Frustration in London after province fast tracks controversial housing bill
The Planning and Environment Committee in London, Ont. is seen in this undated image. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)
Just a week after council warned that the province’s housing plan would create a massive financial hole at London city hall — Bill 23 has been approved at Queen’s Park.
Hours after the provincial government’s decision, municipal politicians reiterated their concerns at a meeting of London’s Planning and Environment Committee.
“I know Bill 23 is top of mind, especially here at the planning committee,” said Coun. Anna Hopkins.
The Build More Homes Faster Act is intended to streamline the approval of new residential development across Ontario to address the housing crisis.
However, it also overrides several municipal planning powers and reduces the amount of development charges (DCs) paid to cities in order to expand services and infrastructure that support new growth.
The act also weakens environmental and heritage protections that some worry will lead to urban sprawl.
Last week, city council joined with other municipalities in Ontario calling for more time to comment on the changes and potential consequences.
“It’s really ignoring that municipalities of every size, across this province, are expressing serious reservations about this Bill 23,” Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis told CTV News London.
Civic administration has estimated that the changes to DCs will cost London $97 million over five years.
The primary financial costs would be:
- Phasing in development charges (DCs) over five years
- Growth related studies would be ineligible for DCs
- Lost opportunity to add "housing services" to DCs
Lewis suggests the DC changes put city council in a difficult financial situation.
“How we are going to pay for sustainable infrastructure growth and replacement without the development charges piece that the province is now changing on us?” he asked.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How more than 100 women realized they may have dated, been deceived by the same man
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
Mother charged with sexual abuse of toddler in Edmonton area after FBI tip
A Strathcona County toddler has been rescued from suspected sexual exploitation, and the child's mother has been charged, police said.
LeBron James becomes NBA's all-time scoring leader, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
LeBron James is the NBA's new career scoring leader. With a stepback jump shot with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, James pushed his career total to 38,388 points on Tuesday night and broke the record that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly four decades.
Biden in State of Union urges U.S. Congress: 'Finish the job'
U.S. President Joe Biden exhorted Congress Tuesday night to work with him to 'finish the job' of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he delivered a State of the Union address aimed at reassuring a country beset by pessimism and fraught political divisions.
Fears grow for untold numbers buried by Turkiye earthquake as deaths pass 7,700
Rescuers raced against time early Wednesday to pull survivors from the rubble before they succumbed to cold weather two days after an earthquake tore through southern Turkiye and war-ravaged northern Syria. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and was expected to rise further.
Canadian military plane heads home after two surveillance flights over Haiti
A Canadian Armed Forces surveillance plane was heading home on Tuesday after two intelligence-collecting flights over Haiti.
On list of 50 'most Instagrammable' places, only 1 is in Canada
A new ranking by global travel site Big 7 Travel has revealed the most Instagrammable places for people to visit in 2023, but only one Canadian location, Banff, is among them.
Spy balloon part of a broader Chinese military surveillance operation, U.S. intel sources tell CNN
U.S. intelligence officials believe that the recently recovered Chinese spy balloon is part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, according to multiple American officials familiar with the intelligence.
From $55 to $130: Which Canadians plan to spend the most this Valentine's Day?
As Valentine's Day approaches, many Canadians are preparing to celebrate by taking their loved ones to dinner and buying them gifts, but how much are we spending on this day coast to coast?
Kitchener
-
Suspect in Conestoga Mall robbery found dead in Toronto
Waterloo regional police say one of the suspects in an armed robbery at Conestoga Mall last week has been located dead.
-
'This has obviously been traumatic for him': Dog found abandoned with frostbite near Waterford
A dog in desperate need of care was found abandoned during frigid temperatures over the weekend and is just one of the many cases of abandoned dogs, according to Animal Control in that area.
-
Region of Waterloo report puts roundabout safety under the microscope
Roundabouts are under the microscope in Waterloo region as regional councillors are reviewing the safety of the road design following a pair of serious collisions involving pedestrians.
Windsor
-
Descendants of loved ones in old photographs meet the woman who helped reunite them
A River Canard, Ont. woman has solved part of a mystery she uncovered while decluttering her home last month. A woman who goes by the name of JoJo reached out to CTV News Windsor last week in an attempt to identify several anonymous war time photographs along with several postcards she found in a box dating back to the 1940s.
-
Fatal crash in Kingsville claims two lives, injures third
Two people have died in a serious single-vehicle crash in Kingsville, a third person was injured and transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
-
'Now we can sit back, relax and watch our children grow': Retired paramedic celebrates $800K lotto win
A Leamington, Ont. man and retired paramedic has 800,000 reasons to celebrate after he recently won big on an instant lotto game.
Barrie
-
5 arrested in Bradford gun bust, including 14-year-old girl
Police searching a home in Bradford arrested five people, including a 14-year-old girl, after allegedly seizing a handgun and semi-automatic rifle.
-
Family identifies man accused in 2022 fatal boat crash in Muskoka
The Huntsville man charged in connection with a boat crash that claimed the life of a swimmer in Muskoka last summer has been identified by his family as 26-year-old Zack Foyston.
-
Man makes 224th donation to Canadian Blood Services
Canadian Blood Services in Barrie is working to fill hundreds of empty appointments this month, with the service relying on the generosity of many regular donors.
Northern Ontario
-
Northern Ont. woman reflects on meeting Harry Styles and her magical night at Grammy Awards
A northern Ontario woman had the rare opportunity to meet her favourite musician at the Grammys, thanks to social media platform, TikTok.
-
Northern highways reopen following brief closure due to weather
Several highways in northeastern Ontario are reopened after a winter storm created hazardous road conditions Tuesday morning.
-
How more than 100 women realized they may have dated, been deceived by the same man
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
Ottawa
-
Highbridge Construction owes $106,000 in rent on storefront
There is a new sign of financial issues with an Ottawa construction company that suddenly closed, leaving customers with unfinished projects unable to recoup their losses.
-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT | Freezing rain could be on the way this week
Less than a week after extreme cold, Ottawa could see freezing rain and temperatures well above average.
-
LRT service disrupted downtown after water leak at Rideau Station
Ottawa LRT service was briefly disrupted downtown because of a water leak in the tunnel at Rideau Station.
Toronto
-
How more than 100 women realized they may have dated, been deceived by the same man
An Ontario man is being accused of changing his name, profession and life story multiple times to potentially more than 100 women online before leaving some out thousands of dollars.
-
PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, with $46B in new funding over the next decade
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
-
Ontario woman 'shocked' when sunroof explodes in 2-month-old SUV
Meaghan Maloney of London, Ont. said she was driving on her way to work, along Highway 401, in her 2023 Nissan Rogue when the sunroof shattered without warning.
Montreal
-
PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, with $46B in new funding over the next decade
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
-
Boy, 16, fatally struck in Laval parking lot by snow loader
A 16-year-old boy has died after being struck by a snow clearing truck in the parking lot of Les Galeries Laval shopping mall on Monday night.
-
Liberals compare PQ leader to Trump for wanting to close Roxham Road border crossing
Quebec interim Liberal leader Marc Tanguay says that in wanting to close Roxham Road to prevent irregular entry of asylum seekers into Quebec, the Parti Québécois and its leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon are behaving like Donald Trump.
Atlantic
-
Sandeson murder trial: Accused denies killing fellow Nova Scotia student for money
A former medical student who claims he fatally shot a fellow student in self-defence during a drug deal in Halifax denied Tuesday he planned to kill the man and steal the marijuana he was carrying.
-
'It's so sad': Retired N.S. doctor feels she 'abandoned' her patients
Retirement is bittersweet for a Nova Scotia doctor who says she feels like she has abandoned the 2,000 patients she has been caring for because she was not able to find a doctor to replace her.
-
Man found dead behind Nova Scotia Power substation in Stellarton
Police believe a man who was found dead behind a Nova Scotia Power substation in Stellarton, N.S., was trying to steal copper wire.
Winnipeg
-
Winnipeg police looking for two suspects involved in armed carjacking Monday
Police are searching for two suspects following a carjacking Monday.
-
PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, with $46B in new funding over the next decade
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.
-
Report on Winnipeg's finances shows $83 million shortfall, plus more for transit
A newly released report reveals the City of Winnipeg ended 2022 with a shortfall to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.
Calgary
-
Calgarians concerned about retirement plans amid high inflation, rising costs
A new survey from the Bank of Montreal is shedding light on Canadians’ concerns about the economy and the impact it will have on retirement plans.
-
Danielle Smith addresses 'just transition' concerns with prime minister in Ottawa
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed her concerns with the federal government's proposed 'just transition' legislation directly to the prime minister on Tuesday, saying she hopes the two can find some common ground.
-
Alberta would receive $25B over a decade under federal health care proposal
If Alberta accepts Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal health proposal, it would see, on average, $2.5 billion over the next 10 years, in line with population growth.
Edmonton
-
'Even the playing field': New non-profit hopes to raise profile of congenital heart defects
An Alberta couple wants to ensure parents-to-be get the full picture when getting a sonogram after their son was born with a severe heart defect.
-
Mother charged with sexual abuse of toddler in Edmonton area after FBI tip
A Strathcona County toddler has been rescued from suspected sexual exploitation, and the child's mother has been charged, police said.
-
Oilers beat Red Wings 5-2 in Detroit
Warren Foegele scored twice in the second period and the Edmonton Oilers went on to beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Vancouver
-
Parking lot campers evicted from Vancouver beach after occupying spaces for months
Months after threatening action, Vancouver’s park board has evicted campervans and motorhomes parked illegally at a beach on the city’s west side.
-
'Fiscally limited': B.C. premier reacts to federal health-care offer
While some premiers are calling the health-care offer presented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Tuesday "disappointing," B.C.'s David Eby stopped short of that characterization.
-
B.C. cabinet minister announces 'heartbreaking' return of cancer
Selina Robinson, the B.C. NDP's minister for post-secondary education, has revealed she is once again battling cancer.