In this issue:
- Provincial election: a Scarborough candidates meeting on May 18.
- An informed Scarborough response to the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force Report.
- Our Scarborough speaker series is looking for a volunteer leader.
Provincial Election Scarborough Candidates Meeting
Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 pm
The provincial election takes place on June 2.
There are some significant issues affecting Scarborough where our provincial government plays an important role: hospital funding, municipal planning policies, public transit funding, economic development policies, and social policies affecting our disadvantaged residents.
What will our political parties do to help create a better and more prosperous Scarborough?
SCRO is pleased to host our first-ever Scarborough-focused candidates meeting, which will feature one of the Scarborough candidates from each of the main political parties. We’re calling it: “An All-Party Discussion of Issues Important to Scarborough Residents”.
The focus will be on Scarborough as a whole, not on a single riding. So those community associations which host all-candidates meetings at the riding level are welcome to continue doing so.
The event will take place at Netwyn Place, 10 Thornmount Drive, in Scarborough.
This will be an in-person meeting for the candidates, moderators, and media. There will be a small studio audience. Community members will be able to connect remotely.
We’ll have further information for you in our next e-newsletter, if not before.
An Informed Scarborough Response to the
Report of Ontario’s Housing Affordability Task Force
On February 8, the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force provided its report to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark. The task force, consisting primarily of builders, developers, builder advocates, and real estate lenders is recommending that the Ontario build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years.
To do so, the task force is recommending that higher density housing be permitted in more places without municipal approval, that municipal approval powers be significantly curtailed, that appeal processes be limited and include financial penalties where appeals are dismissed, that community engagement be severely limited, and that preservation of neighbourhood character be no longer permitted as an approval criterion.
In essence, the development industry is recommending an almost unfettered right to build as they see fit, which is the kind of report you might expect to see from a development industry focus group.
The report is so one-dimensional that SCRO felt another perspective was warranted.
A research piece has been prepared for SCRO by Open Policy Ontario, to provide a broader perspective on this issue. Open Policy’s 69 page report is included in this newsletter.
We are encouraging Scarborough leaders to read and distribute this report, which we believe provides a broader perspective for our public policy leaders to consider.
“Our Scarborough” is looking for a Volunteer Leader
Our Scarborough is SCRO’s signature speaker series. For the past year, SCRO has been inviting Scarborough leaders, Scarborough organizations and people doing interesting work in Scarborough to share their stories with other Scarborough leaders and engaged residents.
In the spirit of “many hands make light work”, we are looking for volunteers to help plan and organize these events.
So, if you are passionate about all things Scarborough and would like to help recruit speakers and organize online events, generally every 3 – 4 weeks, please contact me and I can tell you more.
You can help SCRO to connect, promote and renew Scarborough
SCRO’s mission and vision are to connect, promote and renew Scarborough, so Scarborough can be strong and prosperous. That voice will always be stronger when we have your back … and vice versa.
Please join SCRO at www.scro.ca/membership. We are stronger together.
Larry Whatmore
President
Scarborough Community Renewal Organization
(416) 562-2101
