Ontario's housing minister has introduced legislation to streamline approval processes in a bid to boost the province's housing supply.
It comes after a housing affordability task force convened by the government released a report last month offering 55 recommendations, including a goal of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years.
Government officials say the task force report gives them a long-term roadmap, but many of the recommendations are not addressed in today's legislation, including changing municipal zoning rules to allow more housing to be built aside from single-family homes.
The government is now launching new consultations on increasing "missing middle" housing including supports for multigenerational housing, access to financing for not-for-profit developers and the housing needs of rural and northern communities.
The bill contains measures to streamline subdivision approval processes, site plan approval processes, which deal with elements such as walkways and parking, and approvals for modular multi-unit residential buildings.
Municipalities would also have to refund zoning by-law amendment fees after Jan. 1, 2023 if they don't make a decision within legislated timelines.
The province is also putting $19 million over three years toward reducing backlogs at the Ontario Land Tribunal and Landlord and Tenant Board.
Ontario announced Tuesday it is increasing a tax on non-resident homebuyers from 15 to 20 per cent and is broadening it to the entire province instead of just the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Those changes took effect Wednesday.
House prices in Ontario have nearly tripled in the last 10 years, far outpacing income growth, the task force report said, but the province is 1.2 million homes -- both rental and owned -- short of the G7 average.
Businesses and public services are having trouble recruiting and retaining workers because of a scarcity of nearby housing, which is harming the economy, while long commutes are contributing to air pollution, the report said.
Many of the task force report's recommendations suggested ways to limit how development can be stifled by local opposition to neighbourhood growth and change.
Those recommendations included eliminating municipal policies that prioritize preserving "neighbourhood character," exempting projects of 10 units or fewer from public consultation when they only need minor variances, limiting municipalities from hosting consultations beyond what is required in the Planning Act, and banning heritage designations that are made only after a development application is filed.
Municipal zoning rules also need to be changed to allow more homes to be built, the report said. It's estimated that 70 per cent of the residential land in Toronto is restricted to single-detached or semi-detached homes.
The province allowed secondary suites starting in 2019, but municipalities are still restricting their use -- the total number of secondary suites has actually declined for the past three years, the report said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2022.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has presented a multi-pronged 'affordability plan' outlining how the government intends to address inflation, based on pre-existing commitments. The measures, totalling $8.9 billion in spending this year, include planned boosts to certain benefit programs, as well as the federal government's child and dental care plans.
The Department of National Defence (DND) says the total cost of the Governor General's in-flight catering bill during a March trip to the Middle East was actually $80,367.19, correcting the original figure it released to Parliament this week.
A young actor from British Columbia who contemplated killing the prime minister and fatally shot his own mother told a Vancouver court room the woman did nothing to deserve what happened.
Michelle Rempel Garner, a longtime Conservative MP from Calgary, says she's stepping back from the federal Conservative leadership race to consider running for Jason Kenney's job.
The body of a Shopify executive who went missing seven months ago has been recovered.
A soaring inflation rate is forcing Canadians to contend with a climbing cost of living, as the prices of groceries and gas are on a steady incline. But for those who rent their homes, a rise in inflation is also likely to send rent prices shooting up over the months to come, experts say.
Concerns about a possible recession are growing for Canadians, especially for those who may be on the verge of retirement as inflation continues to soar, markets decline and the Bank of Canada signals yet another interest rate hike.
Environment Canada has issued a tornado warning for parts of eastern Ontario as a watch remain in effect for Ottawa and Gatineau.
The cost of gas is expected to roll back to an average price unseen since May in southern Ontario, one analyst says.
Quebec RCMP announced Thursday they had raided two locations in rural Quebec, saying they expected to find members of the neo-Nazi group Division Atomwaffen. The Canadian government has classified it as a terrorist organization.
The hot and humid weather Montreal has been experiencing this week is ripe for some severe thunderstorms on Thursday, Environment Canada says, warning that there's even potential for tornadoes.
Under language law Bill 96, the Quebec government will issue not only all marriage certificates in French, but birth and death certificates, too. This promises to create headaches for people hoping to use these documents in many countries that require certified translations, including the U.K. and U.S.
Two people were sent to hospital after a collision in St. Thomas that also resulted in a van resting on its roof.
A late-spring heat warning in southern Ontario saw temperatures climb into the low-30s Wednesday and Thursday.
London police are investigating after a woman and dog were sprayed with pepper spray Thursday morning.
Police responded to reports of gunshots the area of Belmont Avenue West and Karn Street in Kitchener Thursday morning.
Waterloo regional police are asking the public to avoid a south Cambridge neighbourhood due to an ongoing investigation.
Waterloo regional police are investigating reports of gun shots in the area of Greenfield Avenue and Kingsway Drive in Kitchener.
A downtown Sudbury bar says it is taking steps to increase the safety of its patrons after a woman said her drink was spiked on the weekend.
A stolen vehicle investigation May 31 by Temiskaming OPP has led to additional charges against two people from Hamilton, already facing attempted murder and aggravated assault charges.
It was a close call for the pilot of a float plane in northern Ontario on Wednesday night after the aircraft crashed into a lake flipping upside-down, police say.
Environment Canada has issued a tornado warning for parts of eastern Ontario as a watch remain in effect for Ottawa and Gatineau.
The body of a Shopify executive who went missing seven months ago has been recovered.
Ottawa Bluesfest is getting a nearly $10-million injection from the federal government ahead of its return to LeBreton Flats next month.
A brand new home is being built, for free, in the Essex County community for two Ukrainian refugee families.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is closing the emergency response phase of the Wheatley explosion after 42 weeks.
There were no injuries reported following a fire at a St. Clair College residence Wednesday night, fire officials say.
Patients at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket spent the least time waiting in the emergency room to see a doctor in April compared to other Ontario hospitals.
A Midland woman faces drug trafficking charges following a police investigation in Tay Township.
The skies opened up over Simcoe County on Thursday as Environment Canada issued a thunderstorm warning for areas south of Barrie.
Nova Scotia health officials are reporting a drop in COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths, and an increase in new cases in the province's weekly update.
As the ocean warms during the summer months, whales, sharks, turtles and other marine life are coming north to Maritime waters.
Simons, a popular Quebec-based retailer, is officially coming to Atlantic Canada.
A driver has been charged after speeding through a construction zone on Stoney Trail in northeast Calgary.
A Calgary man faces multiple charges after a shooting Tuesday in southeast Calgary that left one person dead.
The City of Calgary is providing an update on its ongoing response to river flood concerns and wind gusts that toppled large trees earlier this week.
Officers with the Winnipeg Police Service are searching for a suspect who is wanted in connection with two homicides.
A local art supply store no longer has to worry about a parking lot dispute with the city.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has presented a multi-pronged 'affordability plan' outlining how the government intends to address inflation, based on pre-existing commitments. The measures, totalling $8.9 billion in spending this year, include planned boosts to certain benefit programs, as well as the federal government's child and dental care plans.
Three people died in a crash north of Kamloops a short time after the highway reopened following another deadly collision.
Police are searching an East Vancouver high school after receiving reports of a person with a weapon inside the building.
Research out of the University of British Columbia is giving more insight into a treatment designed to help young children overcome peanut allergies.
A Canada-wide warrant was announced Thursday for a man facing 11 criminal charges, including sex trafficking a 12-year-old girl.
A man who was assaulted just north of the Ice District last month has died of his injuries, police say.
The remnants of a crash puzzled Whitemud Park users early Thursday morning.
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