Province WILL NOT Stand Up For Its Policies
PERHAPS THE WRITING WAS ON THE WALL...
when a group of us had the opportunity to meet with Gerald Butts, Dalton McGuinty's top advisor. We
pointed out that this development was at the access point to Lake Ontario Park and perhaps a similar Lower Don Lands study could be done
on this adjacent land. Mr.Butts replied with a laugh and a statement that went something like 'how could we justify that when we still dump
raw sewage into the Lake'.
We also pointed out how the Province's Places to Grow Policy, which protects employment lands and discourages auto-centric development, will not be a deciding factor in this hearing as this application was submitted before the policy came into play. We pointed out that this development will impact the lands set aside for the film industry and there is still a need and a demand for smaller, medium to low-end sound stages. We told them that our retail needs are already well served with Queen St., the Beach, China Town, Gerrard Square, 4 large Grocers and the Eatons Centre. We couldn't even move them with a letter about the health impact of 14,000,000 car trips a year in a community already suffering from the highest incidents of lung related infection and disease in Toronto.
In the end, Mr. Butts told us that they were afraid if they gave us the declaration, they would have to give it to the hundreds of other community groups fighting developers in Ontario. They also said they will be watching the OMB proceedings very closely. I guess we should all find comfort in that and the fact that the Province will now allow people in ground-level dwellings to hang their underwear outside to dry.
By the way, this bad news came with the first smog warning in Toronto.
We also pointed out how the Province's Places to Grow Policy, which protects employment lands and discourages auto-centric development, will not be a deciding factor in this hearing as this application was submitted before the policy came into play. We pointed out that this development will impact the lands set aside for the film industry and there is still a need and a demand for smaller, medium to low-end sound stages. We told them that our retail needs are already well served with Queen St., the Beach, China Town, Gerrard Square, 4 large Grocers and the Eatons Centre. We couldn't even move them with a letter about the health impact of 14,000,000 car trips a year in a community already suffering from the highest incidents of lung related infection and disease in Toronto.
In the end, Mr. Butts told us that they were afraid if they gave us the declaration, they would have to give it to the hundreds of other community groups fighting developers in Ontario. They also said they will be watching the OMB proceedings very closely. I guess we should all find comfort in that and the fact that the Province will now allow people in ground-level dwellings to hang their underwear outside to dry.
By the way, this bad news came with the first smog warning in Toronto.