Ontario's Bill 23 could cost Region of Waterloo $530 million: regional staff
Region of Waterloo staff say sweeping new provincial housing legislation will cost the region and its seven municipalities an estimated $530 million over the next 10 years, and taxpayers could be on the hook to make up the difference.
The Ontario government passed Bill 23, or the “More Homes Built Faster Act” Monday.
The legislation, which overrides some municipal zoning laws and reduces – or in some cases eliminates – development charges, is part of the Ford government’s plan to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.
But critics of the bill say it will leave Ontario's municipalities short billions of dollars by drastically reducing the fees they collect from developers.
Those fees pay for things like roads, sewers, transit, libraries and other city services and infrastructure.
“My concern is, of course, the impact this is going to have on our financials,” Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe told CTV News.
“We’re looking at, over the course of five years, potentially losing anywhere between $23 million to $31 million.”
Staff at the City of Cambridge estimate the value of the lost development charges at $18 million over a five year period.
Meanwhile, in Kitchener the cost is an estimated at $40 million over 10 years.
Local politicians say that means the cost of things like roads, sewers and parks that used to be covered by development charges could now be put on property owners.
“When people buy a home, they want to be able to turn a tap on, they want to be able to flush the toilet, they want roads outside their homes, these are all services municipalities provide,” Waterloo regional chair Karen Redman said.
“We know that we are going to have to supply those, and it shouldn’t be done on the back of homeowners.”
McCabe says it could lead to some very difficult conversations.
“We are going to have to have those trade-offs, and that’s going to be a very difficult conversation. What we may have to start looking at not being able to fund is important things like recreation, facilities, or parkland,” she said.
Many in the planning community are confused by the bill.
Mark Seasons, a professor in the University of Waterloo School of Planning calls it “perplexing” and says it runs counter to conventional and best practice in urban and regional planning.
“There is no conclusive evidence I have seen so far that development charges are the sole negative impact on the affordability issue,” Season said.
In fact, he says he’s not convinced Bill 23 will get any homes built faster and suggests the rationale behind the legislation may lay elsewhere.
“It may reflect a view of political perspective. There may be reasons that are opaque to me. The rationale for this is not really clear,” he said.
Meanwhile, Redman says the province has agreed to further consultation on Bill 23, and she’s hopeful an agreement can be reached that won’t leave municipalities and taxpayers holding the bag.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca