Understanding the Changes

The Real full urgent Picture

You may have noticed construction activity picking up in your area. Or perhaps you’ve heard about a new development proposed nearby. This is happening all over Toronto, but locally Bayview Avenue, York Mills Road, and Leslie Street are underdoing dramatic, rapid changes.

What’s happening isn’t random – it’s the result of a wave of new policies at both the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario level that have fundamentally changed what can be built in your neighbourhood, and how quickly.

Without a Comprehensive Area Study – a holistic plan for the entire Bayview corridor – each application is evaluated in isolation, as if the others don’t exist. By the time the cumulative effects are apparent, it will be too late.

THE PROVINCE CHANGED THE RULES - FOR EVERYONE

Queen’s Park Opened the Door

In 2022, the Ontario government passed Bill 23 – the More Homes Built Faster Act. It was sweeping legislation designed to speed up housing construction across the province. While the goal of addressing Ontario’s housing shortage is legitimate, the law had significant side effects for established neighbourhoods like ours:

It overrode local zoning rules, allowing up to 3 residential units on almost any residential lot – without requiring any community consultation or City approval.
It reduced municipalities’ ability to say no – limiting the tools Toronto had to protect neighbourhood character, rental housing, and green space.
It weakened the role of Conservation Authorities and limited third-party appeals, making it harder for residents to challenge developments.
It cut development charges – fees developers pay to fund schools, parks, and infrastructure – meaning growth comes with less funding to support it.

In short: the Province told developers “yes” before the City or residents could weigh in.

TORONTO'S RESPONSE - EHON

The City Followed Suit: “Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods

In response to both the housing crisis and provincial pressure, the City of Toronto launched its own initiative called EHON – Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods. It’s an umbrella program with several components, each of which affects our neighbourhood:

Multiplexes (approved May 2023)
The City now allows duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes (2–4 units) on virtually any residential lot across Toronto – as-of-right. That means no community meeting, no public notice, no opportunity for neighbours to comment. A homeowner can simply apply for a building permit.

Garden Suites & Laneway Suites (approved 2019-2022)
Small secondary dwellings can now be built in backyards across the city – even on properties without laneway access. Again, largely as-of-right.

Major Streets (approved June 2024 – now in force)
This is the one most directly affecting Bayview. The Major Streets Study permits townhouses up to 4 storeys and apartment buildings up to 6 storeys and 60 units along designated major streets – including Bayview Avenue – in areas that were previously protected low-rise neighbourhoods. These permissions are now in force following an Ontario Land Tribunal decision in September 2025.

📎 Read more: EHON — City of Toronto | Major Streets Study

WHAT "AS-OF-RIGHT" MEANS

The Term That Changes Everything

You’ll hear the phrase “as-of-right” a lot in planning discussions. It sounds technical, but it has a very practical meaning for residents:

“As-of-right” means a developer or homeowner can build something without needing special permission – as long as it meets the basic zoning rules. There is no community consultation. No public meeting. No opportunity for neighbours to object.

Previously, many types of development required a rezoning application – a process that included public notice, community meetings, and a City Council vote. Residents had a voice.

Under the new rules, much of what’s being proposed along Bayview is now as-of-right or close to it. Developers know this – and they’re moving fast.

THE "PRECEDENT CREEP" PROBLEM

Each Approval Makes the Next One Easier

Here’s what makes the Bayview situation particularly urgent: developers build on each other’s approvals.

When one 6-storey building gets approved, the next developer points to it and says “precedent has been set.” The City’s own planning staff and the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) – the body that hears appeals – give significant weight to what’s already been approved nearby.

The result is a ratchet effect: each approval raises the ceiling for the next one. There is no natural stopping point built into the system. Without a Comprehensive Area Study – a holistic plan for the entire Bayview corridor – each application is evaluated in isolation, as if the others don’t exist.

That’s the gap we’re asking the City to fill.

THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING

This Isn’t a Local Issue — It’s City-Wide

To understand the scale of what’s happening, consider this: as of the end of 2024, Toronto’s development pipeline contains 854,898 proposed residential units – the largest ever recorded. If built, they could house over 1 million additional people – nearly double the City’s projected growth to 2051.

The City’s own research estimates that EHON initiatives alone could add 163,785 new units to Toronto’s low-rise neighbourhoods by 2051.

Bayview Avenue – with its large lots, affluent market, and desirable corridor – is exactly the kind of street developers are targeting. Without a plan, the pressure will only intensify.

📎 Read more: Neighbourhood Intensification Research – City of Toronto

WHAT WE'RE NOT SAYING

We Support Housing. We Support Smart Growth.

It’s important to be clear about what this campaign is — and isn’t.

✅ We support Toronto’s need for more housing options.
✅ We support gentle intensification that fits the scale of the neighbourhood – our Bayview Townhouse Design Guidelines from 2015 are a prime example.
✅ We support the City’s housing goals.

❌ We do not support a process where each development is evaluated in isolation, ignoring cumulative impact.
❌ We do not accept oversized proposals as a negotiating tactic.
❌ We do not support a system where residents have no meaningful voice.

The City’s own Official Plan calls for development that is “gradual and sensitive” to neighbourhood context. We’re simply asking the City to follow its own rules.

Now that you understand what's happening, here's what you can do about it

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