Last month, a blistering Toronto Star article exposed the Provincial Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) program as yet another flawed process full of favours to developers, secret deals, and gag orders on municipal Councils. We are deeply concerned that the province's heavy-handed approach to managing growth as TOCs is impacting Oakville and removing our collective ability to influence the development of Midtown as a complete, livable community that is a great place to live, work and visit.
Tell Premier Ford and his ministers - STOP THE TOC!
This is a critical time. A huge show of public determination to put Oakville in charge of its future could force the Province to change direction. In Minster Calandra’s own words “We’re not going to micromanage and dictate a one-size-fits-all approach across the province. Municipalities know their communities best – they know where it makes sense to build homes”.
Let’s hold him to his word. Send a Message to Premier Ford, Housing Minister Paul Calandra and Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma to stop the imposed Midtown Oakville TOC program and let Oakville use its expertise, knowledge and insight to plan Midtown’s future.
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What is a TOC and Why Should I Care?
Our education page here provides a general overview of the Provincial Transit-Oriented Community program. Midtown Oakville is being considered a TOC. Concerns are outlined in our local news and by We Love Oakville:
"Closed-door Midtown negotiation raises red flags, say local residents’ associations" (link)
The TOC approach is hidden from the public and will drive towards a piecemeal approach to Midtown development, enabling one developer to establish extreme levels of density in the heart of Midtown without consideration of the build-out of the entire community. Whether it is in Midtown Oakville or across the Province, the practices currently employed in the TOC process add to an ever-mounting level of distrust of the process and our provincial legislative body. Quotes from the Toronto Star article illustrate the concern:
“The government has made a series of moves to make it easier for the developers’ work to proceed, overriding opposition from local governments who said they don’t have the infrastructure to support ...”
“The terms of those deals, however, are secret — and are even being withheld from the … municipal governments most affected by the decisions”
“It has also resurrected some of the same concerns that surrounded the Greenbelt scandal, where decisions disproportionately favouring certain developers were sprung on local communities, leaving them questioning whose needs were being prioritized.”
How Does this Impact Oakville Midtown?
A July 2, 2024 report from the Town planning and development department (link) confirmed that the area around the Oakville GO station, being considered for a TOC, included lands subject to development applications and appeals by Distrikt Developments Inc.
Distrikt Developments has filed applications to build 11 high-rise towers in Midtown containing approximately 6,300 units on 5 hectares of land. Using a people per unit assumption of 2.0 would result in 12,600 people living in these buildings and a density of 2,520 per hectare. These applications would produce a level of density that is 12.6 times greater than the minimum provincial density target of 200 people per hectare which is completely unacceptable.
Our vision for Midtown Oakville is a high-density, mid-rise neighbourhood with a family focus. A complete community that’s a desirable place to live, work and play; a destination with jobs, schools, shopping, restaurants, parks, and cultural amenities. The TOC approach lacks transparency and puts the success of Midtown as a livable community at risk with extreme density.
TAKE action now!
Here's how you can get involved:
Join the letter-writing campaign by following this link
Review our WLO online content to be informed of this matter link
Share this news with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to sign up here for updates
If you prefer to write directly we offer this advice here and suggest you echo our concerns from this letter
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