibel limits as proposed in 2024.EC9.5. The proposed limits are the lowest decibel limit range identified for implementation by the acoustical engineer, respond to Council direction to implement a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standard, and are consistent with those that have been implemented and enforced in other Ontario municipalities. In addition, the proposed approach has been endorsed by Toronto Police Service (TPS) staff, whose Board requested that MLS consider enforceable decibel limits above idle. If and when updated limits are approved, TPS staff have confirmed their support in conducting periodic joint enforcement initiatives with MLS to address excessive vehicle noise and illegally modified vehicles.

The goal of implementing decibel limits for motorcycles and motor vehicles is to target excessively noisy vehicles with modified emissions systems, not to inadvertently capture the use of normally operating motorcycles or other motor vehicles in the City. Introducing decibel limits as proposed in 2024.EC9.5 would accomplish this policy goal.

Announcements

The Chair acknowledged that the Economic and Community Development Committee was meeting on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Chair also acknowledged that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

The Chair acknowledged that the City of Toronto acknowledges all Treaty peoples – including those who came here as settlers – as migrants either in this generation or in generations past - and those of us who came here involuntarily, particularly those brought to these lands as a result of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and Slavery. We pay tribute to those ancestors of African origin and descent. 

Where the Members of the Economic and Community Development Committee listed in the attendance for this meeting participated remotely, they were counted for quorum as permitted by Section 189(4.2) of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, and City Council's Procedures.