This Isn’t Over: Why Oakville Must Hold the Line on Midtown (January Update)

amandajholden
3 days ago
4 min read

Momentum Is Real — and So Are the Stakes

Now is not the time to let up. In our December update, we said we were in the late stages, the stakes were high, and that the pressure being applied was starting to work. That remains true. But in 2026, we will need to do even more — and we will need to do it together.

You Stepped Up — and It Mattered

In December and January, we asked members to register with the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO) and submit comments opposing the proposed Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) that would mandate the revised TOC.

It was cumbersome.

It was over the holidays.

And you did it anyway.

Thank you.

We do not yet know the total number of submissions, but we believe the response was significant and that our voices will be heard. Infrastructure Ontario has not released submission data; we will share information as soon as it becomes available.

In parallel, We Love Oakville submitted a formal letter directly to Acting Minister of Infrastructure McCarthy, expressing our unequivocal opposition to the proposed MZOs. The letter was hand-delivered to Minister McCarthy and Premier Ford. A copy is available [here].

Town Planning Staff Report: Clear, Professional — and Damning

Oakville’s professional planning staff have now weighed in, and their conclusions could not be clearer.

They identified numerous deficiencies in the revised TOC, including:

The revised TOC fails to meet Infrastructure Ontario’s own TOC program objectives; and
“Overall, the TOC proposal appears as a private development proposal with very little to no community benefit for either the Town or the Province.”

This is not off-the-cuff commentary. It is a professional planning judgment.

You can read the Town’s full planning report [here]. Planning staff also submitted strong, well-reasoned ERO comments that align closely with community concerns. That submission is available [here].

The “Faster Housing” Claim Still Doesn’t Hold Up

As we reported in December, one of the most misleading claims in this process is that the TOC will deliver housing faster.

It won’t.

Construction is not expected to begin until after 2030
Full build-out could take 25 years or more

This project does not accelerate housing delivery, nor does it meaningfully help the Province achieve its target of 1.5 million homes by 2031. Instead, it locks Midtown into decades of uncertainty, inflates land values that benefit the developer, and forecloses better, more realistic alternatives.

Now we also have Town planners confirming that the revised TOC does not even comply with the Province’s own TOC objectives, and provides little to no benefit to either the community or the Province.

Which raises a fundamental question:

Why is Infrastructure Ontario still pushing this TOC forward?

That question remains unanswered — and increasingly troubling.

Major Infrastructure Investments Will Be Required

The TOC assumes transportation and transit infrastructure is already in place and functioning effectively. It is not.

Gridlock in Midtown is already a reality. The TOC depends on major new transportation investments — many to be delivered by other governments or agencies — yet there are no binding commitments, confirmed funding, or construction timelines.

The financial implications are substantial and entirely unclear.What will these investments cost? Who will pay?

In the absence of answers, taxpayers are exposed to significant, open-ended risk — with no assurance that the required infrastructure will be delivered when needed.

Behind Closed Doors

In December, a useful meeting was convened by Minister Stephen Crawford, bringing together Acting Minister McCarthy, Minister Flack (Municipal Affairs and Housing), Mayor Burton, and Council.

In their January 23, 2026 newsletter, our Ward 3 Councillors confirmed that the Province is now actively discussing mega-density under both the original and revised TOC proposals.

They reported that:

Ministers Crawford and McCarthy are expected to meet in early February to discuss the TOC; and
A decision on OPA 70 will not be made until the TOC issue is settled.

The Province appears intent on deciding the TOC before addressing OPA 70. This puts the cart before the horse.

Midtown is a complex 103-hectare site that requires a comprehensive, integrated planning framework. Setting planning parameters for a single 5-hectare parcel before approving the overarching framework is illogical, undermines sound planning, and risks producing an unacceptable outcome.

WLO has been consistent and clear:

OPA 70 must be approved and mandated for all of Midtown
All component parts — including the TOC — must align with it

This is responsible planning. It meets provincial requirements and genuine transit-oriented community objectives.

OPA 70 has now been sitting with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for nearly a year. Minister Flack must approve it without further delay.

While some progress has been made, a familiar curtain of silence has once again descended. Key decisions are being deliberated behind closed doors. We are relying on Mayor Burton and Minister Crawford to carry forward the position of Town planners, residents, and the broader community.

What Can We Do Now?

It won’t be easy — but we will continue to monitor developments as closely as possible.

What is clear is this: pressure works.Texts, emails, and direct engagement matter — and we must maintain them.

We are working on the most effective ways to sustain pressure and will keep you informed. If you have ideas, please share them.

Our message must remain consistent and amplified at every opportunity:

OPA 70 must be approved immediately
It must apply to all of Midtown, with no exceptions
The TOC must align in all material respects with OPA 70

Be Ready

We hope for the best — but we must prepare for the possibility that Ministers advance another non-OPA-70-compliant “compromise.”

If that happens, we will be guided by the Town’s planning staff conclusion, with which we strongly agree:

“Density of development beyond Town’s draft OPA allocation is not justified.”

In our letter to Mayor Burton and Council (here), we were clear: should such a compromise be proposed, the Mayor must object strongly and insist on a full public meeting or hearing before any agreement is finalized or imposed through an MZO — so that areas of non-compliance can be publicly tested, assessed, and challenged.

Sunlight is still the best disinfectant.