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Vaughan Mayor and former Leader of the Ontario Liberals, Steven del Duca, today accused York Regional planning staff of trying to create a role for themselves if a much touted municipal reorganisation sees the Region disappearing in its current form. 

Del Duca, the new kid on the block, was responding to a memo (Regional Planning Transition Plan) put before the Council by the Region’s Chief Planner, Paul Freeman. Del Duca suggested that the region’s planners were in “self-preservation” mode.

Newmarket’s John Taylor said the comment was unnecessary, derogatory and inaccurate. 

Excellent. 

When there are matters of great consequence at stake the last thing we need is for our politicians to dance around the issue, afraid to venture an opinion.

Avoiding Unpleasantness

For as long as I can remember, members of York Regional Council have behaved in a way that avoids unpleasantness, studiously avoiding direct criticism of their colleagues. Everything said in the hushed, reverential tones of a fusty old Club. Tony van Bynen was an exemplar of this type. In the same way, Newmarket’s Tom Vegh never tries to lead or shape opinion. He is a spectator of events.

So what happened today was, in one sense, remarkable.

Del Duca took aim at the Chief Planner, Paul Freeman, whose memorandum he deemed to be defective. (Del Duca should instead have targeted Doug Ford who still hasn't decided what he wants to do with municipalities.)

Regional Official Plan to be replaced by nine plans

Georgina’s Margaret Quirk asks the Region’s Chief Administrative Officer, Bruce Macgregor, if there would still be a regional official plan after Bill 23 (More Homes Built Faster Act 2022) had been brought in and fully implemented.

Bruce Macgregor replies:

"Our understanding presently is that the Regional Official Plan will be replaced ultimately by official plans from nine of the local municipalities. Our job from a planning perspective will be to keep tabs of those plans; to participate in their evolution and to understand where growth is going for the purposes of the master planning that we've done to ensure that the infrastructure and services are provided. 

We have master plans for roads and transit. We have a master plan for water and wastewater. We have a master plan for paramedic services. We are building communities now that are the size of medium towns in Ontario in concession blocks in York region. And even more than that in some of the major transit station areas and the areas where our communities are densifying. 

And so there is a need for regional services that we have to be aware of - no differently than the school boards and others. Healthcare providers that have to understand where our growth is going so that we build complete communities. So my expectation is we will have a close handle in coordinating the outcomes of local councils in their official plans. 

Those will be the planning documents that will prevail for approval purposes under the Planning Act but we will necessarily have to be closely linked to that and bring decisions back to this council - or whatever successor exists of this council - to ensure that those services are being provided in the expected way and that we are able to fund them as well. Mr. Freeman could probably add some context relative to the Planning Act."

York Region's highly regarded Chief Planner, Paul Freeman, adds: 

“…it is correct that the regional official plan will be replaced by the local official plans through the transition. It'll take some time as your councils update your official plans and adopt new official plans. Right now the region is still legislatively the approval authority of your official plans but that will change when the rest of the proclamation comes into place probably early next year. So the province will then be the approval authority at that point. 

What the memo outlines is what the legislation tells us - that we will still be required and have an ability to comment on applications. The approval authority of Regional Council will disappear. There's no doubt about it, and so Mayor Quirk, it does get replaced. But as Mr. McGregor said there's still a need for growth management at a regional level to understand how growth is going to be aligned with infrastructure. And that is a huge responsibility for the region that is predicated on fiscal sustainability.”

False Narrative

Newmarket’s John Taylor lambasts the “false narrative” which seeks to blame municipalities for the failure to build more homes. He says the reasons why housing isn’t being built in sufficient numbers could not be laid at the door of the regional planners. He insists that his defence of regional planning is not a defence of the status quo.

Taylor then throws down the gauntlet:

“If we want to challenge the status quo let's talk about Housing York starting to build purpose built rental tomorrow on regional properties, on this property right here.

(I don’t know if Taylor meant building on the car park at the Regional Administrative building on Yonge Street but it sounded like it).

“Let's stop pretending we're challenging the status quo by talking about what level regional planning is involved and let's start talking about challenging the status quo and getting things built. Housing York is and can be… the single largest provider of rental housing in the region and we can produce much more. We can produce units. We want to challenge the status quo about how much the regional planning is involved but barely a word was said about the fact that Housing York’s capital funding source was wiped out by Bill 23. Our ability to build units, more housing, 1.5 million units, was wiped out. I don't know how many people who want to challenge the status quo met with the Premier and sent letters in about that because that's significant.”

No-one responds directly. 

The council will hold a workshop in the fall where each municipality will provide information on housing approvals, when and where they were given and if they have been acted upon.

The following members spoke in the debate: Steven Del Duca (Vaughan), Margaret Quirk (Georgina), John Taylor (Newmarket), David West and Joe Di Paolo (Richmond Hill), Iain Lovatt (Whitchurch Stouffville), Gino Rosati and Mario Racco (Vaughan). Newmarket’s Regional Councillor Tom Vegh again kept his thoughts to himself.

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Update on 30 June 2023 from Newmarket Today: York Region Council at odds over planning future.   And York Region CAO Bruce Macgregor stepping down

Related: Ontario Newsroom 18 May 2023: Ontario announces intent to dissolve Peel Region and from TVO 30 June 2023: Doug Ford wants changes in Simcoe County. What do local Mayors want?

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Olivia Chow is the new face of Toronto

The election of Olivia Chow as the new Mayor of Toronto comes as a very pleasant surprise. The early results showed Chow trailing John Tory’s favourite, Ana Bailão, and I thought: “Oh no! Here we go again.”

In the event Chow won by a decent 34,000 votes – or 37.1% to Bailão’s 34.2%

The official results, certified by the City Clerk, are here.

The Toronto Star has wall to wall coverage. The Star's editorial board had backed Ana Bailão but this morning's editorial recognises that a vote for Chow is a vote for change - not more of the same.

The Local has some excellent reporting showing how the vote split by ward.

Turnout was 38.5% - a figure in the range that is, tragically, becoming the new normal.

Ford and Tory on the losing side

Doug Ford and ex-Mayor John Tory – who both vowed to stay out of the election campaign – end up with egg on their face. 

Ford predicted Chow would be an “unmitigated disaster” for Toronto. And, at the eleventh hour, Tory urged people to back Ana Bailão.

Chow has pledged not to use the “Strong Mayor” powers just at the very time Ford is extending them to 26 municipalities across the Province. We shall see how this plays out.

I hope she shakes things up.

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Update on 28 June 2023: Editorial from the Globe and Mail: Get the party started in Toronto vote. Click "read more" below

Details

Newmarket Council meetings always have a spot on the agenda for report-backs from our Regional Councillor, Tom Vegh. The Mayor, who also sits on York Regional Council, generally has a few words to say about what is happening there.  

Earlier today, the Mayor, John Taylor, invites Tom to give his report.  

Tom Vegh replies:

 “Thank you very much for the opportunity but there is really nothing to report this week. Thank you.”

Good grief! This has been one of the most momentous months I can recall. The future of York Region is on the line. Markham’s Mayor, Frank Scarpitti, called for the abolition of Newmarket and the other eight lower tier municipalities and the creation of a new megacity. Not to be outdone, Vaughan’s Mayor, Steven Del Duca, wants to see single tier municipalities in York which would be responsible for most if not all services.

Vegh did his last report back to Newmarket Council on 5 June 2023. York Region’s Committee of the Whole met on 15 June 2023 and considered an important report on fiscal sustainability. Members, including Tom Vegh, learned for the first time that Newmarket could have 15,000 new neighbours on land in King, just the other side of Bathurst. Oh, yes, and there will be a new acute hospital located there too.  

The York Region agenda included comments from King Township on the proposed Provincial Planning Statement which is at the centre of the current controversy over future land use planning. And there were comments from the Region’s Chief Planner.

There was a report on the potential dissolution of Peel Region and its impact on York Region.

There was an important report on housing and another on affordable housing. 

Clearly, there’s a lot of stuff happening that is passing Tom by.

“There’s really nothing to report.”

Like Tom, I am lost for words. 

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Postscript: Why doesn't Newmarket Council invite Southlake's Chief Executive, Arden Krystal, to brief them on her plan to have a second hospital campus in King? That's what I'd do. What is there left to hide?

See also: Southlake and the sale of the Greenbelt lands in King

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I wonder when Southlake’s Delphic Chief Executive, Arden Krystal, is going to make a public statement about the former Greenbelt lands in King which are earmarked for a new acute hospital. This is a very big deal. Personally, I’d like to know how it all came about. 

For the moment we’ve got to parse emails to discern their real meaning. It would be a lot easier for everyone if we just had a simple narrative from Southlake explaining what happened when and why.

Last week York Region’s Chief Administrative Officer, Bruce Macgregor, told us our 15,000 new neighbours will occupy lands

“identified by the Province to also contain a hospital expansion up here in the Newmarket area – expansion of Southlake hospital.” 

Breathless

As the whole world now knows, Arden Krystal met developer Michael Rice and King Mayor Steve Pellegrini at King Municipal Centre on Tuesday 1 November 2022 when Rice offered for a nominal fee some of the Greenbelt land he had bought in King a few months earlier for a new hospital site.  On Friday 4 November 2022 Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister, Steve Clark, announced that certain lands were to be removed from the Greenbelt, including those in King, opening them up for development. On Monday 7 November 2022 Pellegrini moved a motion at King’s Committee of the Whole supporting a new hospital on the Rice lands, breathlessly congratulating everyone involved.

Pellegrini, who didn’t want to get anything wrong, sent an email to Arden Krystal at 12:09 pm on 7 November 2022 attaching a draft of the motion he proposed to put before King Councillors that evening:

“Call if you have any questions, thanks Steve”

Krystal got back to Pellegrini at 2:24 pm the same day attaching an amended version of his proposed motion:  

“Hey Steve. Thanks so much for your support – this is truly exciting! I wondered if you would be agreeable to a few small edits to the motion that I think will have the same impact but perhaps be less controversial. Please let me know if these would be acceptable. Cheers and thanks again.”

Steve replies to Arden at 3:48 pm:

“All good. Will make those changes”

And, one nano second later, Arden replies:

“Awesome. Many thanks!!”

She copies her email to Township Clerk Denny Timm and Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Kostopoulos.

Nuanced

So what were the changes? Most of Pellegrini’s motion escaped Krystal’s blue pencil but there were a few changes which are nuanced.

Pellegrini version:

AND WHEREAS the lands satisfy the locational criteria for the new Southlake regional Health Centre

Arden Krystal’s amended version:

AND WHEREAS the lands satisfy our understanding of the locational criteria for the new Southlake Regional Health Centre site

Pellegrini version:

AND WHEREAS the landowner has made a commitment to provide the necessary lands for the Southlake Regional Health Centre for a nominal fee

Arden Krystal’s amended version:

AND WHEREAS the landowner is committed to providing the necessary lands for the Southlake Regional Health Centre site for a nominal fee

Pellegrini version:

AND WHEREAS the area designated as “Settlement Area” is not required to accommodate the new Southlake Regional Health Centre

Arden Krystal’s amended version:

AND WHEREAS based on our understanding of the locational criteria for the new hospital the area designated as “Settlement Area” is not required.

It is my understanding that Rice had been in discussion with Southlake on their plans for a new hospital since, at least, January 2022. And it is also my understanding that Pellegrini has been scouring King for a site for a new hospital since 2019. In fact he said as much.

Pellegrini told the Era newspaper that the Province’s decision to remove the Rice lands from the Greenbelt had come like a bolt from the blue:

When without warning the province pulled the King land out of the Greenbelt, council capitalised on it by saying “at least give us a hospital”.

“Without warning.”

Good one!

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See also: Timeline: Southlake and the sale of the Greenbelt lands in King

Details

Steven Del Duca, the uncharismatic former Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and now Mayor of Vaughan is proving to be a very big disappointment.

On Tuesday (20 June 2023) he called a special meeting in Vaughan to consider the City’s response to Doug Ford’s inchoate plans to shake up municipalities across the GTA. We know that Ford will break up Peel Region but we don’t yet know what he plans for other regions – including our own here in York and its nine constituent municipalities.

However, it is now clear Del Duca wants to see a “single tier” Vaughan taking over many services currently provided by York Region. Some services, such as the police and paramedics, will continue to be shared with the other York Region municipalities and special arrangements will have to be made. I see a plethora of boards and masses of red tape. 

Meaningless drivel

Del Duca came out with this meaningless drivel:

“We are a partner that can help the province and help our counterparts across York region with perhaps a new governance structure and model that will set all of the residents - not just here in Vaughan but right across what is today known as York Region - up for success.”

Del Duca is commissioning consultants to come up with a blueprint on a “governance structure” by the end of September. 

Del Duca was stung by Frank Scarpitti’s earlier announcement that he favours a York “megacity”. Which was rejected out of hand by Ford.

Del Duca believes he has to be seen doing something. Taking the lead. Charting the way forward. Being ahead of the curve.

Complete cobblers. Bad move. Del Duca is just helping Ford.

Pitiful

The debate at Vaughan on Del Duca’s motion was truly pitiful.

No-one came to the defence of York Region – not even those Regional Councillors like Mario Ferri who have served on the Region for hundreds of years. No-one asked what the implications would be for York Region and its constituent municipalities if Vaughan were allowed by the Province to split from the Region. No-one asked if the Region could survive without a major player such as Vaughan. Everyone assumed a huge municipal reorganisation was inevitable – and that a single tier Vaughan would be a good thing.

No-one mentioned the high calibre senior management at York Region. I’ve watched them for years – with no axe to grind - and most are very good and a number are outstanding. 

Ford's Regional Review 2019

No-one asked about the Ford Regional Review in 2019 which started out with great fanfare and ended as a damp squib. After all the talk of a massive municipal reorganisation nothing happened. The reorganisation report was never published. No-one in Vaughan called for the papers to be declassified so we could all make an assessment of the costs and benefits of a huge municipal upheaval. 

No. They just voted, lobotomised, for Del Duca’s unhelpful motion.

I found it very dispiriting.

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Update on 24 June 2023: From Newmarket Today: Newmarket Mayor urges care as Vaughan pushes for independence

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