Agenda

This meeting of the Economic and Community Development Committee will be conducted with members participating in person and remotely.

Members of Council, City Officials, and members of the public who register to speak will be provided with the video conference details closer to the meeting date.

To provide comments or make a presentation to the Economic and Community Development Committee:

The public may submit written comments or register to speak to the Committee on any item on the agenda. The public may speak to the Committee in person or by video conference.

Written comments may be submitted by writing to ecdc@toronto.ca.

To speak to the Committee, please register by e-mail to ecdc@toronto.ca or by phone at 416-397-4579. Members of the public who register to speak will be provided with instructions on how to participate in the meeting.
 

Special Assistance for Members of the Public: City staff can arrange for special assistance with some advance notice. If you need special assistance, please call 416-397-4579, TTY 416-338-0889 or e-mail ecdc@toronto.ca.

Closed Meeting Requirements: If the Economic and Community Development Committee wants to meet in closed session (privately), a member of the Committee must make a motion to do so and give the reason why the Committee has to meet privately (City of Toronto Act, 2006).

Notice to People Writing or Making Presentations to the Economic and Community Development Committee: 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 and Boards. 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.

Many Committee, Board, and Advisory Body meetings are broadcast live over the internet for the public to view. If you speak at the meeting you will appear in the video broadcast. Video broadcasts are archived and continue to be publicly available.

If you want to learn more about why and how the City collects your information, write to the City Clerk's Office, City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto ON M5H 2N2 or call 416-397-4579.

 toronto.ca/council

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

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Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act

Confirmation of Minutes – May 6, 2025

Speakers/Presentations – The speakers list will be posted online at 8:30 a.m. on June 10, 2025

Communications/Reports

This presentation is Toronto Pearson's annual update to the City of Toronto's Economic and Community Development Committee. The presentation will include an update on the airport's performance, an overview of the economic impact of the new Pearson Economic Zone Story and the impact/connections to the City of Toronto, showcase ‘Pearson LIFT’ – Pearson’s 10-year transformational strategic capital program, and illustrate the Greater Toronto Airport Authority’s commitment to risk management, good governance and accountability.

The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards recommends that:  

1. The Economic and Community Development Committee receive this report, for information.

In accordance with the Relationship Framework approved by City Council for the Toronto Licensing Tribunal, the Chair's 2024 Annual Report is being communicated to the Economic and Community Development Committee for information.

The Toronto Licensing Tribunal (the Tribunal) is an independent quasi-judicial body that makes decisions about business licensing matters brought forward by Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS), or at the request of a licence holder or applicant, in accordance with Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 545,  Licensing, Chapter 546, Licensing of Vehicles-for-Hire, and for short-term rental companies, Chapter 547, Licensing and Registration of Short-term Rentals. The Tribunal is comprised of seven citizens chosen by City Council for a four-year term, and it receives administrative support from the City of Toronto's Court Services Division. The Tribunal operated with six active members in 2024, with one vacancy carrying over from 2023. That number was further reduced to five members due to one resignation in June. The remainder of the year was managed by five members. Training and development for members continued throughout the year, and all member training and onboarding requirements were met.

In 2024, the Toronto Licensing Tribunal scheduled 83 appearances before a hearing panel. There was a total of 33 virtual hearing dates reserved, and no requests for hearing dates in-person. In 2024, the top licence types that appeared before the Tribunal were (excluding licences withdrawn for Tow Trucks):

- Vehicle-For-Hire Driver’s Licence

- Taxicab Owner's Licence

- Eating Establishment Licence

As indicated in the Toronto Municipal Code and the Relationship Framework for the Toronto Licensing Tribunal, the Annual Report contains recommendations of the Chair for improvements or changes to the Toronto Licensing Tribunal policies and procedures. In the 2024 Annual Report, the Chair made a recommendation for Municipal Licensing and Standards staff to provide operational updates as a regular agenda item at the Tribunal's Business meetings.

The recommendation contained in this report has no financial implications on the current budget year or future years.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

The Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards recommends that:

1. The Economic and Community Development Committee receive this report for information.

The Chair of the Dangerous Dog Review Tribunal (the Tribunal) must submit an annual report on its activities to the appropriate standing committee in accordance with its governance structure. Attached to this report is the Tribunal Chair's 2024 Annual Report.

The Tribunal is a City and local board under the authority of the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and carries out an adjudicative function in accordance with Chapter 349, Animals and Section 107 of the City of Toronto Act, 2006. Tribunal hearings are conducted in accordance with the Statutory Powers Procedure Act and the Tribunal's rules of procedure. The Tribunal provides an independent review of appeals to Dangerous Dog Orders that are issued by Municipal Licensing and Standards (MLS) under the authority of Section 349-15 of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 349, Animals. The Tribunal has the authority to either confirm the dangerous dog designation or rescind the dangerous dog designation and exempt the owner from compliance with the requirements of a Dangerous Dog Order.

In 2024, Municipal Licensing and Standards responded to 3,609 service requests related to a potentially dangerous act by a dog and issued 96 Dangerous Dog Orders. Of these Dangerous Dog Orders, five were appealed to the Tribunal, three of which were heard in 2024. The other two appeal cases were to be heard in 2025.

In 2024, the Tribunal convened ten meetings, including two administrative meetings and eight hearing days. In the eight hearing days, 18 matters (appeals of Dangerous Dog Orders) were heard, 13 of which were for orders issued prior to 2024. 11 Dangerous Dog Orders were upheld, one was rescinded, two appeals were withdrawn, and two matters were deferred. Two requests for reconsideration were received in 2024, one resulted in a deferral to 2025 and the other resulted in the Dangerous Dog Order being rescinded.

This report also responds to requests from City Council in April 2025 (2025.EC19.5) to include information on what factors the Tribunal uses to determine severity and the criteria used to appoint Tribunal members.

This report was developed in consultation with Legal Services and the City Clerk’s Office.

There is no financial impact arising from the recommendation contained in this report.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information.

The General Manager, Economic Development and Culture recommends that:

1. City Council remove the following directors from the Business Improvement Area Boards of Management set out below:

          Mount Pleasant Village:

          Kutas, Matthew

          The Eglinton Way:

          Leung, Jocelyn

The purpose of this report is to make changes to the Mount Pleasant Village and The Eglinton Way Business Improvement Area Boards of Management, in accordance with the requirements of the City of Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 19, Business Improvement Areas. The Mount Pleasant Village and The Eglinton Way Business Improvement Areas fall within two Community Council boundaries.

There are no current or known future year financial implications resulting from the adoption of the recommendation contained in this report.

The Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer has reviewed this report and agrees with the information as presented in the Financial Impact Section.

Councillor Paul Ainslie recommends that:

1. City Council receive the item for information.

As the City of Toronto’s designated “Night Economy Champion”, I attended the Sociable Academy and Summit in Sacramento, California from May 7 - 9, 2025

THE SOCIABLE CITY SUMMIT is considered the premier in-person event for learning about social economy management. This annual networking event is described as a unique opportunity to connect with a broad network of leaders advancing innovation in multiple fields — law enforcement, business district management, city planning and economic development, nighttime venue operations, and more.

Organizers said there is no other event which brings together such diverse perspectives on how to create safe, vibrant daylife and nightlife in a city.

Join in sharing tools and promising practices including:

1. Innovation: Thought leaders share insights in short introductory talks followed with more in-depth workshops.
2. Sacramento Showcase: The evolution of the Golden 1 Center and its impact on downtown and social economy.
3. California Showcase: Collaborative advocacy to reform alcohol licensing to meet the demand of development and music.
4. Breakouts: Technical seminars and case studies.
5. Trendspotting: Facilitated discussions and brainstorming on a key topic.
6. Mobile Workshops: Interactive learning experiences in Sacramento.

*See letter dated May 22, 2025 from Councillor Ainslie for tables with more information.

Councillor Alejandra Bravo recommends that:

1. The Economic and Community Development Committee direct the City Manager work with the Deputy City Manager, Community and Emergency Services and the Deputy City Manager, Community Development and Social Services to report back by the October 28,  2025 meeting of Economic and Community Committee with an inventory of initiatives, programs, and services offered by City divisions, agencies, and partners to support unhoused residents; and on governance options to enable a cross-divisional, city-wide response.

People in need of shelter and support are seeking refuge in public spaces across our city: on streetcars and subways, in libraries, in parks and public squares. When people can’t get access to the services and supports they need, it impacts everyone in our city.

Without significant interventions from all three levels of government, the number of people who are unhoused in Ontario is set to triple over the next decade, as found in a recent report by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. The City of Toronto declared homelessness to be an emergency in 2023. Since then, housing has not become more affordable, incomes have not increased, and access to healthcare has not improved.

Attending with urgency to the scale and needs of unhoused residents is happening in various forms across City divisions and agencies. Mapping those interventions would support an all-of-City government approach and provide additional accountability to the public, for funding partners, and to Council.

I am requesting that the City Manager work with the Deputy City Manager, Community and Emergency Services and the Deputy City Manager, Community Development and Social Services, to report with an inventory of initiatives, programs, and services offered by City divisions and agencies to support unhoused residents; and on governance options to enable a cross-Divisional, all-of-City response.  

That:

1. The General Manager of Economic Development report to the September 16, 2025 meeting of Economic and Community Development Committee on the problems experienced with the lighting of the Luminous Veil; on the current contract provisions for automatic notification of malfunctioning sections of lighting and provide a plan and timeline to ensure fully functioning lighting of the Luminous Veil.

The Luminous Veil is a striking architectural feature and suicide prevention barrier installed on Toronto’s Prince Edward Viaduct, commonly known as the Bloor Viaduct. This double-decked bridge, completed in 1918, spans the Don Valley, connecting Bloor Street East with Danforth Avenue.

The installation of the Luminous Veil has had a significant impact on public safety. A 2017 study found that, over the long term, suicide-by-jumping declined in Toronto after the barrier’s installation, with no associated increase in suicide by other means.

 In July 2015, as part of the City of Toronto’s Legacy Art Project for the Pan American/Parapan American Games, the Luminous Veil was illuminated with a dynamic LED lighting system. This system, consisting of 600 RGB color-changing luminaires, responds to environmental factors such as wind direction, velocity, and ambient temperature, creating an ever-changing light display that enhances the bridge’s visual impact from dusk till dawn. It is beautiful whether viewed up close from the Viaduct or from the Don Valley below.

It is very disappointing that since its installation many of the sections of lights on the Luminous Veil have not worked properly. Every night there are large gaps without lights which diminishes the visual impact of this beautiful and celebrated piece of public art and engineering. Apparently, there was no mechanism required in the original lighting installation and maintenance contract that would automatically send a signal that sections of the lighting were malfunctioning. It was left up to the public to report problems with the lighting.

The Luminous Veil is a poignant example of how thoughtful design can address public health concerns while contributing to the urban landscape’s beauty.